“I Think He Is Incredibly Underrated, Incredibly Overlooked”
November 3rd, 2023
“Looking at you, Ira”
Watch out, Ira. Tristan Wirfs has put you on notice!
Internationally popular JoeBucsFan.com columnist Ira Kaufman is the lone Pro Football Hall of Fame selector representing the Tampa Bay area.
It is Ira when a Bucs player or coach makes it to the finalist stage of the Hall — the final 15. Ira then makes the presentation for the candidate before a gathering of the Hall’s other selectors representing both national media organizations and the NFL teams they cover.
Yesterday, Wirfs put Ira on notice.
Five years after Bucs icon linebacker Lavonte David retires, Wirfs demands Ira and his fellow henchmen of selectors better find a way to get David into the Hall.
“Lavonte is an animal,” Wirfs said. “I think he is incredibly underrated, [and] incredibly overlooked.
“You look at what he’s done the past 12 years and it’s up there with the best to ever to do it. They better get his gold jacket ready.
“Lavonte is an incredible player, incredible person, and it’s not a surprise to any of us in this locker room what he is doing in year 12 still.”
Joe is surprised. You don’t see many 33-year old linebackers who have had three straight games of double-digit tackles.
Come Spring 2024, Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht has heavy decisions coming. He’s going to have to find cash for Antoine Winfield and Mike Evans. Maybe Devin White, too.
And the way David is playing, how do you not bring him back for his 13th season with the Bucs?
November 3rd, 2023 at 9:08 am
The amazing thing is that LVD still has the wheels to play in today’s uber fast NFL.
I can remember guys like London Fletcher, Sam Mills and Clay Matthews…what a freak he played 19 seasons! I think a guy could perhaps make up for losing that half step of speed with smarts and experience but that’s a lot tougher these days. It’s a real tribute to LVD’s motivation to succeed.
November 3rd, 2023 at 9:13 am
There is no way we let LVD go…..he;s still a top performer…..day in, day out…..makes plays…..solid tackles…..great leader….attitude….fantastic Buc….a keeper.
November 3rd, 2023 at 9:22 am
he might have 2 more years in him…
he’s playing great, and so fundamentally sound with high on field iq…
if he can somehow win another superbowl, i think he squeeeeeezes into the hof…
#TheOverlookedBuccaneer
November 3rd, 2023 at 9:24 am
LD on one leg is a far superior player than DW on 2….hands down!!!
November 3rd, 2023 at 9:31 am
LVD needs to be re-signed. White doesnt.
November 3rd, 2023 at 9:34 am
The way Ira talks about Lavonte David hurts his credibility a little in my mind. He has watched him play for 10+ years and still oogles over Luke Kuechly & freaking Bobby Wagner. LOL.
Lavonte’s stats are on par or better than both of those dudes and David has been a consistent force the entire time he’s been on the field. Which is a lot because he barely misses games.
LVD for the Hall of Fame
Over Kuechly (dude hasnt played for years and was in the same draft class) & Wagner.
November 3rd, 2023 at 9:34 am
DID YOU KNOW?
LVD and Bucs All Time Records
#1 – Tackles for Loss – 150 (#2 – Barber – 88)
#1 – Assisted Tackles – 425 (#2 – Brooks – 413)
#3 – Solo Tackles – 988 (He’ll move into #2 this season. #1 – Brooks – 1300)
#4 – QB Hits (Surprising)
#1 – Safeties (Tied)
LVD is a great Buc but he’s a longshot for the HOF.
November 3rd, 2023 at 10:05 am
I agree 💯. You gotta keep LVD on a team ‘friendly’ for several reasons, with his leadership and high level of play being reasons #1 & #1A. At this point, I don’t know what you do with Mike Evans… The Bucs put themselves, in a bad spot. Do you just let him ‘walk’ and get nothing back in return… Do you give him a 3/$50M extension (if he’d even take that, judging by the ‘rumors’ of him wanting/expecting Cooper Kupp $$$ at 3/$80M), which could make him hard to ‘move’ down the road… Will they even have the $$$$ to offer THAT!? And, with DWhite… I think all he needs (of course, ‘health’), is a NEW COACH. But, he prob wouldn’t agree to what he’s REALLY ‘worth’ at this point… Wonder what the “Franchise-Tag” will be on MLB’s!? Receivers… I’m sure A LOT.
November 3rd, 2023 at 10:10 am
All Pro and Pro Bowl selections matter. He doesn’t have enough for the Hall of Fame. Pro Football Reference, which does a good job at evaluating careers against other Hall of Famers, do not have him making the hall.
That’s not his fault. Blame the Buccaneers organization, starting at the top, for the lost decade. The perpetual losing impacted LVD’s career and bid for the Hall.
On an interesting note, for outside linebackers, Pro Football Reference has Derrick Brooks as the 2nd greatest outline linebacker of all time. Lawrence Taylor is ahead of him.
November 3rd, 2023 at 10:24 am
I can’t believe Sirvovcea (?) Dennis can’t perform as well as DW has been the last few games, and at a tenth of the money. If DW doesn’t have some kind of horrible injury that hasn’t been disclosed, I don’t know why we re-sign him
November 3rd, 2023 at 10:24 am
I quite don’t understand the love affair with players. It is time to jettison players past their prime to reduce the expenditures on the team. LVD & ME should be let go at the end of this year. Cut JTS & Devon White. If you keep the players past their prime with large salaries, the team can only go downhill for years to come.
Fans cannot have both.
November 3rd, 2023 at 10:29 am
I’m not positive but aren’t the Bucs on a better cap situation next season? Anyway everyone knows the cap is not real anyway so I fully expect all those guys will get signed/franchised.
November 3rd, 2023 at 11:30 am
Why are all these stories saying that we have to get ready to sign Evans? Maybe we sign him, but he sure needs to take the home team discount big-time. He is past his prime and has had a bad case of the dropsies.
November 3rd, 2023 at 11:41 am
“TexasBucFan:” I’ve said all along, they should move Mike Evans… I’m just not real big on allowing an asset with decent value (unless there’s a decent comp-pick earned), to just walk-out the door getting NOTHING in return. And, that puts them in a real bad spot now, because YOU KNOW they’re going to ‘re-sign’ him… That could make it REALLY hard to move him down the road (“D-Hop” most recently, but on and on), especially if it’s a ‘BIG-$$$’ contract!!!! Also, I was originally, ‘all-in’ on trading/walking away from LVD, but his salary demands have been more than fair, & his level of play AND leadership have been on point. So, I don’t have a problem in the least, with HIM… Unless, they start to REALLY, ‘Blow-It UP,’ then we can revisit those talks. And, I’m 💯NOT giving-up on DWhite, YET… I don’t believe he’s anywhere nearrrr being healthy, & should prob not even be on the field. He seems to be really gutting it out!!!! I believe all he needs is a NEW Coach… I don’t agree with how he’s being used out there, the majority of time. I think he would benefit immensely, from having some NEW blood and energy in him. It shouldn’t be hard to get much out of him. But, he is ‘overvaluing’ himself (I believe), so it will prob come down to whether or not if he will accept playing on the “Franchise-Tag” or not, for next season… Thankfully, if that happens to be just a ridiculous amount of MONEY, like $20M or something like THAT (tho I wouldn’t think it would be), then at least, I believe we would recoup at 3rd-Round Comp-Pick!!!! So, at that point, is when you can walk away… It makes it easier to stomach. I’m just not ‘giving up’ on a 25 year old ANIMAL, who runs a 4.4 like that… NOT yet. Especially, when you’re seeing him not at ‘full-health’ AND is being ‘utilized’ in the way that he has been!!!!
November 3rd, 2023 at 11:45 am
LVD will make the HoF if the voters look at his individual performance and see him as more of a ILB than a pass rushing OLB. There are several areas where he is already one of the all time greats but his sacks numbers are low.
November 3rd, 2023 at 11:55 am
White has been dealing with a groin injury that has been reported previously, not sure if he has recovered fully. I also agree that White is being misused by Bowles. Whites job on every play should be if run get guy with ball, if pass get guy with ball. He should just be attacking on every down.
November 3rd, 2023 at 11:57 am
BA’s Red Pen, the cap is very real. Why do you think we only signed Dollartree special free agents and a boatload of UDFAs made the final roster? You can kick the can a good long way down the road, but then ya gotta bite the bullet. Ala Bucs 2023. I’m amazed at how well we started off this year despite that restriction. Licht and company worked some real magic this year.
Anyway, I sure hope David plays at least one more year. He is by far better than DW45. Drafting one linebacker is hard enough with all our other needs. It is indeed a crying shame how Lavonte is overlooked.
November 3rd, 2023 at 11:59 am
His stats are comparable if not better than Keuchly, Warner, Wagner, Bowman, etc…
Yet his national respect is almost non existent.
November 3rd, 2023 at 12:23 pm
BA’s Red Pen … ‘Anyway everyone knows the cap is not real anyway so I fully expect all those guys will get signed/franchised.’
If the salary CAP ‘isn’t real’ then why haven’t we signed a top-tier RB? Why didn’t we sign 1 or 2 top-tier OLinemen? We did we go cheap ($4 mil) signing Baker Mayfield? Or Ryan Neal? And why didn’t we grab Montez Sweat or Chase Young when Washington held their fire sale? And there were lots of quality players available in free agency last Spring, yet Bucs went cheap? WHY when you obviously believe it’s just funny money anyways?
November 3rd, 2023 at 12:30 pm
D-Rome Says:
November 3rd, 2023 at 10:10 am
All Pro and Pro Bowl selections matter. He doesn’t have enough for the Hall of Fame.
______________________________________________________________
And yet his stats are comparable if not better than guys like Luke Kuechly and Bobby Wagner, who were constantly selected for Pro Bowls and All Pro honors…
All just part of #ItsABucsLife – where your career will flounder no matter how good you are at your position.
November 3rd, 2023 at 12:33 pm
ok wishful thinking on my part…he probably doesn’t get in…
i was being optomistic he somehow squeeeeezes in on his last opp
November 3rd, 2023 at 12:53 pm
Defense Rules wrote: “Why did we go cheap signing Baker Mayfield.”
Who should they have signed that is playing any better, regardless of price?
November 3rd, 2023 at 12:54 pm
If you’re old enough to get social security I don’t think you should be hof voter a bunch of fossils saying back in my day blah blah blah hof needs young blood
November 3rd, 2023 at 1:23 pm
If you’re hollering to dump, Mike Evans and Lavonte, David, you’re not real Bucs fans. Evans is leading the team in reception yards and receptions and he’s only dropped three balls this year you all don’t watch the games either.
November 3rd, 2023 at 1:38 pm
Damn i didnt realize how many tackles d. Brooks has. Don’t think that will be broke for a long time. If it is that means we have a true stud again.
November 3rd, 2023 at 1:55 pm
Ira won’t have to worry about it until 5 years after David retires.
November 3rd, 2023 at 2:01 pm
The best chance LVD and Evans have to make HOF is to win another Super Bowl in Tampa. Maybe their only chance.
November 3rd, 2023 at 2:02 pm
The thing LVD and Paul Gruber have in common is they were drafted by the Bucs. HOF is a long shot at best for LVD unless two Super Boul two trophies are considered.
November 3rd, 2023 at 2:34 pm
@ DR
You are correct.
The salary cap is real. There is some flexibility with the salary cap which makes some fans believe it doesn’t really exist…
To me it’s like credit card debt. At some point you will need to pay it back. Just because you don’t use cash to buy something doesn’t mean that the debt isn’t real.
November 3rd, 2023 at 2:37 pm
@ DR
If the Bucs were smart they would sign Wirfs to a five year deal this off season instead of him playing on his 5th year option.
The Bucs can actually save a few million Bucs by doing so.
5 years – $130M with $100M guaranteed.
November 3rd, 2023 at 2:59 pm
Who would you rather have on the field at MLB, David or White. Simple answer based on this year’s performances. Don’t know why White isn’t motivated. I doubt at his age his skills have diminished. But the fire in him certainly has.
November 3rd, 2023 at 8:40 pm
White better get his butt in gear cos he’s sucked this season. LVD and ME13 are HOFamers, period. Licht will resign both. Not their fault Brady and his demands for Gronkowski and nutcase Brown cost salary cap. Bucs didn’t need either one to win the SB. Period.
November 4th, 2023 at 8:38 am
Hear that Ira?
The gauntlet has been laid down Sir!
Go Bucs!