Tom Brady’s Raiders are cooking up something spicy in Vegas. Brady, the NFL’s ultimate chess master, is quietly rearranging pieces on the board like he’s plotting a fourth-quarter comeback. The Raiders, a franchise once synonymous with Al Davis’s “Just win, baby” swagger, now have a new shadow GM—one with seven rings and a knack for rewriting history. It’s like watching Michael Jordan lace up for the Wizards, except Brady’s playbook involves front-office savvy instead of fadeaways.
The plot thickened Friday when insider Jordan Schultz spilled the hot tea: “Sources: The Raiders are signing veteran LB Devin White to a 1-year deal. ” The move reunites White with Raiders GM John Spytek, who drafted him fifth overall in Tampa Bay, and Brady, his former Bucs teammate. Meanwhile, Maxx Crosby wasted no time firing off a emoji-laden “BOW” welcome on social media. Let’s just say the Black Hole’s buzz just got louder.
Devin White isn’t just another name on a depth chart. The 27-year-old linebacker boasts a résumé thicker than a Midwest casserole: 585 career tackles, a Pro Bowl nod, and a Super Bowl ring earned alongside Brady in 2020. But his career hit turbulence in 2024. After a brief, unfulfilled stint in Philadelphia, White landed in Houston, tallying 19 tackles in seven games. Now, Vegas offers a fresh start—and a shot to prove he’s still the sideline-to-sideline menace who once terrorized Derrick Henry. However, Brady’s fingerprints are all over this deal.
Since becoming a minority owner, he’s leaned into his role like a QB reading a blitz. In February, the Raiders snagged ex-Bucs lineman Alex Cappa. Now, White joins the fold. Tom’s input is like having a Hall of Fame playbook on speed dial. Hence, when Tom Brady talks, Vegas listens. But not every Brady-backed move sticks.
The Raiders struck out on Matthew Stafford, who chose to stay in L.A. Instead, they’re betting on White’s upside. With Robert Spillane and Divine Deablo gone, the linebacker room needs a jolt. Can White channel his 2020 self when he racked up nine sacks and 140 tackles? Spytek clearly thinks so.
Brady’s blueprint: from Tampa to Vegas
Five years ago, Brady left New England with the precision of a Montana cattle drive. It’s been some time since Brady launched his newsletter. And in this week’s edition, he revealed his exit strategy: a 20-factor grading system. “The presence of skill players was a 3 in terms of importance, for example, and the Bucs graded out as a 3 because of guys like Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. The same was true for the head coach,” Brady wrote.
“Tampa scored a 3 with Bruce Arians… In the end, I chose Tampa… because, in the aggregate, it graded out higher than New England along those twenty or so dimensions.” The result? A Super Bowl LV win and a lesson in calculated reinvention. That same cold-eyed logic now fuels Tom Brady’s Raiders.
White’s signing isn’t nostalgia—it’s a low-risk, high-reward gamble. At 27, he’s younger than Patrick Mahomes and hungrier than a rookie on dollar taco night. Pair him with Crosby’s edge dominance, and suddenly, Vegas’s defense feels less like a rebuild and more like a reload. However, questions linger. White’s 2023 PFF grade (outside the top 70 LBs) won’t wow analysts. But Spytek’s faith runs deep. In a league where second acts are rare, Vegas is banking on reunion magic.
Tom Brady’s Raiders aren’t just collecting former teammates—they’re building a mosaic of trust and proven grit. From Brady’s checklist-driven free agency to Devin White’s quest for redemption, every move echoes a single truth: In the NFL, fortune favors the bold. Or, as Hunter S. Thompson once mused, “Buy the ticket, take the ride.”
Will Vegas’s bets pay off? Or is this another chapter in football’s endless drama? One thing’s certain: With Brady calling shots, the Raiders won’t go quietly. Who’s ready to place their bets?
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