THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – Veteran Tre'Davious White was a free agent for the first-time in his seven-year NFL career this spring.
The process involved a tour of about five teams – that he compared to recruiting visits he made when he was in high school – before he ultimately signed a 1-year deal with the Rams.
"I felt like it was a good fit," White said. "We hit it off, it was very authentic, which is what I was looking for, being a guy that had been in the league for a while. Great staff, young group, a group of guys that's willing to work, so I'm looking forward to it."
Besides getting to know his new teammates, one of the first orders of business for White is continuing the rehab process for the torn Achilles he suffered against the Dolphins in Week 4 last season.
One of White's agents, Kevin Conner, told ESPN's Adam Schefter that two other key pieces to White's decision were the compensation, as well as a "clear strategic plan for his return to the field at an optimal level." That plan, communicated to them by Rams head coach Sean McVay and Vice President of Sports Medicine and Performance Reggie Scott, was one they felt comfortable with, per Conner.
"Very transparent, just very authentic, the plan that they have in place," White said. "I'm a guy that's very strategic (with) my approach of how I would want my rehab to go, being that I've had an ACL before and I know how rehab can go. So I was doing my homework. This team has rehab guys that have been very successful with the Achilles before."
Asked about the timeline laid out for him for returning to full activity, White deferred to listening to the training staff. White said Dr. Neal ElAttrache, the Rams' team doctor, was the one who performed White's procedure, and that Scott has extensive knowledge about those types of injuries.
White said that experience with the medical staff wasn't a "driving factor" in his decision to sign with the team, but being closer to the doctor who did the procedure is a plus given the difficulty of traveling from Buffalo to Los Angeles.
"Just listening to them, listening to the doctor, and also being very transparent with them about how I feel, too," White said. "So far it's been good, and I'm on a good track to get going."
Even with that familiarity, this is still a new environment for White. After seven seasons in Buffalo, he is arriving in Los Angeles learning a new culture.
One tool that he'll carry over to his new team is the importance of building relationships with teammates off of the field.
"I was telling one of the younger DBs, in Buffalo, I was in a couple of my teammates' weddings," White said. "Outside of ball we hang out, outside of ball we take trips together, do stuff like that, because that connectedness is so important – especially being on the defense backfield, being in the back, because it's so microscopic."
Going into Year 8, White wants Rams fans to know that he's a competitor who "loves ball" and puts his "blood, sweat and tears into this." He will also look to lead by example in the defensive back room.
"It's all about ball, all about getting better each and every day, and trying to motivate my teammates," "Not really by what I say, but what I do, because I feel like the routine that I've developed over the last seven years has been something that's helped me along the way."
