NFL Rumors: Devin White Requests Trade; Buccaneers Have No Plans to Move LB

Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Devin White has requested a trade from the team, according to ESPN's Jenna Laine.

A source told Laine that White is "fed up" with the team, though the source did not disclose what is causing White to be frustrated.

The 2019 first-round pick is due to be a free agent next offseason after the Bucs triggered his fifth-year option, which carries an $11.7 million salary for 2023.

Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times reported the Bucs have no plans to move the 2021 Pro Bowler, but his contract status certainly looms large. Trading him now might be a better outcome than letting him walk as a free agent or ultimately meeting his demands on a long-term deal.

Sorting this out within the next few weeks would also allow the front office to address White's departure through the 2023 NFL draft. The Buccaneers have nine total picks, including three in the top 100, and a trade would presumably net them a late Day 2 or early Day 3 selection at the very least.

Granted, moving White might be easier said than done because any team that acquires him has to factor in the additional cost of his extension.

Roquan Smith requested a trade from the Chicago Bears last August, and it wasn't until right before the Nov. 1 he got his wish with a move to the Baltimore Ravens. Baltimore then signed him to a five-year, $100 million extension in January before he could officially become a free agent.

It's tough to argue with White's production through four years. He has compiled 483 tackles, 20.5 sacks and six forced fumbles in 62 appearances.

But Smith's impasse with the Bears underlined how not every team is willing to reset the market to retain an elite off-ball linebacker, and his pact with the Ravens might have set the bar for what White is seeking. Spotrac values him at $80.4 million over four years, which would put him narrowly ahead of Smith in terms of average salary.