NFL teams rarely sign a free agent in March and then trade the player in September, but that’s exactly what ESPN’s Dan Graziano thinks the Philadelphia Eagles should do with demoted middle linebacker Devin White.
Listing his best candidates for moving Ahead of the 2024 NFL trade deadline, Graziano touted White as a potential trade target for the Buffalo Bills, who will be without star linebacker Matt Milano for most of the season with a torn biceps muscle.
Here’s Graziano’s take on why the Eagles should consider trading White:
The 26-year-old former Buccaneers star has signed a one-year, $4 million contract with the Eagles this offseason, but he lost the starting middle linebacker job to Dean of NakobeHe missed the first game of the season due to a ankle injury but was healthy inactive for Monday night’s Week 2 game against the Falcons. Of the $4 million the Eagles gave him, more than half was in the form of a signing bonus, making him an extremely cheap option for a team in need. White had 83 tackles and two interceptions last season in Tampa Bay.
Graziano could be right. Eagles coaches have said it’s due to the number of special teams players, but it was surprising to see a player with White’s NFL credentials listed as a healthy inactive against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 2.
White, who signed a one-year contract worth up to $7.5 million With the Eagles this offseason, he was groomed to be the team’s starting middle linebacker throughout training camp. There was no indication otherwise, given how the first-team reps were distributed. The turning point in this saga came the day before Philly flew to Brazil to face the Green Bay Packers in Week 1.
According to head coach Nick Sirianni, White twisted his ankle during practice that week, forcing him to miss the trip to South America. Nakobe Dean started the game against the Packers and was quickly named the starter in White’s place when the Eagles returned home. White practiced full-time that week with his ankle issue and was not listed on the injury report. He was still healthy for the game against the Falcons.
White has publicly said all the right things since replacing Dean. When asked about the decision to inactive White last week, defensive coordinator Vic Fangio responded vaguely: “He’s practicing, staying focused and ready to play.”
He’s pretty healthy and ready to join another team, like Buffalo. That’s not how business is usually done in the NFL, but if the Eagles fell for this signing, White is still a young enough name to bring in something before the Nov. 5 trade deadline.
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