Tre’Davious White

CB Tre’Davious White Signs With Rams

APRIL 12: White’s Rams pact will check in considerably south of that $8.5MM mark if the former All-Pro cannot become a defensive regular. This contract features a base value of $4.25MM, per OverTheCap, and carries a $3.25MM guarantee. White must play 60% of the Rams’ defensive snaps to bump the value to that $8.5MM place.

MARCH 26: The Rams continue to build a new look secondary, stacking serious talent at cornerback. After reuniting with Darious Williams two weeks ago, Los Angeles will set him up with an All-Pro on the other side of the field. Former Bills cornerback Tre’Davious White has announced his intentions to sign with the Rams. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, White will join the team on a one-year, $8.5MM deal with a maximum value of $10MM.

White was designated as a post-June 1 release, becoming a cap casualty shortly before the start of free agency. Buffalo will recover $10.2MM of cap space come June 2. Once it’s official, White will become a Ram, playing for a team other than the Bills for the first time in his NFL career.

A 2017 first-round pick out of LSU, White has enjoyed a seven-year career in Buffalo since getting drafted. In his first four years, White was the picture of elite cornerback play. Through four seasons, White tallied 54 passes defensed and 15 interceptions, as well as four forced fumbles and fumble recoveries apiece. For his efforts, White finished second in Defensive Rookie of the Year voting, made two Pro Bowls, and was voted to both first- and second-team All-Pro honors.

In 2021, he suffered a torn ACL after 11 games, cutting his season short. A three-sport athlete since middle school, White’s mental health suffered as a result of his forced inactivity during recovery. Slow-playing his recovery meant spending the first seven weeks of 2022 on injured reserve and missing three more games before finally making his return. Things went from bad to worse four games into 2023, when White suffered a torn Achilles tendon, another season-ending ailment.

Before signing, White made the rounds in his first bout with free agency. White spent time visiting the Rams, Raiders, Giants, and Titans. As much as these visits were for White to determine where he wanted to go, they also served as an opportunity for team doctors to feel out how White’s recovery was progressing. A big plus for both White and Los Angeles is that the Rams currently employ Dr. Neal ElAttrache as their team doctor. ElAttrache is the surgeon who repaired White’s Achilles tendon, and he and White have spent time together since with rehab, according to Schefter.

In Los Angeles, White should be allowed to return at his own pace. Derion Kendrick returns after starting 12 games last season, as does Cobie Durant who started nine games while manning the nickelback role in 2023. Although top cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon‘s contract expired, the addition of Williams more than makes up for his absence.

As White works to return to the field with the doctor that fixed his injury, the Rams should be able to field Williams, Kendrick, and Durant in the secondary. The value of White’s new contract, though, seems to imply that Los Angeles doesn’t anticipate being without White for long.

Tre’Davious White To Visit Giants, Titans

Tre’Davious White‘s itinerary is starting to look like a first-round prospect’s. After his Rams and Raiders meetings, the former Bills cornerback has booked two more visits.

The Giants and Titans have scheduled meetings with the former All-Pro, ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets. Both visits will take place this week. The Bills designated White a post-June 1 cut recently, wrapping a seven-year tenure that saw injuries impede the talented cover man while on his big-ticket extension.

Finding a connection between White and the Giants is not difficult. Brian Daboll and GM Joe Schoen were in Buffalo during most of White’s tenure there, with Schoen on board when the Bills extended the Pro Bowl corner in 2021. The Giants are in the market for a starter opposite Deonte Banks. While the team signed Jalen Mills, the team is viewing the versatile DB as a safety. That makes sense, considering the loss of Xavier McKinney, but the Giants also saw three-year CB starter Adoree’ Jackson become a free agent. Jackson is not expected back.

The Titans did add a key option early in free agency, agreeing to terms with Chidobe Awuzie. But the team lost Sean Murphy-Bunting to the Cardinals as well; Kristian Fulton remains unsigned. The Titans have seen injuries play a key role in their cornerback equation — among other areas on the roster — with Fulton and former first-rounder Caleb Farley running into regular trouble on that front. The team still has 2022 second-rounder Roger McCreary on his rookie contract, but it is still looking for pieces here.

White suffered a torn ACL on Thanksgiving 2021; it took him a full year to return. White was ready to go for the 2023 season, but an Achilles tear in Week 4 became part of another injury-laden Buffalo defense. The Bills had White in place as their No. 1 corner for several years, seeing him land All-Pro honors in 2019 and 2020. They were largely forced to play without the 2017 first-rounder over the past three seasons, and with cap trouble surfacing, the perennial AFC East champs moved on as a secondary overhaul is taking place.

White, 29, has generated extensive interest and figures to land a second opportunity soon. The deal may need to be incentive-laden, with injuries coming to define White in recent years.

CB Tre’Davious White Visiting Rams, Raiders

Long-time Bills cornerback Tre’Davious White is experiencing free agency for the first time in his career after being released two years into his four-year extension. Now free to choose his next destination, White has scheduled visits with the Rams and Raiders for this coming week, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network.

White, once the picture of elite cornerback play, has been a shell of his former self in the last three years as he’s struggled with injury. Before his first major injury, White was playing his best football. He made two consecutive Pro Bowls and earned first- and second-team All-Pro honors in those years, as well. Over his first four seasons in the NFL, White tallied 15 interceptions (including a league-leading six in 2019) and 54 passes defensed.

In 2021, he suffered a torn ACL after 11 games, cutting his season short. A three-sport athlete since middle school, White’s mental health suffered as a result of his forced inactivity during recovery. Slow-playing his recovery meant spending the first seven weeks of 2022 on injured reserve and missing three more games before finally making his return. Things went from bad to worse four games into 2023, when White suffered a torn Achilles tendon, another season-ending ailment. He’ll be working his way back from that second long-term injury with whatever team signs him.

The Rams replaced free agent cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon last week with a bit of an upgrade by bringing back Darious Williams from Jacksonville. Plus, the Rams are listing Quentin Lake as a safety on their roster after using him as a nickelback for most of 2023. White would be a nice fit to work in a three-man group with Williams and Derion Kendrick if Lake starts spending more time at safety.

In Las Vegas, the Raiders’ cornerbacks group is looking pretty different. Nickelback Nate Hobbs returns, but starting cornerbacks Marcus Peters and Amik Robertson both hit free agency this week, with Robertson immediately agreeing to a new deal with the Lions. Jakorian Bennett and Jack Jones are the top returning cornerbacks without them, so Las Vegas could certainly use the addition of a veteran defender like White.

Both teams will be hoping to land the talents of White, despite his recent injury. If neither can sign him to a contract, they’re likely to not be the only teams interested. If no news of a deal comes out of these two visits, look for more scheduled stops in the future.

Bills To Release CB Tre’Davious White

As their cost-shedding moves continue, the Bills are parting ways with Tre’Davious WhiteThe former All-Pro corner will be released, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports.

Schefter notes White will be designated a post-June 1 cut, meaning the move will not take place until the new league year begins next week. That path will lead to $10.2MM in savings in 2024, but they will not be realized until June 2. White will, however, be free to find a new team as soon as the market opens.

[RELATED: Bills To Release Mitch Morse, Deonte Harty]

White’s future was in question given his injury history over the past two seasons in particular. The former first-rounder was limited to six contests in 2022 as he recovered from an ACL tear the previous fall. In 2023, an Achilles tear cut his season short after just four contests. Having missed considerable time and with no more base salary guaranteed on his deal, White represented a logical release candidate.

The 29-year-old’s extension (a four-year, $69MM pact inked in 2020) had already been restructured multiple times, and taking that route again would have pushed further cap charges down the road. Instead, the team will elect to spread out his dead money charge ($6.23MM in 2024) over two years while cutting ties with a full-time starter. White logged 89 total appearances between regular and postseason play in Buffalo.

Over that span, he racked up 18 interceptions – including a league-leading six in 2019. White reached double figures in terms of pass deflections in three of his first four seasons, but his production in that regard has dropped off in the past three years due in part to the missed time. The LSU alum has remained strong in coverage, though, something which could help him land a notable pact with a new team in free agency.

Buffalo has 2022 sixth-rounder Christian Benford as well as 2023 trade acquisition Rasul Douglas in place as starting outside corners for the time being. Kaiir Elam – taken 23rd overall in 2022 – has not developed as hoped so far in his career, but moving on from White could open the door to playing time. In any case, the Bills will be in the market for a CB addition either in free agency or the draft.

In need of plenty of maneuvering to get under the cap limit, the Bills have made a slew of moves pointing them in that direction. That has included Jordan Poyer and Siran Neal being released today. The same is also true of Morse and Harty. Taking into account the efforts made so far, Buffalo sits $19.7MM over the cap as things stand. That figure will be helped in June by White’s release, but in the immediate future the team still has more work to do from a financial standpoint.

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/7/23

Here are the day’s minor transactions heading into Week 5:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

  • Elevated: WR Xavier Malone

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Cincinnati Bengals

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Jacksonville Jaguars

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Tennessee Titans

AFC East Rumors: Bills, Achane, Hall, Judon

A Bills team that is looking to win their fourth-straight division title lost a crucial piece of their defense when veteran cornerback Tre’Davious White suffered a season-ending torn Achilles tendon. With Christian Benford and Taron Johnson already starting so far this season, the team will be relying on backups to step up in White’s absence.

Last year’s first-round pick Kaiir Elam has been a healthy-scratch for the first four games of the season but may be forced into action now that it’s necessary. Dane Jackson was the one who saw increased snaps upon White’s departure last weekend. Siran Neal and Cameron Lewis also have an opportunity to contribute. Head coach Sean McDermott, while maintaining that the Bills have faith in the guys already in their building, didn’t rule out the potential of a free agent signing to help reinforce the group, according to The Athletic’s Tim Graham.

If Buffalo is interested in veteran options, former Broncos cornerback Chris Harris is available after coming off the practice squad for the Saints to start four games last season. Veteran free agent Casey Hayward is also available after suffering a season-ending shoulder injury last year. Either option would provide veteran, starting experience for the Bills in place of White.

Here are a few other rumors from around the AFC East, starting down in Dade County:

  • Dolphins rookie running back Devon Achane has exploded onto the scene in the past two weeks. After only registering two touches over the first two games of the season for Miami, Achane has totaled 353 total yards and six total touchdowns in the last two games alone. Needless to say, the Dolphins are looking to get the ball in Achane’s hands more often, as reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The only issue is that starting running back Raheem Mostert has been impressive in his own right so far this year, and the team also likes Jeff Wilson and Salvon Ahmed, who are each trying to shake off injuries. Regardless, it’s going to be tough to keep Achane off the field.
  • The Jets have been managing second-year running back Breece Hall on a limited snap count so far this season as he comes back to full strength from last year’s season-ending ACL tear. According to Schefter, head coach Robert Saleh informed the media that Hall will not be playing on a limited workload any longer. Hall’s early effectiveness, combined with the initial disappointment of the Dalvin Cook-addition, has prompted the team to increase the role of the player it views as the team’s primary rusher.
  • We knew that the serious injury to Patriots pass rusher Matt Judon would majorly impact his ability to make an impression for his next contract. Thanks to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, we have some details on how it affects him now, as well. His recent restructure presented the opportunity for Judon to make up to $3MM in incentives. Since he won’t be able to play for 75 percent of the team’s defense snaps and will likely miss the Pro Bowl and an All-Pro selection, Judon is likely to miss out on $2MM of those incentives. Additionally, he’ll be out approximately $766K in per game active roster bonuses that he wouldn’t qualify for over the rest of the year, if he can’t make a return this season.

Bills CB Tre’Davious White Tears Achilles

OCTOBER 2: A Monday MRI confirmed the fears. White suffered an Achilles tear, Sean McDermott said. This will bring another early end to the top Buffalo corner’s season. White needed a full year to return from the ACL tear that ended his 2021 campaign, and he will soon start another lengthy rehab journey.

OCTOBER 1: In an otherwise extremely positive day in Buffalo that included the return to the field for Bills safety Damar Hamlin and a rather convincing win over the division-rival Dolphins, the Bills experienced a terrible scare as veteran cornerback Tre’Davious White left the game with an apparent ankle injury.

An update from the team’s public relations account on X informed that White had been downgraded to out for the game and that he was being evaluated for an injury to his Achilles tendon. Unfortunately, those evaluations are not looking promising as it is currently feared that White has suffered a torn Achilles, according to Jeff Darlington of ESPN.

This continues a troubling trend for the 28-year-old cornerback, who has not played in every game since his sophomore season in 2018. While he missed three games in the 2019 and 2020 seasons, White was still able to establish himself as a top cornerback in the league with a first-team All-Pro selection and two Pro Bowl appearances. In 2021, though, White would miss the final six games of the season after tearing his ACL, and that would start an unusually long absence.

Of course, ACL injuries routinely require a lengthy recovery process, but White intentionally decided to slow play his return to the field. The long-term injury was the first of his entire sports career dating back to childhood, and the sedentary lifestyle that recovery required of him took a toll on his mental health. He took an extra couple of months before coming back to play, and the decision paid off, allowing White to be effective in his return to the field.

Unfortunately, including last year’s playoffs, that return only lasted 11 games before he suffered an unrelated, potentially long-term injury. If White truly did tear his Achilles, he would almost certainly be out for the remainder of the season. Hopefully, if an MRI tomorrow confirms the severity of the injury, White is in a better place to deal with a long-term recovery and will be able to make another strong return.

In the meantime, the Bills secondary, already short today starting safety Jordan Poyer with a knee injury and last year’s first-round pick Kaiir Elam, who has been a healthy-scratch for the first four weeks of the season, will turn to a number of backups to fill White’s potential absence. Christian Benford and Taron Johnson have been starting alongside White so far this season. If White is forced to miss the rest of the season, the team will need to rely more on Dane Jackson, Siran Neal, and Cameron Lewis. Figuring out what they’re doing with Elam probably wouldn’t hurt, either.

Bills Restructure Tre’Davious White’s Deal

The Bills will begin their turn hosting Odell Beckham Jr. on Friday, going second on the wide receiver’s three-team itinerary that includes Giants and Cowboys summits. Buffalo created a bit of cap space as well.

The team restructured Tre’Davious White‘s contract, according to NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero (on Twitter). This move clears $2.29MM in cap space for a Bills team that was previously up against the salary ceiling.

White, who made his long-awaited return from a Thanksgiving 2021 ACL tear in time for this year’s Bills Thanksgiving game, is signed through the 2025 season via the four-year, $69MM extension he inked back in September 2020. The Bills had already gone to the restructure well with White, creating just more than $7MM in cap space last year. He is tied to cap numbers of $16.4MM, $16.6MM and $17MM from 2023-25, respectively.

This move will obviously benefit Buffalo even if it is not used to fit a complicated Beckham contract onto the payroll, but the team is beginning its pitch today. Beckham, 30, will be coming up from the Big Apple after his Giants meeting, which began Thursday. He is not expected to work out for any teams, but the Giants’ medical staff planned to put him through an MRI. It can be expected the Bills’ medical team will as well.

A Beckham signing would certainly cap quite an acquisition year for a team fairly unaccustomed to marquee free agency pickups. The Bills outmaneuvered the Rams for Von Miller in March, and Miller has persistently pitched Buffalo to his former Los Angeles teammate. Beckham is seeking a multiyear deal, which would benefit the three apparent finalists for cap purposes. At just more than $6MM, the Cowboys hold the most cap space among the teams meeting with OBJ.

Bills Fear Knee Sprain For Von Miller

On a day when the Bills welcomed back one of their top defensive players, another exited the contest early. Von Miller was carted off the field late in the second quarter, leaving Buffalo without their top pass rusher.

The Bills immediately ruled Miller out for the remainder of their Thanksgiving tilt against the Lions, leading to widespread speculation that a major injury had occurred. The initial diagnosis appears to be more positive, however. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports that the team believes Miller suffered a knee sprain, with more tests to come tomorrow (Twitter link).

While that news is relatively positive, Rapoport adds that a far more serious diagnosis could be coming in the near future. In a follow-up, he notes that Miller will miss some time in 2022; the important matter will now become how much. A torn ACL or similar ailment would end his season, and put a significant dent in Buffalo’s Super Bowl aspirations given his effectiveness during his debut season as a Bill.

Miller entered today’s game in a tie for 10th in the league in sacks this season (8.0). That has represented a good return on investment for Buffalo, who inked the future Hall of Famer to a six-year, $120MM deal in free agency. He has led a Bills pass rush group which ranks mid-pack in sacks, but has helped the team’s defense allow the fifth-fewest points per game (17.4) in 2022.

Buffalo’s front seven was already without Gregory Rousseau and A.J. Epenesa for today’s game, so their edge rush will be particularly shorthanded for the remainder of the contest. Concern will linger well beyond the immediate future in Miller’s case, though, at least until more is know about the extent of his injury.

On a more positive note, the preseason Super Bowl favorites saw No. 1 corner Tre’Davious White make his return this afternoon. The two-time Pro Bowler had been sidelined while recovering from a torn ACL; while his snap count against Detroit will likely be limited, he will provide a significant boost to Buffalo’s secondary when he resumes a full-time starting role. A return to his top form could be especially needed if Miller misses extended time.

Bills To Activate CB Tre’Davious White

TODAY, 6:50pm: The Bills have officially activated White from the reserve/PUP list, per the team.

MONDAY, 3:15pm: The Bills are leading the NFL in scoring defense without Tre’Davious White, but are moving closer to having their top cornerback in uniform. White will be activated Wednesday, The Athletic’s Joe Buscaglia tweets.

While this move may be more formality than surefire sign the sixth-year corner will be in uniform soon, the Bills do not view his return as far away. Buffalo must activate White from its PUP list this week. Otherwise, he would miss all of the 2022 season. That was never a concern for Buffalo, which has proceeded cautiously with White.

White returned to practice Oct. 12, pointing to the Bills viewing their high-priced cover man as close. The AFC East leaders likely wanted to see White receive a few weeks’ worth of practice before activating him, explaining this near-three-week window between White’s designation for return and activation. But the team should be expected to have White back for the stretch run. White missing any more time would require the Bills to make him a gameday inactive.

Buffalo lost White to an ACL tear on Thanksgiving 2021, and the team missed the former first-round pick sorely in its shootout divisional-round loss to the Chiefs. The Bills have since drafted Kaiir Elam in the first round, using Dane Jackson and Taron Johnson as their other top corners. White stands to be an impact addition to a 6-1 team without a glaring need.

The Bills have Elam on a rookie deal through 2025. That stands to pair well with White’s $17.25MM-per-year accord, which runs through the ’25 season. White, 27, became one of the league’s top corners while on his rookie contract. He will represent a key piece to the AFC puzzle this season. With Micah Hyde out for the season and Jordan Poyer going down with an elbow injury, the Bills have some secondary issues to navigate as they attempt to secure their first No. 1 seed since 1993. But White’s return will strengthen the conference’s early frontrunner.