Bucs' Devin White Dropped Trade Request After 'Secret Meeting' with HC, GM

All it took was some face-to-face communication to change Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Devin White's mind about a trade request.

The fifth-year defensive stalwart requested a trade after he and the Buccaneers could not come to terms on an extension and he was expected to play under the fifth-year option the team had picked up on him. The situation was softened after general manager Jason Licht and head coach Todd Bowles met with White in what Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. called a "secret meeting."

"Just tell him the truth," Bowles said, Stroud. "There's a lot of guys that play under the fifth-year option. We just had to get rid of $60 million. How can we go back and disperse what we had to get rid of to get under the cap? A lot of people play under the fifth-year option. It's not a slap in the face. When you get drafted in the first round? You get a fifth-year option. If you get drafted in the second round, you get four years.

The option increased White's pay from $7.3 million to $11.7 million but did not provide the long-term stability he desired.

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However, the Buccaneers are on the hook for more than $75 million in dead cap in 2023, including $35 million tied up in the recently retired Tom Brady. This number dwindles significantly after the season, so the team will have much more to work with following the season.

The fifth-year option only applies to first-round picks, as other draft picks have their deals end after four seasons. This could add security but also can delay a significant increase in pay, which is something that White surely deserves given his production.

White has made 483 total tackles across his career and has also contributed 20.5 sacks, nine fumble recoveries and an interception. He has been named to a Pro Bowl and helped lead the Buccaneers to a Super Bowl LV victory in 2020.

Bowles acknowledged that White has the right to want the security that he deserves given his value and that in the end he will get his due in time.

"And the market changes all the time," Bowles said, per Stroud. "I understand his point. He wasn't disrespectful or anything like that. Devin is a real bright guy. He's one of the best leaders we have on the team, and he works hard every day. It's like he couldn't understand it at the time. It's like you've just got to play your way through it and go from there. Somebody is going to pay you. If you do your job, it takes care of itself."

White and the Buccaneers, now on the same page, will look to repeat as NFC South Champions as they begin their season September 10 against the Minnesota Vikings.