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The San Francisco 49ers need to reinforce their secondary, but they’re being urged to avoid a former Buffalo Bills star in free agency. Tre’Davious White has been a stalwart for the Buffalo defense, but it may be too late for him to be a good fit in San Francisco.
At least, that’s what Sports Illustrated’s Grant Cohn believes. Cohn addressed White as a fit in a March 20 article, but his stance was clear: the 49ers will get better value by looking elsewhere.
“But signing [White] is a big risk, because the 49ers need someone who can play. They can’t afford to start a backup for most of the season. That’s why they released Arik Armstead — they don’t want old, injury-prone players anymore,” Cohn wrote. “Signing White would go against the theme of the 49ers’ offseason, which is to get more durable as a team. The 49ers would be better off drafting a cornerback who hasn’t torn his Achilles and developing him.
We’ll get into White’s injury woes a bit later, but it is the primary detractor of a move for White. When healthy, he’s been one of the NFL’s best. But he simply hasn’t played much football in recent years.
White Stars, Then Struggles to Stay on Field with Bills
First entering the league as a first-round pick in the 2017 NFL draft, White immediately became a massive part of the Bills roster. Finishing as the runner-up for the Defensive Rookie of the Year award, White brought down four interceptions, deflected 18 passes and also forced a fumble.
Pro Football Reference also shows that White only got better, at least initially. He added 8 PDs and two more interceptions in 2018 before exploding for an All-Pro campaign in 2019.
White tormented opposing QBs, racking up 6 interceptions and registering 17 passes defended. He also totaled four tackles for loss, two forced fumbles and added a sack for good measure.
After another 3 interceptions and a Pro Bowl nod in 2020 for the Bills, White has hit a wall due to injury. The former LSU standout has only played 21 games over the past three years. An ACL tear in 2021 wrecked both that year and the 2022 season, but his Achilles tear in 2023 is probably the most concerning.
Neither of those injuries are ideal, but an Achilles tear for a player approaching his 30s prompts questions. Whether or not White loses a step is a huge question.
It won’t be clear until he hits the field again.