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BY IRA KAUFMAN
Yes, they’re still out there.
Two former first-round picks of the Buccaneers are waiting for a job offer, well after the start of free agency.
Neither one is old, neither one has a concerning history of major injuries and neither one can believe this is happening. Devin White and Jameis Winston are looking for work. The Bucs surely aren’t interested — and no other team is burning up the phone lines to talk to their agents.
White’s case is more interesting because at one time, not that long ago, he was considered one of the NFL’s best young players. In 2021, the “Good Morning Football” crew sat around a table to seriously debate the question: “Is Devin White the best linebacker in the National Football League?”
Now, at the age of 27, he can’t find a job.
Why?
Devin White
He has an abundance of physical skills but lacks football instincts. He is viewed as a talented player who doesn’t love the game. That violates Jason Licht’s cardinal rule for evaluating prospects — are they passionate about football?
It took Licht and Todd Bowles some time to realize the fifth overall pick in the 2019 draft was a poser. Who knew? He played a central role in helping the 2020 Bucs win a championship and the following year, his peers voted White the 28th-best player in the league.
In 2022, White ranked at No. 64, still earning accolades from teammates and opponents alike who marveled at his 4.4 speed.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if Devin was looked at as the best linebacker in the league for the next decade,” proclaimed Chris Godwin.
Shaq Barrett added, “the speed makes him impossible to stop,” while former Eagles All-Pro center Jason Kelce observed, “he’s a guy that’s constantly around the ball.”
But by 2023, White, unhappy with his contract situation, requested a trade from the Bucs. He was a disruptive force in the locker room and by the end of the season, he was no longer a starter. Hitting free agency, White signed a one-year deal with the Eagles, hoping to resurrect his career.
Instead of brotherly love, Philadelphia showed him the door in midseason. White never played a snap for the Eagles and started only one game for Houston last year.
Labeling White as a bust seems unfair. He was so dynamic during the 2020 postseason — 38 tackles, 2 interceptions and 2 fumble recoveries — that he was worth the draft pick for that reason alone.
The bust designation is a better fit for Winston, the No. 1 overall choice in the 2015 draft.
Jameis Winston
Winston threw for plenty of yards and touchdowns in Tampa, but poor decision-making, especially under pressure, led to his departure. During Winston’s 5-year run under center, the Bucs were a cumulative minus-35 in turnover differential and 28-42 on the scoreboard.
He moved on to New Orleans as a backup for four seasons and started seven games for the Browns last year.
Winston met with the Giants as a free agent this week, but his future remains unclear.
“I’m praying for another opportunity to sling that pill and prove to these owners and head coaches that I can be a trustworthy quarterback,” Winston says. “I think that’s the only thing I haven’t proven since I’ve been in this league. I’ve had the numbers in terms of statistics, but man, I haven’t won enough games.”
When it comes to the game’s most important position, trust is everything. The Bucs gave him every chance to earn their trust under three head coaches. He came close in 2019, when Bruce Arians was starting to believe in Winston before two disastrous outings at the end prompted the Bucs to move on.
Even after Winston was no longer a Buccaneer, Licht spoke in his behalf.
“We have a lot of respect for Jameis,” Licht said in 2020. “I thought he did a lot of great things. I would never say, and I think I speak on behalf of the organization, that he’s a bust. I think he’s got a bright future ahead of him.”
Licht didn’t say it, but someone has to … Winston’s a bust.
The first overall pick is supposed to get a second contract from the team that drafted him. That didn’t happen with Winston, who threw 28 interceptions in 27 games at Florida State before Licht pulled the trigger.
Winston was a media darling during Super Bowl week in New Orleans and he may have a future in television. That future was supposed to be on the field in front of the cameras, not on a panel show, talkin’ sports.
Catch up on your draft prep with the Best In Class podcast. This week it’s the annual edge rushers breakdown.