For the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, this offseason appeared to be all about holding the group together as they made significant efforts to maintain important players in free agency.
Mike Evans was signed to a two-year contract extension, Baker Mayfield received a deal worth over $100 million, and Antoine Winfield Jr. became the NFL’s highest-paid safety. Not only were elite athletes cared for, but so were Lavonte David, Chase Edmonds, Chas McLaughlin, and Jordan Whitehead, who returned to the team after spending two seasons in New York. Not every one of them is returning.
The Bucs made a special effort to care for important players, but they also conspicuously disregarded one who lost favour. Devin White signed a free agent contract with the Philadelphia Eagles this offseason, ending his time with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Although it wasn’t a shocking decision, it was the last straw in a voyage that ought to have gone otherwise.
In his first press conference after joining the Eagles, White threw a few jabs at the Bucs, but the team gave a farewell statement to remind everyone exactly how bad things turned out.
White’s jersey was reduced by the Buccaneers to just $22 in the team store—a 78 percent reduction. That is extreme clearance pricing, and to make matters worse, Carson Wentz’s jersey is the only one that is less expensive than White’s.
Former players’ jerseys are nearly always discounted, but it’s worth noting how much less White’s outfit costs now. This gives the impression that Tampa Bay is leaving behind no legacy at all, which isn’t entirely inaccurate, even yet it serves as a sobering reminder of what might have been.
White was selected to take Lavonte David’s place as the defensive captain, but in his last few seasons, he called and asked for a salary that he had not earned. From the beginning, he had everything lined up perfectly. He helped the Bucs win a Super Bowl, was named an All-Pro, and was invited to the Pro Bowl.
All of that was pretext for a promise that was never fulfilled. During the past few years, White has regressed rather than continuing to grow into a superstar. When he refused to accept a $100 million extension from the Bucs, he reached a breaking point.
He used it to his advantage and had to accept $93 million less than what he had demanded in the previous summer, leading to one of his worst seasons. When it comes to the former No. 5 overall pick, Philadelphia is receiving about as big of a discount as everyone attempting to purchase his jersey.
White has an extremely talented player someplace, but he hasn’t been at the top for a long time. His legacy in Tampa Bay will be a mixed bag of knowing he was a part of the team that won a Super Bowl and having a jersey that is worth less than a takeaway order. Maybe that will change in Philadelphia.
