Believe it. Eagles spend for a linebacker in Devin White: What to know about ex-Buccaneer
First, the Eagles broke tradition by paying big money to a running back in Saquon Barkley. Then they did it again by signing a linebacker in Devin White to a one-year contract Thursday night.
ESPN reported that the deal is worth $7.5 million for White, who was the fifth overall pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2019, and has had three seasons (2020-22) with at least 124 tackles.
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White, no doubt, will slot in next to Nakobe Dean, filling a glaring weakness for the Eagles last season, in part due to injuries to Dean, and low-cost free agent signings of players who didn't pan out. This after both starting linebackers left in free agency after the 2022 season in T.J. Edwards and Kyzir White.
But White had a rather disappointing final season in Tampa Bay. He finished with 83 tackles in 14 games and 2.5 sacks, losing playing time to K.J. Britt. For White, it was a big drop from his second season in 2020 when he had 140 tackles and 9 sacks and was a main part of the Bucs' Super Bowl winning season. White made the Pro Bowl that season for the only time in his career.
Still, White is 26 years old, and he's a major upgrade from the three veterans the Eagles ended up using last season in Zach Cunningham, Nicholas Morrow and Shaquille Leonard, who was signed in December when injuries ravaged the unit.
All three are free agents, with Morrow signing with the Buffalo Bills.
The Eagles expect Dean, who was their third-round pick in 2022, to fully recover from two different foot injuries that limited him to five games.
The Eagles also signed Zack Baun on Wednesday, although he is more of a special teams player, who can play both edge and off-ball linebacker.
Baun said Thursday that he's willing to play wherever the Eagles want him.
"I’m not particularly sure about the plan, but I have a lot of experience doing (edge and off-ball) and I think I can do both at a high level," Baun said. "So, I’m interested to see where the coaches utilize my skill set and decide to play me. I’m down to play wherever and do whatever."
The Eagles also have Ben VanSumeren, an undrafted free agent, returning. He, too, was mostly a special teams player.
Contact Martin Frank at mfrank@delawareonline.com. Follow on X @Mfranknfl.
This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Eagles spend for a linebacker, signing Devin White. What to know
