metaphor devin white Used to describe his arrival in Philadelphia and also the linebacker’s eventual departure.
“I’m a seed again,” White said as he walked off the practice field near the start of training camp. “And I’m just getting everyone to drink water.”
The seed never germinated. eagles White was released on Tuesday. The logic was simple: The franchise never fielded a former first-rounder who had signed a contract with the intention of playing. His agreement was also simple. Due to being released before the November 5 trade deadline, White is not subject to waivers. He can sign with any team and fill a role at forward that was never filled in Philadelphia. In order to be released, White agreed to terms that could provide the Eagles financial savings from the one-year, $4 million deal he signed.
His cleaving cleanup doesn’t leave the linebacker room in any stronger shape. This was a group that was overdue for some gardening. White was the key figure in the offseason overhaul. Now, the unit is at least deprived of its most experienced source of depth. An Eagles defense that is surrendering nflThe quarterback, who posted the fourth-most yards per rush (5.0) and fourth-lowest rushing rate (15.9 percent) also never fully tested the feasibility of a pedigree prospect looking for a fresh start in a new system. Had been.
After training camp, the Eagles stopped shorting White. He took the majority of first-team snaps in practice. He started in both pre-season games of the result. But White injured his ankle before the season opener in Sao Paulo. nakobe dean Starting in White’s place, defensive coordinator Vic Fangio definitively named Dean the Week 2 starter, regardless of whether White would be healthy.
Fangio then said, “I just think from the beginning to the end of training camp, he won the job.”
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This surprised White. Nevertheless, he told reporters that he was prepared to “be prepared for whatever is asked of me.” Fangio stressed that White is “still part of it and will continue to be part of it.” But coach Nick Sirianni said the Eagles “will need him this year” because “it’s a long football season,” making it clear White would only see the field in the event of an injury. White never appeared on special teams with the Eagles, was listed inactive for all four games and did not officially travel to Tampa Bay due to a “personal matter”.
White’s departure will ultimately test other decisions made by the Eagles. After failing to adequately replace TJ Edwards And kyzyr white During the 2023 offseason – Signed passer on the cheap nicholas morrow And zach cunningham Liabilities on the field and after back surgery became liabilities shaquille leonardA midseason addition, no longer in the league – Roseman needs to better address the linebacker corps. The Eagles signed White, jack dwarf, oren burks and traded to spend a fifth-round pick on Jeremiah Trotter Jr.
The reset was still cheap. According to Over the Cap, the Eagles rank second to last in the NFL in linebacker spending ($7.6 million). This is in line with their front office’s apparent strategy to invest the linebacker savings into other positions. The organization has changed the way it conducts gambling. They took a flyer on White, who was sitting on the bench in his fifth year with a defensive mindset buccaneers Coach Todd Bowles. He accepted an experiment with Baun, who was primarily a pass rusher. New Orleans SaintsThey threw a crap of a third day pick at Trotter.
Jack Baun emerged as a key part of the Eagles’ defense and contributed to the release of Devin White. (Gus Stark/Getty Images)
Baun’s blossoming as a formidable member of Fangio’s defense justified the Eagles front office’s approach to some extent. Bonn’s sudden fit into the lineup also largely explains why there was no room for White. The dean, appointed in 2022, has long been considered the future of the post group. His season-ending foot surgery in 2023 raised questions about whether he would be reliable. But Roseman renewed his public confidence in Dean, saying at the beginning of training camp that “we’re really excited about him” and “we have tremendous confidence in Nakabe.”
It’s fair to suggest that the Eagles would have welcomed the scenario in which White fired Dean, but it’s not clear why (or if) they believed the one-time Pro Bowler could revive his career. Would have resigned himself to a season-long role as Dean’s insurance policy.
White’s history suggests otherwise. According to the Tampa Bay TimesWhite told the Buccaneers he “couldn’t go” to the Week 15 game against the Green Bay Packers due to discomfort in his foot, but Bowles planned to start KJ Britt anyway. paired with a NFL Network reports White’s sidelining was not injury relatedIt appeared that White was unwilling to play off the bench. (White started in the final two regular season games and played 40 snaps as a backup in two playoff games).
But this saga did not dissuade Roseman. White said the experience really helped him connect with the general manager. White told The Pivot Podcast in August. That Roseman was “the only GM who wanted me, he FaceTimed me and talked to me like a man.” White said Roseman described how he was temporarily demoted in 2015 when Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie empowered former coach Chip Kelly.
“He said, ‘Bro, I was in your position once before and I was the GM here and you wouldn’t even know it because I had a meltdown, and I had to work my way back up,'” White said on the podcast. “He said, ‘You’re in the same situation.’ I feel like that’s the mentality, right? I was just going through this. Now, I’m down again. Have to come up from.”
Their common ground did not prevent White and the Eagles from drifting apart. White is a cosmic seed that is again looking for a place where it feels it has the opportunity to grow. How quickly White is signed would be notable, along with his subsequent production on his third team. Meanwhile, the Eagles, who have never fielded White — even in a reduced role or within a specific on-field package — are committed to a core that is dependent on the availability and efficiency of Dean and Baun. .
Have the Eagles decided on the starters who will ultimately bring stability to the position?
Or will the Eagles go through another reset in 2025?
(Top photo of Devin White: Mark Stockwell/AP Photo)
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