Darius Slay explains why signing LB Devin White was a solid move by the Eagles

The Philadelphia Eagles signed Devin White at the start of NFL free agency , adding some much-needed veteran help to their linebacker room.

While White wasn't the most exciting offseason addition, he was a necessary signing.

And his new teammate and Eagles cornerback, Darius Slay , recently shared what makes him so valuable during a recent appearance on Chris Long's Green Light podcast .

“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.”

Slay even went as far as to compare White to two former Eagles star linebackers T.J. Edwards and Kyzir White.

“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.”

White, 26, was originally a fifth overall pick out of LSU by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2019 NFL Draft and had been with the team ever since before he entered NFL free agency this offseason.

In five seasons with Tampa, White appeared in 76 games, logging 364 tackles, 23 sacks, six forced fumbles, and three interceptions.

His best year came in 2020 when he led the Bucs with 140 combined tackles, 9 sacks, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and four interceptions. His outstanding performance that year helped Tampa reach Super Bowl LV and he earned his first and only Pro Bowl nod.

In Philly, White leads a linebackers group that consists of Nakobe Dean, Zack Baun, Oren Burks, and rookie Jeremiah Trotter Jr.

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