Bucs GM: 'No intention' of trading linebacker Devin White

TAMPA, Fla. — Tampa Bay Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht said Thursday that the team has «no intention» of trading Pro Bowl inside linebacker Devin White despite White requesting that the team trade him. Licht said he fully expects White to remain on their roster in 2023.

«We all have all the respect in the world for Devin,» Licht said. «He's done some great things for us and we look forward to more from him in the future.… If he has the type of year we think he's capable of, we can hopefully put this to rest and everybody's happy.

»This isn't something I'm holding against Devin. I still feel he's a tremendous person. I would never say he's not the type of teammate we want because of this."

A source told ESPN this week that White is «fed up,» with a second source saying White's frustrations stem from negotiations on a contract extension. White is currently slated to play under the fifth-year option, which would bump his salary from $9,527,760 in 2022 to $11,706,000 in 2023.

A source not directly involved with the negotiations but familiar with them said White is seeking between $18 million and $20 million per year, which is on-par with what the top inside linebackers in the league are making and mirrors a statement White made at his LSU pro day, when he told the Shreveport Times, «Draft me, because when I hit free agency in five years, the price will go up. I'll be looking for $100 million then.»

The Bucs' fifth overall draft pick in the 2019 NFL draft, White became an immediate Day 1 starter at inside linebacker for the Bucs and was named a team captain on defense in his second season. In 2020, he finished with 97 solo tackles during the regular season — third-most in the NFL. He produced a postseason-high 27 solo