White looking forward to playing more

The Bucs have taken their time with White./TIM WIRT

Wednesday, 3 a.m.

He just got here. Still, Devin White thinks he is ready to make an impact.

White doesn't think he'll need extended time in the third preseason game to get ready for the season.

“Not really — football is football, but I would like to play because it’s fun," White said. "It isn’t fun sitting on the sideline. I’ve been through those days when I was a freshman and stuff, when I had to wait one series in the first half and one series in the second half. Now, I’m just ready to go, but the older guys keep preaching to me, ‘It’s going to be a long season.

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"You are going to get plenty of time where you are going to say, ‘Golly, the season is still going on?’’ So, I am just being patient right now. If you give me one quarter, I’ll be happy with it. Two quarters – I’ll be extremely happy with it, but I’m just going to do whatever the coaching staff says. At the end of the day, Coach (Bruce) Arians has been coaching for a long time (and) he knows what is best for the players.”

White says he has enjoyed his transition from college to the NFL.

“Just being out there with the boys, being with the ones and making plays — it feels good to transition from college to the NFL so well," White said. "Every day I wake up, I just [am] so thankful. I attacked the process full steam ahead, like I [am] one of the first ones up here getting my body ready and stuff and watching a little film on my own up here as well as at home. I feel like I am doing everything right right now. The only thing is just time now, waiting for the first game, so I am patiently waiting.”

White is looking forward to playing against Browns' quarterback Baker Mayfield.

“I always wanted to play against him in college because he was really good," White said. "He was very deserving of that No. 1 pick that he got [even though] a lot of people were surprised. Now I get to go against one of the best, so I get to kind of see where I am at as a player.”

Bucs' coach Bruce Arians commented on several Bucs' situations:

(On what he’s looking for when the first team has extended playing time in Friday’s game): "We’ll see. It depends how we start. If we start real fast and then have a good first quarter, that might be it. If it’s slow, we might play a bit more. Looking at number of snaps, if we have two 10-play drives, we’ll probably be finished. If we have five three-play drives, we’ll keep playing — one of those things. Defense will be the same way.”

(On the decision to keep starters in while also wanting to keep them healthy for the regular season): "It’s odd because I went to the offensive line, I said ‘How much do we need to play?’ They said ‘We need a half.’ I said ‘I don’t think you do. We’ll see about that.’ But, they wanted to play a half to get into a little bit more rhythm. It’s a catch-22. It always has been and always will be. It’s just like going out and tackling in practice – you’ve got to do it and you’ve just got to hold your breath that nobody gets hurt."

(On coaching against former assistant and current Browns Head Coach Freddie Kitchens): "Yeah, it’s always fun. I never like going against an ex-coach or an ex-teammate. In the preseason, it’s a little more fun than it is in the regular season."

(On the hype surrounding the Cleveland Browns): "Yeah, they had some great moves in the offseason and it will be a good test."

(On the idea of the league cutting down on preseason games): "I’m for it as long as we don’t cut the number of practices. We can’t cut the number of practices — we hardly practice now, in pads. If we’re going to cut practice time, we need to get practice time in the spring. I’m all for two (preseason) games and then have maybe three or four practices against another team, because you get more out of those practices than you do in some of these games."

(On there only being six weeks of training camp and preseason): "Yeah, especially if you’re working with a new system, a young quarterback, you drafted him — you need those practice times. It’d be too much of an advantage for a veteran team."

(On his assessment of safety Darian Stewart after his first week with the team): "I hope he fits the right gap this time. He had a tough time fitting the gaps the other night — he wasn’t here long enough. He’s a real bright guy, so he’s doing good."

(On what goes into the thought process behind making the final cuts): "It’s like, ‘Is this guy better than this guy?’ Then, when you look at the injuries and everything else – trade value — a lot of things go into those last five guys. I’ve seen people keep two kickers — short (field goals) and long (field goals). It’s just what’s best for your team."

(On if he will look to acquire players that other teams cut): "We’re always looking to flip those last five guys — the last five guys on our practice squad — and just keep churning that roster to find guys that fit better. You’ll always be looking for them. That’s why when we make those cuts to the final (53 players), don’t celebrate too much — it might only be two days."