racosun
03-04-2007, 02:53 PM
With the trade of James Hall to the Rams earlier this week, which garnered us another fifth-round pick in this year's draft, the Lions were a starter short on the D-Line. Since Detroit is trying to build a smash-mouth defensive juggernaut, they felt compelled to address the hole quickly, bringing in a familiar face in former Tampa Bay DE Dewayne White. White signed on to a five-year contract worth $29 million, with $13 million of that being guaranteed money. Lions Head Coach Rod Marinelli and his defensive co-ordinator (son-in-law) Joe Barry both worked with White while with the Bucs. Marinelli was the D-Line coach and Barry the linebackers coach. Here's a snippet of an article written by Larry Lage, the Detroit sportswriter:
The 6-foot-2, 273-pound White made 14 sacks the last three seasons, playing in 16 games each year for the Buccaneers, and has 114 career tackles over four seasons.
"I think the sky's the limit for Dewayne White, just to look at where he's come from as a little young 21-year-old rookie to where he is now," Barry said. "That's what I'm excited about because he's really changed everything about him as a football player."
After backing up Simeon Rice and Greg Spires, he became a regular starter for the first time in his career during the second half of last season when Rice was injured.
White started just 13 of 60 games, but Barry said that fact is misleading.
"It was just circumstance that he was a young guy behind two veterans -- one guy potentially a Hall of Famer," said Barry, who previously coached Tampa Bay's linebackers. "We didn't look at Dewayne as a backup or the third end. Like this year when Simeon got hurt. We put Dewayne in and didn't miss a beat."
Hopefully it works out. James Hall was one of a handful of Lions players to have his name on a grievance against Marinelli for "overworking" them in training camp last season. Those players are being flushed out. Dewayne White is a guy that WANTS to be pushed to the limits by his coaches, and hopefully it pays off for us.
The 6-foot-2, 273-pound White made 14 sacks the last three seasons, playing in 16 games each year for the Buccaneers, and has 114 career tackles over four seasons.
"I think the sky's the limit for Dewayne White, just to look at where he's come from as a little young 21-year-old rookie to where he is now," Barry said. "That's what I'm excited about because he's really changed everything about him as a football player."
After backing up Simeon Rice and Greg Spires, he became a regular starter for the first time in his career during the second half of last season when Rice was injured.
White started just 13 of 60 games, but Barry said that fact is misleading.
"It was just circumstance that he was a young guy behind two veterans -- one guy potentially a Hall of Famer," said Barry, who previously coached Tampa Bay's linebackers. "We didn't look at Dewayne as a backup or the third end. Like this year when Simeon got hurt. We put Dewayne in and didn't miss a beat."
Hopefully it works out. James Hall was one of a handful of Lions players to have his name on a grievance against Marinelli for "overworking" them in training camp last season. Those players are being flushed out. Dewayne White is a guy that WANTS to be pushed to the limits by his coaches, and hopefully it pays off for us.