“Super immature” - Bucs insider rips Devin White’s behavior amid Cowboys trade rumors (EXCLUSIVE)
Devin White wants a trade from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They are not expected to contend and their star linebacker does not want to stick around any longer, especially after the team declined to extend him.
He has gone so far as to remove the team entirely from his social media profiles and link himself to other teams. This behavior has not sat right with one NFL analyst.
JP Peterson said on the Ballfather Podcast:
"The way he's gone about it, demanding a trade and then he scrubs his media of Buccaneers stuff, his social media starts liking Philadelphia Eagles stuff… then he put something up about being a Cowboy you know with the Dallas star and you know all these immature things right, super immature."
Peterson continued ripping into the linebacker for his behavior:
"He's supposed to be the defensive leader of this team. He comes out to OTAs and the mandatory ones didn't show up at all. All the other ones that most of the other players were at and doesn't work out…. I like Devin, but he is going about this all the wrong way. I think he's, you know, you got if you got leverage like a great player has leverage… Devin White doesn't have any leverage."
From Peterson's perspective, the Buccaneers don't have any reason to honor his requests. He's, according to the NFL analyst, not a good enough player to be behaving in this manner.
He is a former first-round pick, but if the Buccaneers didn't even feel like extending him, he may not be as good as he thinks.
Lavonte David opens up on Devin White's situation
Amidst all the awkwardness and the tension within the Buccaneers, fellow linebacker Lavonte David believes Devin White will be fine playing for Tampa this year.
He said via Sports Illustrated:
"I know emotions got the best of him. I know Devin wants to be here, wants to play here...You know, I talked to him throughout the process - whatever that stuff was going on with him - I know the type of person Devin is so I know he's ready to get back out there and play football and be able to help us win."
The NFC South is certainly up for grabs, so a good season for White could be exactly what he and the team needs to help them win now and secure a long-term deal later.