How Underrated Lavonte David Is
March 8th, 2021
Impressive career.
Now Joe has stated many times the top three free agents the Bucs must bring back are sack king Shaq Barrett No. 1A, receiver Chris Godwin No. 1B and kicker Ryan Succop No. 2.
Yes, that means you are playing fire with Bucs veteran linebacker Lavonte David. Joe is convinced no one in the area covering the Bucs has typed (and spoke on podcasts) about how criminally underrated David has been. His problem was he played on garbage teams.
Suddenly, David is a world champion, as are the Bucs. And just the Bucs’ luck, he’s a free agent.
He’s also 31. And while Joe would be depressed enough to seek counseling if David goes, Joe will try to justify that, yeah, the Bucs still have Devin White and Joe will continually repeat the words of Bill Walsh, “Better to say ‘Goodbye’ too soon than too late.” And that’s a guy that got rid of Joe Montana and Ronnie Lott, and the 49ers still won.
After the Bucs’ Super Bowl win, Joe is now convinced David will be in the Bucs’ Ring of Honor someday.
Here is more evidence of how good David has been. Joe has always said he was Luke Kuechly’s equal. Well, it seems David may be better.
CBS Sports HQ dug up numbers to suggest David is right up there with Ray Lewis.
Only two players in NFL history have 1,000+ tackles, 20 sacks, and 10 INT through their first eight seasons.
Lavonte David
Ray Lewis(h/t @JeffKerrCBS ) pic.twitter.com/Y7lJSLFOKU
— CBS Sports HQ (@CBSSportsHQ) March 7, 2021
Joe has already typed that White had a better postseason than Lewis did in his first Super Bowl run. Numbers back that up. Now we know that David is right up there with Lewis, too.
Damn, what a luxury it was to have David and White patrolling the middle.
March 8th, 2021 at 12:10 am
I am told….Bucs will Tag & Trade Godwin
March 8th, 2021 at 12:15 am
If we bring LVD back, I would like to see Todd Bowels use him on the blitz more like Schiano used to. LVD had 7 sacks in 2013 but only has 3.5 sacks total his last 2 years with Bowels.
March 8th, 2021 at 12:19 am
In the event, he has priced himself out of Tampa, would Denzel Perryman suffice as a consolation? I know he has had injury woes lately but he is testing the market and would come quite a bit cheaper.
March 8th, 2021 at 12:32 am
David > Luke
Been saying it for years, glad to see David finally getting some recognition.
March 8th, 2021 at 1:37 am
Succop is NOT priority #3… That’s crazy. No kicker, ever, was that high a priority. The main reason is that kickers just kick. One good kicker can replace another good kicker. Is it a priority to sign a good kicker? Yes, but it doesn’t need to be Succop. The reason David is a higher priority is he plays every defensive down, he’s a pro-bowl caliber player, he’s been with them for a long time and should retire as a Buc, and he’s gonna take some work to get back… All of those things make him waaayy more important than Succop. We can’t just plug and play another LB next to White and expect the defense to be the same. Succop ought to be easy to resign if we want, unless he wants to be paid like the best in the league, in which case, bye bye.
March 8th, 2021 at 1:42 am
Just watched the superbowl again and yup. David made a few real nice pass breakups against Kelce, almost a pick on one, and then had that pick that should have been challenged. Almost 2… Does feel he was a bit quieter this year, but so many other play makers on the defense now and still elite in pass coverage. One of my favourite Bucs all time I think. Just keeps quiet and does nothing but ball out. Would be nice to have him a couple more years…
March 8th, 2021 at 2:24 am
David had all around better stats than Kuechly when he retired. Please stop with the he’s 31 years old, Joe. It’s getting very…Old. He’s still nothing but 100+ tackles, best coverage LB by far in 2020. Same old stripped fumbles. Gonna no doubt lose the number one run defense if LVD leaves.
Shaq number 1A??? Gimme a break. LVD has been a career captain and doesn’t say he’s going to break the bank like he’s desperately trying to find a crappy team to go play for for extra cash. Without Shaq signing an $80M deal, we can make a WIN NOW 2.0 roster again in FA.
I heard Stephon Gilmore might be on the trading block. Tag Godwin and make a trade for Gilmore…drool. Send another our way Bill.
March 8th, 2021 at 6:29 am
Lavonte needs to retire in pewter and red, figure it out Licht.
March 8th, 2021 at 6:45 am
David is still in his prime as evidenced by his continued outstanding play with no dropoff this past year. He’s also never had a major injury, so the fact that he’s 31 is meaningless. Give em a 2-3 year contract at a reasonable price if he’ll accept it. If not, we’ll it’s been fun watching ya Lavonte.
March 8th, 2021 at 7:14 am
Always felt that comparisons like this are pretty much meaningless. How can you really compare LVD with Kuechly? Or White with Lewis?
Different times, different teams, different coaches, different schemes, different supporting casts. Since those are all ‘different’ and thus ‘variable’, those comparing normally resort to common stats like tackles, sacks, INTs, FRs & the like at comparable points in the players’ careers. I think that all you end up with is a very narrow snapshot of each player’s real value to THEIR TEAM.
Luke Kuechly was a great LB IMO, primarily a MIDDLE LB, and was the heartbeat of the Panthers’ defense. Ray Lewis was a great LB IMO, primarily a MIDDLE LB, and was the heartbeat of the Ravens’ defense. LVD is a great LB IMO … but not a middle LB like Kuechly & Lewis. And yes, LVD has been the heartbeat of the Bucs’ defense IMO. Different responsibilities & different opportunities in their different defensive schemes, but all 3 were critical to their respective teams.
And yes AlaskaBuc, “Lavonte needs to retire in pewter and red, figure it out Licht.”
March 8th, 2021 at 7:44 am
I agree with DR.
David & Kuechly played two different positions. Not all LB positions are the same.
As far as David being a Buc in 2021, we don’t even know the cap number yet. Nothing can really happen until that number is set in stone.
March 8th, 2021 at 7:57 am
Sorry Chris, you were told wrong. No way the Bucs will Tag GW and find a trade for him.
March 8th, 2021 at 7:59 am
SOEbuc Says
“David had all around better stats than Kuechly when he retired. Please stop with the he’s 31 years old, Joe. It’s getting very…Old.”
Do you remember when Dereck Brooks played past his prime? The play by play guys were laughing at him on the field.
LVD should have been traded long ago, but since he wasn’t…he’s now one of the expendable members of the defense. That’s not to say he isn’t a good player…he is…and I would like to see him retire a Bucs someday…
…but of the FAs we have that are all high value, it makes more sense that he is the least of them. Especially since Licht is so good at finding LBs.
March 8th, 2021 at 8:26 am
Brooks clearly began to “lose it” after the 2002 SB. He was OK, but a shadow of his old self.
At the end he was embarrassing himself. He played 2 years too long.
Rarely does a player lose skills slowly. Usually, it happens relatively quickly. We saw that in Brooks. One season he was flashing all over the field, the next season every team was picking on him.
I hate to say it, and I DO think Lavonte David is an All-Time Buc who deserves to be in the RoH, but I can see why the Bucs may want to move on, or at best, offer a one-year deal for reasonable $$$, or a two-year cap/team-friendly deal.
I have a deep respect for David as a player and as a man. At the same time, I see the wisdom in cutting a player loose before he begins the ultimate, inevitable downward slide.
It is painful to think of this Bucs D without David, and even more painful to see him in a different uniform…but a tough decision might have to be made.
Given the choice of just two of the Big Three FAs, I would choose Godwin & Barrett over David.
March 8th, 2021 at 8:50 am
Yeah I wish Tampa could keep this team intact. Would be nice to repeat as Super Bowl Champions.👍 GO BUCS!
March 8th, 2021 at 8:55 am
David is one of my favorite Buc of all time and I hope we keep him. Go Bucs!!!
March 8th, 2021 at 9:03 am
David was better than Luke Kucehly to me look at the year when Kucehly won the defensive player of the year . David beat him in every thing except for a tackles and he had beat him by 6 or 7 tackles .
March 8th, 2021 at 9:34 am
Not a big jersey guy but got lavontes
You can argue that lavontes 2013 season is the best all around for a linebacker or defensive player for that matter
145 tackles with 107 solo tackles
21 tackles for a loss is unheard of
7 sacks
5 interceptions
2 forced fumbles
That is balling
March 8th, 2021 at 9:58 am
LVD makes White better. Experience and wisdom, maturity and calm. Without LVD I’m afraid White will try to do too much to compensate, and also miss some calls.
Totally get that Shaq is hard to replace but to me, LVD+White as a team >> Shaq. And I love Shaq.
I’d sure feel better if the contract extensions to free up cap space would get done and be announced.
March 8th, 2021 at 11:08 am
D wins championships. I’d go for Shaq (long term deal at 28 yrs old) and David and find a replacement fopr Godwin. Our receiving core without Godwin ain’t too shabby especially with OJ Howard coming back to go with Brate and Gronk and Miller and Evans and Johnson. Think of all the less than great receiving sets Brady took to the Super Bowl multiple times.
March 8th, 2021 at 12:13 pm
Chris Thomas from Heaven … I think this is an interesting take.
Tag and Trade
We have Godwin, Shaq, and LVD. If we can’t sign them all the most astute strategy Licht can employ is a tag and trade for the hottest player (likely Godwin).
It’s a win-win. The Bucs get a good draft pick/player. The FA gets paid.
March 8th, 2021 at 5:39 pm
Now if LD54 would’ve been more vocal in the field, oh and gotten away with murder, he would be getting more attention.
March 8th, 2021 at 11:17 pm
Perfectly said D Rules. Absolutely. Sometimes certain players like the Ronde Barbers, Mike Alstotts and Derrick Brooks just deserve and need to retire Bucs. it’s not a situation where skills have deteriorated and the player should hanve hung up the cleats. LVD has plenty more left in the tank. 3 or 4 year contract would be lovely.