After not playing a snap for the Eagles, Devin White finds a new home originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
Devin White, who never played a snap for the Eagles after signing as a ballyhooed free agent in March, has resurfaced with DeMeco Ryans and the Houston Texans.
The Eagles released White on Oct. 8 after he was inactive for their first four games and skipped the trip to Tampa on Sept. 29 for what the Eagles called personal reasons.
The Texans have had a rash of linebacker injuries lately. Starter Azeez Al-Shaair is dealing with a knee injury and missed Sunday’s game against the Packers, Henry To’oTo’o is in concussion protocol and Christian Harris has been on IR all year with a calf injury.
When the Eagles signed White, he seemed like a centerpiece addition for Vic Fangio’s defense. He was benched late last year in Tampa but blamed his poor play down the stretch on distractions stemming from the lack of a contract extension. He was a 2nd-team all-pro in 2020 on the Bucs’ Super Bowl championship team, a Pro Bowler in 2021 and still a solid starter in 2022 and early in 2023.
And in training camp, although he rotated with Nakobe Dean and Zack Baun, he received the first set of reps with the starting group all but one day.
But Dean outplayed White in camp and earned the starting spot opposite Baun. Because White doesn’t play special teams, he was inactive each week. With the Eagles high on rookie Jeremiah Trotter as Dean’s backup, White quickly became expendable.
The Eagles worked out a deal with him where they were able to release him and gain some cap relief while also allowing him not to be subject to the waiver claim process.
In Houston, White will play for Ryans, an Eagles linebacker from 2012 through 2015, as well as defensive coordinator Matt Burke, who was on Doug Pederson’s Eagles staff in 2019 and 2020, and linebackers coach Bill Davis, the Eagles’ defensive coordinator under Chip Kelly from 2013 through 2015. Texans defensive passing game coordinator Cory Undlin and senior offensive assistant Bill Lazor also both coached under Kelly with the Eagles.
White is only 26 but in his sixth NFL season. He was the fifth pick in the 2019 draft and had 23 asacks, six forced fumbles, three interceptions, 40 tackles for loss and 64 quarterback hites in 76 games for the Bucs.
He also had two interceptions in the 2020 postseason, including one off Patrick Mahomes in Super Bowl LV in Tampa.
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