Buccaneers captain showing cracks that should worry fans

Devin White has been a major topic of discussion for Buccaneers fans and media over the past few weeks. The captain needs a way to bounce back.

During a time where everything feels like it is going wrong for the Buccaneers, it seems like every weeks has a new twist or turn that hurts the franchise even more.

The play on the field has already struggled. The off-field stuff has arguably been even worse. The team has lost the cohesion and the bubbly demeanor that has made the entire process so much more fun, and part of that starts with the leadership.

The leadership group in Tampa has been rock-solid for a few years now. This group is able to lead through their words and through their play, although there have been some questions about Devin White and his level of play over the years.

White is a tough player for fans to evaluate. Accolades and stats make it very hard to argue against his play (tackles, sacks, etc.). Any time someone has one bad thing to say about White, supporters jump in with every stat in the book that understandably make him look great.

These stats don’t take into account certain factors that have drug White’s game down (such as missed tackles and blown coverage).

Still, the critiques of White in recent weeks have been more than fair. It would be nice to see what has been going on from his end, but it is clear that the pressure is starting to mount:

Is this really what a captain needs to do during a bad stretch for the team where he has played poorly? It doesn’t work that way.

You don’t get to pick and choose when you own up to your problems when you are a leader. Captains always need to be able to own their mistakes, make the changes, then push on.

One way or another, this isn’t a great look for a guy that is supposed to be one of the faces of the franchise. Hopefully he finds his mojo again soon.

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