Bucs Don't Intend to Trade Devin White; LB Reportedly Seeks $18-20M Contract AAV

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have "no intention" of moving veteran linebacker Devin White this offseason following his recent trade request.

General manager Jason Licht told reporters Thursday:

"I have all the respect in the world for Devin. He's done some great things for us as a player, and we look forward to more from him in the future, so he's on our team. We are looking forward to this season. We are gearing up for this season with the draft right now, free agency, and, you know, looking forward to him being a part of this team. If he has the kind of year that we all think he's capable of, we can hopefully put this to rest, and everybody's happy."

ESPN's Jenna Laine reported Tuesday that White had requested a trade from the Buccaneers because he "has grown increasingly frustrated with the team and is 'fed up.'" His unhappiness with the franchise reportedly stems from negotiations over a new contract.

White is currently slated to play the 2023 campaign under his fifth-year option worth $11.7 million. He's seeking a contract worth between $18 million and $20 million annually, according to Laine.

According to Spotrac's calculated market value, White is worth $20.1 million annually. Spotrac lists Shaquille Leonard, Roquan Smith, Fred Warner and Myles Jack as comparable players.

The Buccaneers selected White fifth overall in the 2019 draft out of LSU, and he has been a staple in the team's defensive core since, earning a second-team All-Pro selection in 2020 and a Pro Bowl selection in 2021.

The 25-year-old also had a solid 2022 campaign, posting 5.5 sacks, five pass breakups, two forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, 124 tackles, eight tackles for a loss and 16 quarterback hits in 17 games.

At this point, extending White's contract or trading him is probably the last thing on Tampa Bay's mind as it gears up for the 2023 draft. Additionally, the Bucs have just $1.5 million in cap space, per Over The Cap, so they currently don't have much room to make anything work.

While the Buccaneers signed Baker Mayfield this summer as a replacement for Tom Brady, who retired after the 2022 campaign, the franchise also still needs to find a long-term solution at quarterback, whether that be through the draft or free agency.

White's situation will be an interesting one to keep an eye on throughout the offseason; perhaps more trade rumors will pick up closer to the draft later this month.