Bucs HC Todd Bowles – Photo by: USA Today Based upon information that Pewter Report’s Scott Reynolds gathered and reported in his 2-Point Conversion column after the Bucs’ 34-20 win over the Packers, Reynolds stated to Bowles on Monday that the head coach told White that Britt would start on Sunday to gauge his reaction. “Did I? No I didn’t,” Bowles replied. “Devin told me Friday he couldn’t play. Saturday – or Friday – he couldn’t play. K.J. was starting. That was the end of it.” Bowles was then asked if White opted out of the game as a response to being told by the head coach that he would not start on Sunday at Green Bay. “No,” Bowles replied. Reynolds then asked who would be the starter – Britt or White – at middle linebacker moving forward? “When Devin gets healthy we’ll rotate the players and see how it goes,” Bowles replied. Bowles was then asked if he was surprised White opted out of the game. “No, not surprised,” Bowles said. “I get guys all the time, I mean, [Josh] Hayes got sick on the bus, he couldn’t play. You go with the guy’s gut. If he tells you he can’t go, you go with the next guy and you play.” 
Bucs head coach Todd Bowles and ILB Devin White – Photo by: USA Today When asked if Bowles is concerned about White’s foot injury for the rest of the season because it keeps lingering the head coach replied: “It’s something he’s got to deal with. I’m not a doctor so I can’t really say how he feels or how he doesn’t feel. The next guys have to step up. We’ve been doing it all year, so just keep rolling.” Bowles was asked if after playing two games with his foot injury if something changed that aggravated the injury or was this White not just being able to play through it? “I’m not sure,” Bowles said. “You as a coach, you go with the guys that say they can play. The guys that can’t play, they get treatment and they get healthy.” Bowles was asked if he was surprised that such an important player opted out of a very important game. “No, not if they’re injured,” Bowles said. “If they’re injured and they say they can’t go, what else are you going to do? You play ball. I’ve had captains hurt. I’ve had backups hurt. Some say they can go, some say they can’t. That’s about all there is.” Todd Bowles’ Comments, Timeline Of Events Regarding Devin White’s Availability Just Don’t Line Up Todd Bowles’ comments about Devin White’s availability to play on Sunday don’t pass muster. For example, he can’t remember when he had a conversation with his team captain and starting inside linebacker about his availability – whether it was on Friday or Saturday? 
Bucs HC Todd Bowles and ILB Devin White – Photo by: Cliff Welch P/R The Bucs had their final practice of the week on Friday morning and then typically have a brief walk-through at the team facility before boarding buses to the airport to depart on Saturday. Given that the schedule on Saturday look far different than they do on Friday, the fact that Bowles can’t remember which day he met with White seems suspect. In fact, on Saturday the Bucs had sent out media notifications that safety Ryan Neal, who was listed as doubtful on Friday, would not travel with the team nor would he play due to his back injury. In the same media communication from the team, it was made known that defensive tackle Vita Vea would be upgraded from doubtful to questionable on Sunday. Vea wound up playing against the Packers. Then just prior to kickoff, the media was alerted to the fact that rookie cornerback Josh Hayes got sick on Sunday just minutes before he was announced as an inactive. Yet the status of Devin White, who supposedly told Bowles on Friday or Saturday that he wouldn’t be able to go on Sunday, was not added to any of the multiple injury updates that the team provided to the media over the weekend? That seems incredibly odd. Pewter Report is sticking by its reporting that White was informed prior to kickoff on Sunday that Britt was going to be starting. Bowles’ inconsistencies during Monday’s press conference only bolster Pewter Report’s assertions. 
Bucs ILB K.J. Britt and HC Todd Bowles – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR Bowles was asked about the absence of any news of White’s injury status being relayed to the media on Saturday during their press releases. “I don’t talk to the media after … I talk to the media Friday afternoon,” Bowles said. “I wasn’t available for that information until later that day or that evening. I don’t talk to the people until the next day, so we’ll see. If he gets better, he usually plays. “Usually when guys get sick – Hayes was the same way – but he was out. We keep people down sometimes, that’s the way it goes.” Yet the Hayes news was communicated to the media by the Bucs media communications staff just prior to kickoff. “It didn’t have to be communicated because there was nothing to communicate,” Bowles said. “He practiced Friday, he practiced Thursday and he said he couldn’t go Saturday morning. That was the end of it.” Bowles’ jumbled statements and questionable timeline reek of a head coach who is looking to protect the player in question – Devin White in this case. That’s Bowles’ prerogative if he so chooses. 
Bucs ILB KJ Britt and Packers TE Tucker Croft – Photo by: USA Today The fact for the Bucs are twofold. First, Britt has played better, more consistent football in his three starts for White and the team is 3-0 either as a result – or at least a byproduct – of that change at inside linebacker. And second, Bowles admitted that when White is healthy both he and Britt will rotate at inside linebacker. That second point buttresses Pewter Report’s reporting that White has lost his starting job because starters at Mike linebacker just don’t rotate. They can’t really rotate because only one player can wear the green dot with the radio communicator in the helmet at a time, which is typically the starting middle linebacker. So Bowles will have to pick a starter and stick with him. Pewter Report has already reported that Britt will be that player moving forward. It will be curious to see what happens with White for the remaining three games of the season and what his status on the team will be. Will he wind up on injured reserve? Will he suit up in red and pewter again? We’ll find out soon enough with another big game on Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Raymond James Stadium. The post Todd Bowles Makes Inconsistent Statements Over Devin White Timeline appeared first on Pewter Report. Source: https://www.pewterreport.com/todd-bowle ... vin-white/
