Buccaneers named potential landing spot for a Devin White trade

Sometimes people need to spend time apart to realize what they really want. We've seen it in life, we see it all the time in sports, and we might be seeing it with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The theme of the offseason this year was reunion. Jason Licht spent almost the entire budget on bringing guys back, from Baker Mayfield and Mike Evans, to signing Jordan Whitehead after he spent the last two seasons with the Jets. Lavonte David returned, Chase McLaughlin was re-signed, and the key members of the band were kept together.

Devin White was notably not among that group.

Things started going off the rails for him going back to last April. He requested a trade after not hearing numbers he liked in contract negotiations and things went on an otherwise uninterrupted downward trajectory from there.

White followed up his trade request by turning in one of his most disappointing seasons. He was injured, inconsistent on the field, and eventually lost his starting job to K.J. Britt. This culminated in the Bucs not even offering him a new contract before he hit free agency, and he wound up signing with the Eagles.

Things haven't gone much better since he arrived in Philly. White didn't win the starting job over Nakobe Dean and hasn't been active for any of the Eagles first four games. All of this has led to speculation that his time in Philadelphia might be short lived, which could open a path to a truly unexpected reunion.

Could the Buccaneers reunite with Devin White?

Bleacher Report put together a list of potential trade candidates and where they might land. This led them to touching on something Bucs fans have been whispering about for a few weeks.

Devin White has clearly been boxed out of the picture in Philadelphia, so what if Tampa Bay decided to bring him back and try again to rebuild a relationship?

"A trade back to Tampa could make some sense, given his familiarity with the defensive scheme and the Bucs' struggles against the run. They have allowed an average of 5.0 yards per carry through the first four weeks."

There were already trade rumors popping up about White as far back as the end of training camp, with the suggestion being that he was on the final roster bubble. If the Eagles aren't going to play him, which seems obvious at this point, then trading him seems to be in the best interest of everyone involved.

White is a good player, which is why his decline in Tampa Bay was so frustrating to watch. The fact that he never seemed willing to take accountability for his struggles only compounded the angst, but there's no reason fences can't be mended.

The Bucs have more of a need for White than the Eagles do, and have a spot for him to prove himself the way he failed to last year. Injuries have ravaged the defense so far this year, with Antoine Winfield Jr., Calijah Kancey, and Vita Vea all missing games. SirVocea Dennis was placed on IR after last week's win and the depth is seriously being tested just a quarter of the way through the season.

Bringing back White comes with risks, but no team is as familiar with them as the Bucs, and perhaps no team is as well-equipped to help him break out of his funk. Coaches know him, Todd Bowles loved him, and there's a baseline of respect in the locker room that can be built upon.

White flamed out, there's no other way to put it. That doesn't mean he can't rise from the ashes and the best way to get back on the fan's good side is to return and start helping the team in ways he didn't last year.

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