The dog days of training camp have hit the Detroit Lions pretty hard. However, while injuries are never a good thing, they can sometimes be a blessing in disguise when a team strikes gold with the next man up.
That might've been the case with Devin White. The Lions needed another body for their banged-up linebacker corps, and with not many proven options still up for grabs, they gave him a one-year deal worth $1.3 million.
He hasn't been in town for long, but it looks like he's already carving himself a role in Kelvin Sheppard's defense. According to Pride of Detroit's Jeremy Reisman, the veteran linebacker has turned some heads in training camp.
Devin White is making the Lions look like geniuses
"After a pretty impressive first week of training camp, Devin White has jumped all the way to a unanimous vote. He’s been the clear top replacement for injured Malcolm Rodriguez in the starting lineup and has consistently been making plays. It hasn’t been perfect—play-action has gotten him several times—but he looks comfortable in a starting role," Reisman wrote.
The Lions needed someone to fill in for the injured Jimmy Rolder, who suffered an injury setback early on in training camp. With the rookie out, they turned to a battle-tested veteran who was coming off a career-best season.
He led the Las Vegas Raiders with a whopping 174 tackles last season, and while their defense often left plenty to be desired, he was usually one of the few bright spots in Sin City. Also, he comes with All-Pro and Pro Bowl credentials, and while he hasn't earned much recognition in recent years, he's just 28.
The Lions added a former Super Bowl winner to help elevate their chances of finally getting the monkey off their backs. He'll likely ride the pine when Malcolm Rodriguez is back to full strength, but with Derrick Barnes' injury woes, he should still have a big role as the first guy off the bench and a fill-in starter.
White has a strong nose for the ball, forcing seven fumbles, recovering nine, and picking off four passes in his seven years in the league. That can certainly come in handy for a Lions team that was tied for 20th in takeaways per game (1.1) last season, according to Team Rankings.
A lot has been said of Dan Campbell's team's explosive offense, and rightfully so. Then again, this team makes a living in the most competitive division in pro football, and with three high-octane offenses on the other side of the field twice a year, straightening the ship on defense can make or break this team's bounce-back season.
Injuries are never positive, but at least, this team was blessed with a starting-caliber veteran backup.
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