Linebacker Devin White joining the Eagles was not the club’s most high-profile signing of the offseason.
But adding the free-agent linebacker could be one of General Manager Howie Roseman’s more impactful moves heading into 2024.
During a recent interview with Chris Long on the former Eagles defensive end’s Green Light podcast, cornerback Darius Slay noted that White has been great so far.
“He’s very athletic, faster than what you think — big guy, too,” Slay said. “So, I was excited about that signing. I kind of had a vision where after we played Tampa a little bit, I said, man if Devin becomes a free agent, I could see him coming over here — just because it feels like it’s a fit for him.
“We needed a linebacker. Because you know, you’ve been here, we’re D-line driven. So they just need the linebackers to be able to hit and run and he does a great job of that. And he can cover.”
When the Eagles had their Super Bowl run in 2022, they had linebackers T.J. Edwards and Kyzir White — both of whom ended up signing elsewhere in free agency in the 2023 offseason. Slay noted that Philadelphia could approach that level of performance with Devin White now in the fold.
“We had T.J. Edwards, I think he was amazing — him and Kazir was an amazing combination of run, and hit, and cover,” Slay said. “So I think Howie did a great job of finding that with Devin White.”
In 14 games for the Buccaneers last year, White recorded 83 total tackles with five tackles for loss, nine QB hits, 2.5 sacks, six passes defensed, and two interceptions.