In-House Competition
November 19th, 2020
General manager Jason Licht did Lavonte David quite a favor, twice actually.
Buccaneers inside linebackers coach Mike Caldwell was chatting this week and talking about how David is a steady and stunning machine, even in his ninth NFL season.
“You see it week and week out. It’s like is this guy ever going to slow down? It’s not happening,” Caldwell said.
And then Caldwell explained that some of David’s fire comes from his running battle with the guy alongside him: Devin White.
“He’s out there and he’s flying around making his plays. I think bringing Devin [White] in was good for him,” Caldwell said. “It’s one thing to compete against another the team, but to compete against each other, that really just raises both of their levels. They feed off each other. They go out there and they love playing together.”
Later during his Bucs Total Access interview, Caldwell stressed that White and David compete in “Rock, Paper, Scissors,” emphasizing that they’re always driving each other. That reminded Joe of the training camp video of the two racing on the fields of One Buc Palace.
Yes, Licht hooked up David with a fiery personality and elite athlete to push him in last year’s draft. White’s arrival came on the heels of a Kwon Alexander being a similar force for David from 2015 through 2018. Alexander, of course, was more of a surprise as a fourth-round pick, but he still served as a guy whose energy and fire David could feed off every waking hour.
Joe hopes David and White can push themselves to a new level on Monday night against the Rams. They haven’t been playing their best football the past three weeks.
November 19th, 2020 at 6:46 pm
Watching these two compete within the Game is awesome. It is like Every play “I gotta make another tackle to get ahead of him”!
We have a rare situation going on in this team this yr that we haven’t had since the early 2000s!
Awesome to watch
November 19th, 2020 at 6:55 pm
LD is still one of my favourites… Hopefully has a good night against the Rams. He’s dropped a couple picks and has otherwise been more quiet lately.. although still playing well I’m sure, making some good run stops and preventing throws near him
November 19th, 2020 at 7:45 pm
Let’s just hope they appear on Monday night. They have been kind of silent the last few games.
November 19th, 2020 at 7:56 pm
Been sayin LVD will still be crackin skulls at 43.
November 19th, 2020 at 8:07 pm
“Joe hopes David and White can push themselves to a new level on Monday night against the Rams. They haven’t been playing their best football the past three weeks.”
That’s the truth. These people talking about Suh not being as productive. Suh is doing his job.
The inside LBs have missed a ton of tackles and been out of position. Thank goodness for JPP, who has been spectacular.
November 19th, 2020 at 8:16 pm
SMH
November 19th, 2020 at 8:28 pm
Hope he can stay a Buc for the rest of his career like 55
November 19th, 2020 at 9:24 pm
LD just can’t curb his enthusiasm.
November 20th, 2020 at 7:39 am
And Kwon Alexander flamed out and got traded by the 9ers.
I believe Lavonte David is the one who raised Alexander’s play and when he wasn’t there in SF Kwon just wasn’t the same player.
November 20th, 2020 at 10:50 am
Praying these two LB have a playoff game against America’s Quarterback….. Tampa Tampa Tampa
November 20th, 2020 at 12:49 pm
Let’s go Bucs