The Lions have signed veteran linebacker Devin White, a Super Bowl champion with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers who earned All-Pro honors as a member of the second team in 2020.
White, 28, played for the Las Vegas Raiders last season, collecting 174 total tackles (11 for loss), 2½ sacks, 13 pressures, three pass deflections, an interception and a forced fumble across 1,118 snaps. He was targeted 105 times in coverage and allowed 83 catches for 671 yards and a touchdown, according to Pro Football Focus.
PFF gave White an overall defensive grade last season of 40.7, which ranked 93rd among the 100 linebackers who played at least 200 snaps on defense.
The signing of White comes one day after rookie linebacker Jimmy Rolder (leg) left practice early. It’s unclear how long Rolder could be out for, though NFL insider Jordan Schultz reported Saturday the rookie “will miss some time” but “didn’t suffer a severe injury.”
Lions coach Dan Campbell is likely to provide a more comprehensive update regarding Rolder during his news conference Monday.
Before the Raiders, White was with the Houston Texans (2024), Philadelphia Eagles (2024) and Buccaneers (2019-23). He played 76 games over five seasons in Tampa Bay, where he was at his best in 2020, notably adding nine sacks in his second season.
White was a standout at LSU before the Bucs selected him fifth overall in the 2019 NFL Draft.
The Lions will now have 10 linebackers on the roster, as White joins a group already consisting of Jack Campbell, Derrick Barnes, Malcolm Rodriguez, Rolder, Trevor Nowaske, Damone Clark, Troy Reeder, Erick Hunter and Joe Bachie.
Campbell and Barnes are expected to start at middle and strong-side linebacker, respectively, and Barnes has been getting reps on the weak side when the Lions are in nickel packages throughout the first few days of training camp. Rodriguez appears to be third in the lineup, though competition continues.
White hasn’t played many snaps on special teams throughout his career, especially in recent years, seeing only 15 since 2023 (including zero last season).
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This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Lions sign former All-Pro, Super Bowl-winning linebacker
Reporting by Richard Silva, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
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By Richard Silva, The Detroit News | USA TODAY Network
