Latest news with #TreDaviousWhite
New York Times
3 days ago
- General
- New York Times
Tre'Davious White brings familiar spark to OTAs in Buffalo Bills return
Bedecked in his all too familiar No. 27, Tre'Davious White darted around the practice field in Orchard Park with a similarly familiar exuberance, engaging with many of his teammates around him. It didn't take long for White to start feeling back at home in Buffalo. After one year away with other teams, White, the longtime starting cornerback for the Bills and first draft pick of the Sean McDermott era in 2017, returned to the very practice field last week where he grew into the All-Pro who helped lead the defense for years. And on his first day of organized team activities, he quickly reassimilated into his longstanding role as a favored teammate. Advertisement When the defense breaks off to the second field for the installation portion of practice, the White of old is as clear as day. White and defensive tackle Ed Oliver — teammates for five years before this one — pick right back up where they left off. It wasn't even an hour or so into their first practice, and in between installation reps, Oliver played the part of boxing trainer to White, putting his hands up as faux strike pads and calling out the right-left combinations he wanted next from White. It's an example of the camaraderie he built up over the years, but several small moments build to a bigger reason for his return. What is old is new again for the Bills in 2025. His jersey number was issued to veteran practice squad safety Kareem Jackson last year, but it's White's once more. And White even has his longtime locker stall back, too, as if he never left. 'It's awesome because he's pretty funny. He's an awesome guy. Great soul,' said top cornerback Christian Benford, who played two seasons with White. 'I'll be chilling, and he brings, like, mad energy, so it's good to have somebody like him in the building, in the DB room.' 'Having guys like that back in the building, man, it makes my job so much funner,' nickel Taron Johnson added. 'He's been through some tough, tough injuries. But just seeing him bounce back and him still having that same attitude is great.' Johnson has, perhaps, the closest bond with White as anyone on the Bills. Johnson joined the Bills in 2018, and the two worked together every day for six years and built a relationship well beyond the building. White was in Johnson's wedding party. Johnson's wife and White's girlfriend are as close as the two teammates. So, it was actually Johnson's wife, while he was working out, who alerted him that White signed and the two longtime Bills would be reuniting for another year in Buffalo. Advertisement 'Having one of my best friends back, like, it's great,' Johnson said with a smile. 'I couldn't ask for much more.' 'Just getting an opportunity to play ball again, but with guys that I really know, like Taron,' White said back in April. 'It's like close friends, it's really close people that I really care about. And it's not like a work relationship, it's really a relationship outside of the field.' It's been a long few years for White, who, after a massively successful almost five-year run as the Bills' top cornerback, had his football world turned upside down. In 2021, White suffered a season-ending torn ACL 11 games into the year. It took him a long time to rehab, get back to the field in 2022 and start feeling like himself again. With White looking more like himself to begin the 2023 season and ready to put the long-term injury fully behind him, he suffered a torn Achilles in just the fourth game of the year, another season-ending blow. It was very nearly his last time on the field as a member of the Bills. The 2024 offseason, when the Bills had to slash future cap space, made White one of many high-profile cuts. White's football journey eventually took him to Los Angeles on a one-year deal with the Rams. White was benched after only one month before being traded to the Ravens, with Baltimore only giving up a 2026 seventh-round pick and receiving a 2027 seventh-round pick along with White. But in this case, that long road led right back to Buffalo. White signed a one-year deal in late April to return to his first and favored team. 'We met in my office I think the day he signed,' McDermott said. 'While he was sitting across from me like you guys are, I did a couple, 'Hey, this is a little bit surreal.'' McDermott has been a fervent supporter of White throughout his career, and the two share a special relationship, as White was one of the key pieces to several successful seasons, holding the distinction of being McDermott's first draft pick as an NFL head coach. Advertisement 'It's great to be reunited because of who he is, what he stands for, how hard he works,' McDermott continued. 'I can't say enough good things about Tre and what he means to me personally, and then what he's meant to our football team.' Johnson said seeing White back in the building sparks that same feeling. 'A little surreal. Because, you think when you leave this place, it's probably done. You know what I'm saying? You're not coming back,' Johnson said. 'You know how much emotions he has with this place. So him leaving, and coming back, he was happy. He was happy because I know there's nowhere else he'd rather play than here. This is his home.' Is this a redemption story for White? No. The Bills made it clear that they didn't promise a starting job, and he'll have fierce competition for that job after the team used its top draft choice in 2025 on cornerback Maxwell Hairston. More than anything, it's just White bringing his NFL story full circle. He always wanted to only play for one team throughout his career, and even though it hasn't happened that way, he's back where he feels most comfortable. 'I really gotta appreciate and really just sit back and just take it in and not try to think about the future or the past, just be in the moment, because you never know,' he said. 'This time around, I feel like with the knowledge that I have now and just how life has worked out for me over these last few years, I just think the best thing for me to do is to stay in the moment and be present with what I have to do right now, because that's all we're promised.' So, as White runs around the field, with every joke shared and competitive in-practice rep accomplished, he's building those longstanding relationships even further. On top of that, he's providing valuable expertise to a relatively young cornerback and defensive back room that may desperately need it during the year — even if he isn't the one getting all or any of the playing time. 'This place is so, so special,' White said. 'This is the only place that I really want to be and do it the right way, hopefully get a Super Bowl here and I'll be a part of it. 'This is the right way. This is how it's supposed to be for me.'
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Bills Free Agent Starter Predicted To Sign With AFC East Rival
The Buffalo Bills always appreciated the short time they had with cornerback Rasul Douglas over the last few years. The former Packer and Eagle was never the best cornerback in the league, but he always gave it his all. And in Sean McDermott's system on defense, he turned out to be an excellent fit for the group. Advertisement Now, with both Tre'Davious White back in Buffalo, and the team drafting Maxwell Hairston in the first round, Douglas' tenure with the team has all but come to an end. As he searches for a new home in the NFL, there are some cornerback-needy teams that could use his services. One of those are the Miami Dolphins. Pro Football Focus' Mason Cameron believes that Douglas would be an excellent fit for the Dolphins because of his schematic breakdown. "Rasul Douglas may be a name to target in Miami's Cover 2-heavy scheme (19.7%, third in NFL), a coverage he excelled in last season, having earned a 74.4 PFF coverage grade," Cameron wrote. Advertisement There is some truth to this. Douglas is a solid zone corner, and the Dolphins are expected to move on from Jalen Ramsey this offseason. It is also not like the Bills are going to be bitter about Douglas leaving for an AFC East rival. They are the ones who chose not to re-sign him, and it is up to the corner to find a new home if he wants to keep playing. That is precisely what Douglas is saying here. It's not a failure of loyalty on his part to face off against his former team twice in a year. It's just part of the business that has become the norm in the NFL. Related: Bills Sign Rookie With Maxx Crosby Role Model Goal Related: Bills 'Lethal Pairing' Key To Super Bowl Success?
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Bills 1st-Rounder Poised To Learn From All-Pro And Steal His Job
When the Buffalo Bills signed Tre'Davious White to a free agent deal a week before the 2025 draft, some analysts wondered if that would take them out of selecting a quarterback early in the process. That wasn't the case, though. Buffalo drafted Kentucky corner Maxwell Hairston with the 30th overall pick to help bolster their secondary. Advertisement Hairston is far from a finished product, but the chance to learn from a former All-Pro player in White could do wonders for his development at this stage of his young and promising career. "I can't wait to learn," Hairston said of White via team reporter Maddy Glab. "I can't wait to pick his brain. Man, that's a vet, and I know he's gonna teach me so much." Hairston was known as one of the best athletes in the draft over the last few months with his sharp forty time and excellent intangibles. He picked off six passes in his career with the Wildcats and has experience in most defensive alignments. It's why he feels he can be a great pick for the organization. Advertisement "I feel like I'm so versatile that I can come out, play man, or I can play zone, I can play off-man, I can play press-man, I can disguise," Hairston said via Glab. "So, I'm happy to just be able to go into an organization with a beautiful scheme that will allow me to get the ball back." Hairston and White will compete early and often for that starting cornerback role left by Rasul Douglas. If Hairston plays his cards right, he could very well be in a position to start early for Buffalo. Related: Buffalo Bills Draft Rookie Who Is Best At The 1 Thing He Does Related: Bills 2nd-Round Pick Gets Playmaker Label from Coach
