David’s Mind Challenges Bucs’ Offense
June 25th, 2013
Derrick Brooks already has said Lavonte David is a better linebacker than he was after his first season. “Far ahead” of me is how Brooks described it.
Ronde Barber also has compared David’s football mind and instincts to those of Brooks.
“I look at Lavonte David and I see a young Derrick Brooks, not necessarily how he plays, but just like his instincts and just his knack for football,” Barber said in November. “That was one thing Derrick really had, just kind of a knack for the game. Lavonte’s absolutely shown that in the first part of his career. ”
David’s football brain also pushes the Bucs’ offense intensely, Josh Freeman explained recently on WDAE-AM 620.
Freeman’s point was that David is constantly picking up things during practice plays that the Bucs offense is working to hide, and then David calls defensive adjustments to counter the tip-offs he gets from the offense. Freeman said David is so gifted in this area that Freeman will sometimes watch practice film and can’t pick up on what David is seeing.
Ronde Barber was a master at all that, Freeman said, but the quarterback’s implication was that David takes it a step further.
Joe wonders how much better David can get. Will he get better? The season David had in 2012 was astounding.
Bryan Cox told Joe becoming a superstar means raising the level of those around you, something to look for from David this season.
June 25th, 2013 at 10:08 am
I wonder how many teams would re-adjust their draft boards and put David in the top 15 of the draft?
June 25th, 2013 at 10:09 am
A real Buccaneer Man.
June 25th, 2013 at 10:21 am
Nice insight, looking forward to seeing what David can do in year 2.
June 25th, 2013 at 10:24 am
Might become our best player…
June 25th, 2013 at 10:24 am
Might become our best player…
June 25th, 2013 at 10:30 am
I would like to think how good this kid can be if we ever get a real D-line.
June 25th, 2013 at 10:55 am
Here’s hoping this is the year the defensive line steps up. They have a lot to prove, and not a lot of depth.
June 25th, 2013 at 10:57 am
Joe, Most of them are all young Bucs and they are leaning from each other and the coaches. We really don’t know what we have until they start playing.
If Herm Edwards the other night on SirusXM said that the Bucs may have a Defensive backfield that may be among the best in the league is something and regardless of who is the SAM LB, the other two are still learning and getting better and the DL has at least one Pro Bowler on it and I think the Offense will explode since this is their second year together with the same OC and the older Bucs teaching the younger Bucs like the defense.
Am I drinking Kool-Aid, I don’t know because I, like everyone else, has not seen them play for real yet, but there is no doubt they are a better team all around.
June 25th, 2013 at 11:19 am
@OB love your take and optimism. I share similar views and too think freeman and offense are set break out.
June 25th, 2013 at 11:29 am
Isn’t David already raising those around him by making the offense adjust to his adjustments? I think he’s going to be a staple at linebacker for years to come. Go Bucs!
June 25th, 2013 at 12:35 pm
Playoff bound
June 25th, 2013 at 12:36 pm
Hope someone on the team is asking David what he’s seeing, because if he sees it, chances are the opposing team may be seeing it as well.
June 25th, 2013 at 12:39 pm
Doing Bo Pelini proud!! David’s was a monster in his two years at Nebraska, and it’s awesome watching him play for the Bucs and still improving on what he’s shown in the past. For those not familiar with David’s college career, he’s a turnover machine waiting to be switched:ON.
June 25th, 2013 at 1:14 pm
I’m really happy that LD is able to do that.. my bigger concern is this: if a 2nd year LB can pick up tells in the Bucs’ offense then I’d imagine an experienced defensive coordinator will also be able to find these things. I’m not overy worried yet— but there were times last year when opposing defenses said they were able to predict Bucs’ plays.
June 25th, 2013 at 1:15 pm
Wonder if he ever just ASKED David what he saw?
That way they can QUIT doing that before they play other teams!
June 25th, 2013 at 1:16 pm
Sorry FLBoy– I didn’t see your post before I replied. I agree!!!
June 25th, 2013 at 1:42 pm
I don’t want to diminish LD’s contributions in any way, but Freeman has had issues in the past telegraphing plays
More impressive would be diagnosing what Payton and Bree’s are doing come September.
June 25th, 2013 at 2:39 pm
Actually, we had a damn good D-line. #1 in run defense. Now with the improved pass D we’ll see the D-line get to the QB a lot more. There IS a correlation between the two.
June 25th, 2013 at 4:57 pm
Lavonte David….another piss poor draft pick of the Pop Star….
Heh! Heh! I’ll bet some of these posters hate it when a draft pick of Dom’s shows star quality like David..and McCoy, and oh yeah, Martin…and Mike Williams ain’t half bad. Then there’s Clayborn and Bowers and Barron who I believe are going to be outstanding as well. Now we wait and see if Banks turns out to be another gem. If he does, how great will it be to have two shutdown corners and Barron and Goldson as safeties?!? Yep, looking forward to this season.
June 25th, 2013 at 6:55 pm
Our Defensive line is better than the stats show. When you have the WORST secondary in the league and your line is number one at stopping the run, and the opposing quarterback is hitting open receivers two seconds after the snap…IT”S NOT THE D LINE!!!!! If a QB takes a five step drop and releases in 2-3 seconds to an open receiver than it doesn’t matter if you have the best pass rushers in the league. If we can just manage to cover consistently for 5 seconds from the snap we will get to the QB. Thats is why Dominik is going to wait until next season and spend that first round pick on a pass rusher. All I gotta say is hope he has some money stashed away for all these young guys in a few years…
June 25th, 2013 at 11:39 pm
He has got to be an absolute headache for opposing offensive coordinators. He’s a ridiculous quick twitch athlete to begin with and then you compound that with the ability to see what the offense is trying to do pre-snap….game over.
If he stays healthy he will lead this defense for the next decade and then some.
Getting a Derrick Brooks comparison from Derrick Brooks himself. When you get compared to Hall of Famers by other Hall of Famers after your rookie year, that means things are going pretty good and it’s not a fluke.
June 25th, 2013 at 11:41 pm
David should fill Freeman in on his tell’s. The Bronco’s,Eagles and Saint’s noticed them as well last year.
June 26th, 2013 at 5:33 am
Remarkable how an article about one of our up and coming linebackers can be twisted into a poke at Josh Freeman.
June 26th, 2013 at 9:54 am
@Scubog some people are to complaining, as flies are to a steaming pile of turds. It takes away from David to make the assumption that he’s just a product of Freeman’s miscalculation, as the British branch of my family tree would say, that’s “bullocks”