Cowboys selected as former $29 million Pro Bowl player’s landing spot
The Dallas Cowboys could be the perfect landing spot for the former Tampa Bay Buccaneers Pro Bowler.
As CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin predicted , Benjamin will add Buccaneers linebacker Devin White to the Cowboys lineup. White will be a free agent this offseason and is one of the most veteran linebackers on the market. Not only did he win a Super Bowl, he was named to the Pro Bowl at the end of the 2021 season and a second-team All-Pro selection at the end of the 2020 season. “White is physically gifted but is often questioned because of his inconsistent angles and should still have a significant market due to his upside,” Benjamin wrote. “Dallas has never been shy about adding big names.”
Why was Devin White available for the Cowboys?
The 25-year-old has been one of the most consistent linebackers in the league in recent seasons. From 2020 to 2022, White recorded at least 124 tackles in a season. White actually had the 10th most touchdowns in the NFL before the 2020 season. But extended analysis paints a less favorable picture for White. According to Pro Football Focus, White has never posted a defensive grade higher than 51.9 in five seasons in the NFL. Additionally, his 46.0 defensive rating last season (one of the lowest among all NFL rookies) was his highest in four seasons.
Even though PFF doesn’t rate him highly, Spotrac still projects White to make $10.7 million per year on a two-year deal worth $21.5 million total. The Buccaneers use a 3-4 defensive formation, while the Cowboys use a 4-3 defensive tackle. This means that white usually plays inside the left secondary. This means he could play the weakside linebacker position in Dallas’ defense.
Leighton Vander Esch’s career could end with a neck injury
Dallas starter Leighton Vander Esch could be dealing with a career-threatening neck injury. Vander Esch’s 2023 season ended after five games due to a neck injury. This was the fourth time Vander Esch has suffered a serious neck/spine injury in his NFL career and the fifth in his college career at Boise State.
Team owner Jerry Jones spoke about the severity of Vander Esch’s neck injury in November. “He’s an integral part of our left defense,” Jones said on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas. “We wish him the best. The nature of his potential injury really makes you think beyond the long term and what that means for the next week or next month. It’s about his best interests.”
Even though Vander Esch is under contract for one more season, waiving him would cost the team $2.3 million and also save the Cowboys $2.1 million.
White may not be a perfect quarterback, but he is a seasoned and productive veteran. He is the seventh-best linebacker on the free agent market, according to Brad Spielberger of Pro Football Focus.
“White is always a top-five prospect in free agency, leading to a strong market, and is one of the most prolific pass rushers among off-ball linebackers, using his outstanding athleticism to throw the back field,” he said. I wrote it. Spielberger. With Dallas needing a linebacker and White just entering the prime of his career, this move is very important for the Cowboys.
