The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have one of the worst defenses in the NFL and have been getting gashed by teams throwing the ball.
After not giving up a passing touchdown in the first 3 games, Tampa Bay has given up 15 passing touchdowns in the last 5 games, including 9 in the last 2 weeks in back-to-back losses to the Baltimore Ravens and Atlanta Falcons.
So, the Buccaneers need help in the secondary. Any help. That’s why Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox listed Los Angeles Rams cornerback Tre’Davious White as a possible trade target for the Buccaneers ahead of Week 9 and the NFL trade deadline on November 5.
“While White probably shouldn’t be the top target for cornerback-needy teams, he might be the easiest to obtain,” Knox wrote. “He would be worth a flier to a playoff contender with needs in the secondary. The Ravens, who have the league’s 32nd-ranked pass defense, are one such possibility. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who rank 29th in passing yards allowed, are another.”
White Given Permission to Seek Trade Partners
Rams head coach Sean McVay confirmed on October 28 that the team had given White permission to find a team willing to deal for him.
“He’s been such a pro about the way he’s handled obviously a not-ideal situation for him,” McVay told the Rams’ official website. “If you guys saw the way he’s practiced, the way that he’s been a pro in every sense of the word, and approaches some things where, he hasn’t been active the last three weeks. Guy wants an opportunity to be able to compete, and we love him here. We’d like to be able to keep him here, but if that is something that he and his agent want to be able to explore, we’re obviously respectfully understanding of that. And so the answer is yes, we’ve allowed them to be able to talk to some teams to see if that’s a possibility.”
White was a first round pick (No. 27 overall) by the Buffalo Bills in the 2017 NFL draft, and after making the PFWAA All-Rookie Team, he earned back-to-back NFL All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors in 2019 and 2020, including leading the NFL with 6 interceptions in 2019.
White signed a 4-year, $69 million contract extension with the Bills before the 2020 season — also the last time he had multiple interceptions in a single season. Of White’s 18 career interceptions, 15 of them came in his first 4 seasons.
White signed a 1-year, $4.25 million contract with the Rams in April 2024 and has been a healthy scratch the last 3 games after starting the first 4 games, where he had 12 tackles and 2 pass deflections.
On Paper, Bucs Should Be Fine at Cornerback
If you’re just looking at the roster — and the payroll — the Buccaneers should be fine at cornerback. One cornerback, Jamel Dean, is playing on a 4-year, $52 million contract extension he signed before the 2023 season.
The Buccaneers’ other cornerback, Zyon McCollum, is having a breakout year in his third season and was named to PFF’s Midseason NFL All-Pro Team on October 30 and his 2 interceptions through the first 8 games.
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