Devin White has made a second free agency decision this year. After his Eagles commitment led to a release, the former top-five pick is headed south. The Texans signed White on Wednesday morning.
The former Super Bowl starter will join a defense that added a few new pieces this offseason, though DeMeco Ryans‘ club is taking what amounts to a flier. White washed out of Philadelphia quickly and will hope to reestablish some value he has lost over the past two seasons.
Tampa Bay’s former Lavonte David ILB sidekick has seen his value nosedive over the past two years. Having developed a habit of freelancing in Tampa, White further alienated the Bucs by asking for a trade in 2023. The LSU alum sought a top-five off-ball linebacker contract. The Bucs, who became the rare team in the fully guaranteed fifth-year option era to exercise an off-ball LB’s option, did not give in and kept White in 2023. But he lost playing time down the stretch last season. That proved to be telling for White’s 2024 path.
White could not beat out Nakobe Dean in Philly, and new Eagles DC Vic Fangio did not play him this season. The Eagles cut White earlier this month. That release came more than two weeks ago, but White — as could be expected, given his experience and draft pedigree — secured a third chance. However, this Texans deal will be pivotal for his NFL future, as his career is trending in the wrong direction.
The Eagles gave White a one-year, $4M deal with a $3.5M guaranteed. This Texans pact should be expected to be closer to the veteran minimum. This pact will help offset that $3.5M guarantee for the Eagles, while the 26-year-old defender will have a chance to contribute to an AFC contender.
White has proven a strong blitzer as a pro for the accusations of playing out of the scheme. He racked up nine sacks in 2020, earning second-team All-Pro acclaim, and combined for nine more from 2021-22. For his career, the former No. 5 overall pick has 23 sacks. White added a Pro Bowl nod in 2021. White racked up 140, 128 and 124 tackles from 2020-22, garnering a strong reputation while still seeing pushback from the advanced metrics community.
Among off-ball linebackers from 2019-23, only White and Demario Davis recorded more than 20 sacks in that span. For all this, however, Pro Football Focus never wavered on its stance that White was among the more overrated players in the NFL. PFF consistently rated White among the worst off-ball LBs in the game. The Texans have a high-end athlete to work with, but it would not surprise to see Ryans and Co. wait a bit before deploying the 75-game starter.
A dispute about a White foot injury opened the door for K.J. Britt to receive playing time late last season, and White — who later accused the Bucs of turning on him after his trade request — lost playing time to the former fifth-round pick down the stretch. This included a demotion in the playoffs. Britt now works as a Bucs starter.
The Texans signed ex-Ryans 49ers pupil Azeez Al-Shaair this offseason but have seen his and recent starter Christian Harris battle injuries. The latter has not debuted yet this season. Al-Shaair missed Houston’s Week 7 game with a knee issue. This creates an immediate need, though Al-Shaair is not on IR. The Texans, who moved on from Blake Cashman and Denzel Perryman this offseason, will kick the tires on White to see if he can help.
