Who Will Replace Devin White As A Bucs Captain?

An under-appreciated part about the Bucs retaining quarterback Baker Mayfield, wide receiver Mike Evans, inside linebacker Lavonte David and free safety Antoine Winfield Jr. this offseason is the fact that it meant retaining four of its team captains from the 2023 season.

With wide receiver Chris Godwin, left tackle Tristan Wirfs and nose tackle Vita Vea still around for 2024, that makes it seven of the Bucs’ eight captains who are returning for another season in red, white and pewter.

The lone captain who won’t be around anymore is inside linebacker Devin White, who Tampa Bay chose not to re-sign as his rookie contract came to an end following the 2023 season.

The No. 5 overall pick in 2019 flashed so much promise as a rookie and then was a major part of the team’s Super Bowl run in 2020, but inconsistent play over the last three years — and especially over the last two — brought an end to his time with the Bucs. He ultimately signed a one-year deal with the Eagles in free agency.

With White’s departure, there has been plenty of talk about who will replace him in the middle of the Tampa Bay defense. K.J. Britt, who supplanted White toward the end of last season, is presumably the favorite to step in and play alongside Lavonte David in 2024.

But the Bucs could also choose to draft White’s replacement later this month. They could also draft a linebacker to add some competition for Britt, 2023 fifth-round pick SirVocea Dennis and J.J. Russell.

Tampa Bay has three Top 30 visits with inside linebackers Edgerrin Cooper (Texas A&M), Jeremiah Trotter Jr. (Clemson) and Trevin Wallace (Kentucky).

But for all the talk about White’s replacement at linebacker, who might replace him as a team captain?

Who — If Anyone — Will Replace Devin White As The Bucs’ 8th Captain?

This conversation can get interesting, as there may not be a clear-cut answer to the question of who might replace Devin White as a team captain. But before moving on, it’s worth noting that the Bucs don’t have to have eight captains. Some teams have more, some have fewer. The NFL only allows eight players to wear captain’s patches for each game, and up to six captains are allowed at midfield for the pregame coin toss.

So, there’s no guarantee the team replaces White in that eighth captain spot for the 2024 season. But it would seem to make sense, as sticking with the seven remaining captains would leave things uneven, with four on offense and three on defense.

Bucs WRs Mike Evans and Chris Godwin and QB Baker Mayfield – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

And evening it out by cutting down on the number of captains could create a difficult situation. After all, which of the seven remaining captains — Baker Mayfield, Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Tristan Wirfs, Vita Vea, Lavonte David and Antoine Winfield Jr. — doesn’t deserve to continue wearing the “C” this season?

For the sake of the conversation, let’s say the Bucs are going to roll with eight captains again in 2024 and the seven remaining leaders from last season retain their spots. Who gets that final “C” on their jersey?

While a third-year offensive player like Rachaad White, Cade Otton or even Luke Goedeke could warrant consideration for a captaincy position, that would make it five captains on offense and three on defense. While nothing is really stopping the team from structuring their group of captains that way, it’s hard to see that coming to fruition.

For the same reason, it’s hard to see that eighth captain role going to a special teamer like Jake Camarda or Chase McLaughlin. And while rewarding a second-year special teams ace like Josh Hayes — who is a cornerback — with a captaincy position would technically solve the offensive/defensive inequality, he may not play enough on defense to truly make things even.

With all of that said, it might make the most sense for the Bucs to replace a departing defensive captain with another defensive captain. That means there are only a few true candidates.

Who From The Bucs Defense Could Be A First-Time Captain?

Bucs CB Jamel Dean – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

The wild cards in this discussion could be YaYa Diaby and Calijah Kancey, who will both be entering their second seasons with the Bucs. But if it’s going to be more of a veteran player, that narrows it down a whole lot.

Cornerback Jamel Dean deserves consideration. He’s entering his sixth season with Tampa Bay and will be the team’s No. 1 cornerback after the Carlton Davis III trade. He hasn’t been someone to shy away from leadership in the past and after re-signing with the Bucs last offseason, he even stated his desire to be the type of leader for the younger corners that Richard Sherman was to him in 2021.

The knock against Dean being considered for captainship is the fact that he’s been such an injury risk throughout his career. He has yet to play a full season in five NFL seasons and has missed six games over the last two years.

It would go against history if he’s on the field for every game this season, and if the players — who are the ones voting on this — feel like they want to decide on a captain who is more dependable in terms of being there in the lineup week in and week out, that could hurt Dean’s chances.

Former Bucs S Jordan Whitehead – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

The other player who could get consideration for that eighth captain spot (and for my money, he may even be the favorite) is strong safety Jordan Whitehead. He might be a new addition this offseason, but a lot of the team is already familiar with him from his initial tenure in Tampa from 2019-2022.

And from the way Jason Licht, Todd Bowles and longtime captain Lavonte David speak about him, it wouldn’t be a shock at all to see him wearing a captain’s patch in his first year back with the Bucs.

Whitehead’s toughness is just one of his many captain-like qualities, and the fact that he’s been praised as such a great communicator makes him an exceptionally strong candidate.

While you can never be certain when it comes to injuries and availability, Whitehead played in 34 out of 34 possible games during his two years with the Jets. He missed a few games here and there in his previous years with the Bucs, but his ability to bounce back from going down in the 2020 NFC Championship Game to play in Super Bowl LV two weeks later with a torn labrum remains legendary and always will be.

There’s a real possibility that both of the Bucs’ starting safeties are captains in 2024, and given the emphasis that Bowles places on communication throughout the defense and especially on the back end, that would be awfully fitting.

We’re still months away from finding out Tampa Bay’s captains for 2024, of course. Last year, Bowles delayed the vote and the team didn’t select its eight captains until October.

But when that time comes, who do you think should be in the mix, Pewter People?

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