New England Patriots star pass rusher Matthew Judon put on his general manager cap again.
Judon, as he has become known to do in the offseason, continues to try to recruit players to come to New England via social media, and set his sights Tuesday afternoon on a disgruntled star linebacker that wants off of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Devin White requested a trade from the Buccaneers, and despite Schefter noting Tampa Bay has no interest in trading the Pro Bowler, Judon jumped into action. He quote tweeted Schefter’s news with a pretty hilarious gif as Judon certainly would be thrilled to have White lining up next to him in the Patriots’ defense.
If the Buccaneers do give in to White’s demands, it won’t be a surprise if they ask for a lot in return. White has totaled over 100 tackles in each of the last three seasons, including compiling 124 takedowns in 2022. The 25-year-old was also a major factor in Tampa Bay’s defense when the Buccaneers went on to win a Super Bowl title in the 2020 season.
White is headed into his final year of his rookie deal and is set to make $11.7 million in 2023, according to Spotrac. His contract situation might scare teams away, including the Patriots. But he sure would be a major asset in New England’s defense and give them some much-needed speed in its linebacking corps.
The Patriots currently have Ja’Whaun Bentley and Jahlani Tavi as their two middle linebackers while Judon and Josh Uche play on the outside and serve as more pass rushers. Adding a game-wrecker like White, who can play sideline-to-sideline, would elevate the Patriots’ defense to another level.
That’s something Judon is aware of and why he would want the Patriots to make a deal for White.
