Lavonte David Ranks 35th In NFL Top 100
June 18th, 2014
September was a bad month to use the word “rigged” in the Bucs locker room, around the time Greg Schiano was accused of manipulating the Buccaneers’ captaincy vote so Josh Freeman would not win it.
But cornerback Darrelle Revis still used that word.
Revis said the Pro Bowl would be “rigged” if Lavonte David didn’t make it. (Keep in mind that was early September.) Reporters jokingly told Revis he made a bad word choice and Revis laughed, almost hysterically, and started playfully asking to have that comment stricken from the record.
But the point was made: a true NFL superstar knew very quickly that David is a real-deal stud.
David was snubbed from the Pro Bowl, but he did make the All-Pro team, which only counts select media votes.
And now David has a new honor, players across the NFL voted him to the NFL Network Top 100 of 2014. David ranked No. 35, as revealed tonight.
It’s a pretty impressive award for a guy who avoids the spotlight, isn’t overhyped, and has played for two losing teams in his two NFL seasons. Derrick Brooks has said David is significantly better than Brooks was at the same age and experience.
Just 24 years old, David’s best years should be ahead of him. It sure is hard to believe the same Bucs front office pounced on Adderall-popping, spa-day-loving Eric Wright just five weeks before it seized the shot to draft David in Round 2 of the 2012 NFL Draft.
June 18th, 2014 at 9:51 pm
I think he should have been ranked in the top ten. Not surprised he wasn’t; people tend to ignore him.
June 18th, 2014 at 10:13 pm
I think he could’ve gone higher but I’m ok with 30’s. At least we know he’s not underrated a lot with the players. I can’t complain.
June 18th, 2014 at 10:27 pm
Quit harping on the past. Stay positive with this story. It was good until you went all debbie downer in the end
June 18th, 2014 at 10:40 pm
Great Schiano & Dom pick, could you imagine if Morris & Dom could have had even one draft that turned out to be even half as good as the 2012 & 2013 drafts have been for the Bucs. Oh well we all have to learn from our mistakes in life
June 18th, 2014 at 10:58 pm
#35 is about right. What’s wrong is that some tool from Carolina is going to be ranked ahead of him.
June 18th, 2014 at 11:00 pm
More Schiano than dom. like it or not Schiano’s picks were and have been much better than Dom/Morris. Gerald was good but then how do you screw up a pick that high? it takes some doing. Schiano got some good draft picks in here that are actually paying dividends.
June 18th, 2014 at 11:16 pm
This guy amazes me. His number is perfect, just one under 55.
June 18th, 2014 at 11:54 pm
I remember a couple of weeks ago Joe was complaining that David was being disrespected because he was not on the list as of yet. Many posters begged joe not to get his panties in a bunch because he would appear eventually. What happens? He shows up at 35. Could he have been higher? Sure, but 35 for a second year player many fans do not know is impressive. As a matter of fact, according to the reaction show on NFL network, the fans kept David off of the top 100 all together. Makes you understand why he was not voted for the pro bowl, but was voted as an all-pro. A winning season under Lovie will change all of that for good.
Actually, Joe was wondering whether players disrespected David and left him off the list altogether. Joe was not “complaining.” Joe simply stated he wasn’t sure David was much higher than 40, if Joe were grading, and David checked in at 35. –Joe
June 19th, 2014 at 12:12 am
I knew he’d get in. When Joe put out the article asking if the Bucs were snubbed, I felt it was too soon to wonder.
June 19th, 2014 at 12:15 am
@Tiny Tim
Letting fans vot on the probowl is a huge mistake. It should goo strictly by stats so only the true best go. In each position.
June 19th, 2014 at 12:44 am
I also believe David is top 10 but with only two years in the league he won’t get that. He did anchor a crappy team with crappy coaches so I think 35 is great recognition for one of the current best LB’s in the game. I love the guy, glad Joe hyped him up way before the Draft and so glad he is on our team. I like Barron too but it sure would have been nice to have had Kuechly playing along side David. Foster really needs to step it up this year and I believe he will.
June 19th, 2014 at 1:45 am
Awesome!
June 19th, 2014 at 3:08 am
He should be in the top 10 but I’m just happy he wasn’t snubbed from the list.
June 19th, 2014 at 5:45 am
It’s so damn laughable that Luke is going to be ranked ahead of him yet again.
I swear you could take Lavonte put him at MLB and he will out produce Luke in every facet of the game. AND he still wouldn’t get the same type of fawning over or recognition that Luke gets.
It’s pretty damn pitiful.
June 19th, 2014 at 5:46 am
Not to mention why the hell do they only provide him “reaction show” video and not the peer video, they did the same thing with Vincent too!
June 19th, 2014 at 6:10 am
Did anyone get to see the show when the presented Lavonte? Because online they only have the reaction, and I would have loved to see what other players said about him but I couldn’t watch it live.
June 19th, 2014 at 7:19 am
To use David’s own words:
“2014. You go get this one.”
June 19th, 2014 at 8:51 am
David should have at least been in the top 32 bc of being voted as a all pro. they only have 32 spots for all pro to be voted I read or heard somewhere. Maybe on the NFL network from Sapp.
June 19th, 2014 at 10:29 am
Actually, Joe was wondering whether players disrespected David and left him off the list altogether. Joe was not “complaining.” Joe simply stated he wasn’t sure David was much higher than 40, if Joe were grading, and David checked in at 35. –Joe
And thats what I was saying. It was premature to think the players would disrespect him when the countdown was only at 59-50 I believe. As people were saying then, calm down and wait. David was surely a top 100 talent and I like many others didn’t understand why you would think he could possibly be disrespected so soon within the countdown. He was an All-pro.
June 19th, 2014 at 4:15 pm
As to the Pro Bowl, I hate the new format. Hate it. One of the draws was the competion between NFC and AFC. The ‘draft’ they set up and the way fans can vote sickens me. This past year killed it completely for me.
Making the probowl is no longer an honor.
June 20th, 2014 at 3:47 pm
It is very pathetic of nfl network not to put a buc’s players into an actual video outside of just the nfl network people talking about it. 99% off the other players not on the Bucs had videos made for them with other players commenting. This was even true at the 90-100 rankings. And this is not the first snub on that list. It’s been like that e last 3 years. I haven’t watched the revis video yet, but he is on the pats now, maybe they made a special video for him. All bullsh!1. Screw nfl network, and screw the probowl.
June 21st, 2014 at 10:29 am
All-Star games in every sport suck.