Early on in the NFL’s free agency period, the Buffalo Bills lost one of their own, and key defenders, in linebacker Tremaine Edmunds.
When Edmunds signed a big contract with the Chicago Bears, the Bills were immediately left with a huge hole at linebacker. Now, many feel as though 24-year-old Tyrel Dodson has the inside track to take that job, and could take advantage of the opportunity.
However, it would be foolish to think Dodson can step right in and the defense not miss a beat. Edmunds was a valuable asset to this group.
With some options still available in free agency and the 2023 NFL Draft coming up, the Bills just saw another possibility open up via trade: Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Devin White has officially requested a trade.
Bucs’ Pro Bowl LB Devin White has in fact requested a trade, as @JennaLaineESPN reported. Bucs do not want to trade him, but he wants to be traded as he is coming up on his fifth-year option.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 11, 2023
The Buffalo Bills should avoid trading for linebacker Devin White at all costs
While he’s a former Pro Bowl linebacker, and only 25 years old, White is not the type of guy the Bills want to sacrifice draft capital and future funds to acquire. First of all, White is a one-trick pony. His best asset is as a pass rusher, believe it or not.
In run support, White is average at best. He missed over 8.0 percent of his tackles in 2022, which wasn’t even his career worst.
Bills fans, no, the team should not trade for Devin White.
— Ryan Heckman (@TheRyanHeckman) April 11, 2023
In 2022, he missed 8.1% of his tackles.
In contrast, Tremaine Edmunds missed just 1.0%.
For contrast, Tremaine Edmunds missed just 1.0 percent of his tackles in 2022, per Pro Football Reference.
If you ask Pro Football Focus, White is almost as bad in coverage as he is in run support, as he earned a measly grade of 47.6 in coverage last season. For White’s career, he gives up well over a 76 percent completion to opposing quarterbacks, and allowed a quarterback rating of 104.9 last season.
If I’m a Bucs fan, I’m waving goodbye and not looking back. At this stage, White is no more than a big name, for some reason.
The Bills are also projected to be in trouble with the salary cap in 2024, currently over by $17 million next year, per Over The Cap. If White is requesting a trade because he wants a new deal, that’s a deal the Bills cannot afford to pay, especially based on his production.
White pads his tackling stats, sure, but when you watch the tap and ask the experts, he’s nowhere near a top linebacker in this league, period.