The One Thing Devin White Learned Never To Think About originally appeared in NBC Sports Philadelphia
Yes, Devin White wants to stay in Philadelphia for a long time.
No, he’s not thinking about that.
“That’s where I got into trouble last year,” he said.
White’s time with the Buccaneers ended in ignominy when the former Pro Bowl linebacker let his contract situation and lack of an extension affect his play so much that he was benched.
He promises he won’t let that happen again. Not now. Not here.
“That’s not in my head,” White said of his current one-year deal. “Last year, I was just trying to be their guy instead of going out and continuing to have fun with the game and making plays.
“I think that’s where being a great football player comes in, when you’re smiling and celebrating and not really focused on the business side. I feel like if you have fun, the business side takes care of itself, and this was the first time I was in a business situation.
“And I don’t think I handled it well. I handled it more like a lawyer than I should, just like a football player. And now I’m back to being a football player, smiling every day and just being a light around the building. Just be someone everyone can count on. And that’s what I want to keep my hat on this year.”
White was one of the more intriguing additions to the Eagles defense this offseason. He’s only 26, he was a 2It is-team all-pro in 2020 and a Pro Bowler in 2021. His 23 sacks since 2019 are more than any inside linebacker in the NFL in that span and his six forced fumbles are tied for 3rd-majority.
A playmaking linebacker? Here?
If that pans out, White will be a steal for a team desperate for linebacker help. White was available and cheap. After making $41.5 million over five years in Tampa, he is playing this year on a relatively modest one-year, $4 million contract.
Todd Bowles, the former Eagles defensive coordinator who was White’s defensive coordinator in Tampa for three years and head coach for three years, said at the combine that White needed a change of scenery, and now he’s got it.
“I don’t know if it needed a change of scenery, but I feel like it was definitely good,” White said Wednesday. “You know, a breath of fresh air, to be able to start over and work from scratch.
“There is nothing like humbling experiences in life. And I feel like what I went through at the end of last year was very humbling for me and obviously just put me back to the root of everything, where I want to rebuild myself. And I know I can do this.
“I did it coming out of high school. I did this coming out of college. I did that when I entered the NFL and it’s time to do it again. And this is the guy who has always supported me, and if he said that, then I really agree because he knows what’s best. You know, he was a father figure to me to this day. Checking in on how I’m doing.
“And this new scenario is good. I have a great organization. I’m around great people every day. I already have a lot of friends on this team, so it’s good to have the chance to play with them and hopefully not have to change scenery.”
So far, White has been the only off-ball linebacker to work exclusively in the first defense. Zack Baun got the most reps at LB2with Nakobe Dean working there sometimes as well.
But the Eagles are clearly relying heavily on White to establish a position that, aside from a year here and there, has long been shaky.
What if everything goes well? You could definitely see Howie Roseman locking him up for a few years.
“For me personally, it’s been a lot of fun,” White said. “Coming in and obviously gaining the trust of the guys who have been here and obviously the new guys as well. Playing with a lot of dogs, a lot of highly talented players that are either coming out of college or have been in the league. You have the younger guys, you have the older guys like Slay, some of those guys who have been doing this for a long time. I think it’s a mix of both worlds across the field.
“I feel like we could be special together. I think that was kind of a transition to OTAs and minicamps – just having fun and having an identity and a swagger about ourselves.”
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