Back in 2020, Tampa Bay Buccaneers LB Devin White was considered as a frontrunner for the Pro Bowl selection. White had the most sacks of any inside linebacker and the third-most tackles in the league when the NFL announced Pro Bowl rosters. Still, White’s name was not there. Young White, who was in his second season with the Bucs was understandably upset. Enter Tom Brady who ensured it did not last long. In a conversation with NBC’s Peter King, white had revealed Brady’s role in the aftermath of the snub.

“I was kinda upset I didn’t make the Pro Bowl,” White told King. “He’s like, ‘D, there’s a bigger bowl I’m chasing. We’re all chasing it. C’mon.’ I just thought, man, it’s a blessing to hear that. I need to hear that. This thing’s about us. He’s still chasing those bowls in his 40s. I am just so grateful to be able to spend this time with him.” The ‘bigger bowl’ did grace White and Brady in that season itself when the Bucs defeated the Chiefs in the Super Bowl LV- White’s first and Brady’s 7th (and eventually last) ring. But Brady was in no mood to stop chasing the rings.

Just a week after that Super Bowl win on February 7 2021, Brady shook the internet with his Instagram post where he declared his goal: “On to……..the next one.” And White was one of those spectators who were stunned watching Brady’s grit of chasing rings at that age. “What’s next dawg ? Doing it again 😬” White had commented. Well, that eighth ring did not come for Brady. But wait, is he looking to relaunch that chase, this time as one of the owners of the Las Vegas Raiders?

Brady, the NFL’s ultimate chess master, seems to be 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, seems to have a new shadow GM who has 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 Brady’s Super Bowl champion former Bucs teammate with Raiders GM John Spytek, who drafted him fifth overall in Tampa Bay in the 2019 draft. 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. 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. Interestingly, just days back, Raiders added a Super Bowl winning piece in their coaching team as well who can play a key role in boosting the team’s performance.

They hired Ryan Paganetti to the coaching staff as Head Coach Research Specialist. His role will include game management. This hire will not seem just another one if we give you a little context. Paganetti served as an analyst and game management coach with the Eagles from 2015 to 2020. And he was a key piece of the squad’s Super Bowl LII victory in the 2017 season. Paganetti’s job was to study data and analyze them to identify any potential advantage the team might get by any particular move. It was these sets of data that made Doug Pederson-led Eagles one of the most aggressive teams in fourth-down situations and two-point conversions- one key to their Super Bowl success. 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?