The Las Vegas Raiders have a long tradition of trying to resurrect the careers of former Pro Bowlers. Fans could spend days talking about legends who wore the Silver and Black at the end of their careers, and there are a few more on this year's roster who are trying to find the fountain of youth.
That list includes players like Jaylon Smith, Jamal Adams, and Raheem Mostert, all of whom are over the hill in their careers but are looking to find a role in Las Vegas this season. Another player who certainly fits into that category is Devin White, who is just a 27-year-old linebacker.
White was a key cog in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Super Bowl win during the 2020 NFL season. But going into the 2025 campaign, White is now on his fourth team in three years and is trying to find his way onto the Raiders' 53-man roster.
Devin White’s former GM wishes he never would have drafted him
It’s hard to know exactly what went wrong in Tampa Bay for White, as he was a second-team All-Pro selection in 2020 and a Pro Bowler in 2021. He recorded a career-high 5.5 sacks during the 2022 season to go along with 124 tackles and eight tackles for a loss.
But during the following offseason, White requested a trade after contract negotiations had stalled. The Buccaneers were already paying White over $11 million guaranteed for the 2023 season, but he wanted to be the highest-paid linebacker in the league, and Tampa Bay didn’t view him like that.
A year later, White left in free agency for the Philadelphia Eagles but was quickly released after being a healthy scratch. In a recent article by Dan Pompei of The Athletic, he spoke with Jason Licht, the general manager of the Buccaneers, and he admitted that he should have never selected White during the 2019 NFL Draft.
"Knowing what I know now, he would have been off my board. It was too much about him."Jason Licht, Buccaneers GM
This is a bit of a nightmare scenario for the Silver and Black, as White is slated to be a starting outside linebacker for the defense this season. If his former general manager from his glory days regrets ever taking him on board, it might not be long until the team or Raider Nation feels the same way.
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Licht went on to explain how the Buccaneers are changing their draft philosophy by only targeting high-character players, and it’s clear that White didn’t fit the mold. But that begs the question: has White changed over the past few years? Has he matured and become a more team-centric player?
It’s worth noting that the Raiders' current general manager, John Spytek, was the director of player personnel with the Buccaneers when they drafted White. Why would Spytek take a chance on a player who Licht admitted shouldn’t have been on their draft board?
The answer is probably as simple as the Raiders don’t have a ton invested in White, and it’s worth gambling on his talent. White signed a veteran minimum contract this offseason, and the Raiders can release him at any point and not have any financial restraints.
The hope is that White has matured and can fit into Patrick Graham’s defense, but the on-record statements from Licht on White are pretty telling.
This is likely White’s last chance to save his career, and that is pretty shocking considering he is only 27 and is still one of the most athletic linebackers in the league. White is penciled in as a starter for Las Vegas right now, but we will see if that's the case going into Week 1.