Lavonte David No. 8
June 13th, 2019
Gets props.
Here is proof that the squeaky wheel gets more grease.
Joe loves Lavonte David and Joe thinks it is borderline criminal he has played five years for unqualified defensive coordinators. Thus, David has been misused often.
David had the most impact for the Bucs his first two years in the NFL when he played for former Bucs commander Greg Schiano.
X’s and O’s guy Doug Farrar of USA Today is going through his best players’ lists at each position to fill space during the summer weeks before training camps open. And Farrar is of the mind David is the eighth-best linebacker in the NFL.
At 6 feet 1 and 233 pounds, David has perfectly fit the NFL’s new “linebacker as safety” paradigm since he was selected by the Buccaneers in the second round of the 2012 draft. In 2018, he was one of the few bright spots on a Tampa Bay defense that ranked dead last in Football Outsiders’ opponent-adjusted metrics. As the Bucs’ defense was falling apart in just about every position, David held things together with 92 tackles, 21 assists, 59 stops and 69 catches on 79 targets for 647 yards. He didn’t have an interception, but the tape shows a guy who was charged with reinforcing the intermediate part of the pass defense more than a lot of linebackers would have been comfortable.
David moves quickly and easily through receiver routes and combinations, and he’s a surprisingly effective run tackler and blitzer when he’s shooting through gaps. In a more effective defense, David would have more opportunities to shine, but he was playing cleanup in a big mess in 2018.
This is where David is hurt by the way he had been utilized and by his stay-in-the-background personality.
David has been selected to the Pro Bowl once and first-team All-Pro just one time each in his seven seasons. If he was on a defense that allowed him to get after the quarterback more, David would get more sacks and that gets people’s attention, rightly or wrongly. (Yes, Joe is aware David blitzed a lot and went sackless in 2017.)
Also, David is a chill dude, one of the nicest guys you will ever meet but he is uncomfortable doing many interviews. Oh, he will do interviews for radio, but he doesn’t seem to like it. And you rarely see him do TV sitdowns or TV spots on the four-letter or NFL Network or FS1. It’s just not his bag.
(On the other hand, the guy Bucs fans loved to hate, former Bucs stud defensive tackle Gerald McCoy, was open and always willing to talk and he sent to six Pro Bowls playing on the same garbage defense for the same garbage coaches as David. See a pattern?)
The one time David did a public relations tour of sorts was in Phoenix in January 2015 at Super Bowl XLIX when he went on radio row.
David had made it known he was upset for being passed over for so many Pro Bowls and, based on advice from suits, bit the bullet and did the radio row car wash talking to dozens of radio shows and TV shows so his name and mug could get plastered throughout the country.
Later that same year, David was named to the Pro Bowl, his only one. Coincidence? Joe doesn’t believe in coincidences.
If Bucs defensive coordinator Todd Bowles uses David the way Bucco Bruce Arians claims he will — blitzing often — Joe suspects David may have his best year in the NFL, which is saying a lot.
June 13th, 2019 at 10:30 am
david is a beast….
TB will know what to do with him….
GO BUCS!!!!!
June 13th, 2019 at 10:33 am
8th best??? But no other LB in this league 500,20,10 and 10. Not even the god of all LBrs you folks love luke kuekly.
June 13th, 2019 at 10:35 am
All the while mostly reading and reacting rather than ATTACKING.
June 13th, 2019 at 10:37 am
I got his jersey for a reason
Stud
I hope he gets to get after QB this year. 5 sacks should be his mark
Yah – you can feel his anxiety /uncomfortableness doing interviews.
June 13th, 2019 at 10:38 am
And now will play along a Butkus award winner. Phsst,and people mediocrity.
June 13th, 2019 at 10:44 am
Lvd is a top 5 linebacker any year he plays. And I like his behind the scene attitude not beating his chest that he is a leader. His play does the talking.
June 13th, 2019 at 11:42 am
He’s a hall of fame er in my book but people like tmax will point to he hasn’t won any games like it’s a one man team
June 13th, 2019 at 11:46 am
What FN Bucs fan loves Kuechly? He’s a great linebacker, there’s no disputing that. It would seem that other NFL pros love him more than any Bucs fan.
Calm down man.
June 13th, 2019 at 12:27 pm
Calm down my @$$,the comment offends you because it must apply to you. People round here been swinging from his since I discovered jbf.
June 13th, 2019 at 12:51 pm
Who’s my favorite player? Mr.54
June 13th, 2019 at 1:29 pm
Great opportunity for LD54 to make a huge impact this year.
Both on the field with his play and also as player/coach – helping to ease Devin White’s transition into the NFL.
Very glad to have 54 next to White this year to teach the rookie what he knows.
June 13th, 2019 at 1:30 pm
Just calm down.
June 13th, 2019 at 2:58 pm
I’d say our DT tandem is probably top 12 between Suh/Vea 2.0
ILB tandem probably top 5 with David/White
If our secondary can be average, which you would think after all the investments and new coaching scheme, then we will be fine IMO regardless of how well Nassib/Barret/Spence/pan out as pass rushers.
June 13th, 2019 at 5:50 pm
King David 54
Dude is one heck of a football player
He’s been my favorite player on our defense since he arrived in Tampa
Super happy for him to be getting some of the attention that he deserves
June 13th, 2019 at 6:03 pm
Lord Cornelius
I agree man, I’m super excited to watch our DTs and ILBs this season
David and White is just kinda crazy to think about
I’m fully drinking the Kool aid on that combo
About the DTs though…
Sometimes I wonder if the team wanted to bring Suh in to be a different kind of mentor to Vea than McCoy was…
Remember last year how there were reports that the front office sort of had to ask Vea to play meaner and tougher (or whatever it was)?
I just kinda wonder if that decision was more impacted by how they wanted to develop Vea.
Vea seems to be more of a real building block for our team right now than McCoy or Suh could be at this time because of their age
It wouldn’t surprise me if this was a huge factor in the reshuffling of our defense
Attitude Attitude Attitude
Thoughts?
June 13th, 2019 at 6:56 pm
So….like McCoy…who did LVD make better around him? Missed angles and tackles Kwon?
June 13th, 2019 at 7:02 pm
Scotty ain’t impressed?
Hahahahahaha
Crazy
David isn’t a great LB?
Hahahahaha
This site brings me full belly laughs sometimes and it’s just awesome
Hahahaha
June 13th, 2019 at 8:55 pm
Todd Bowles, Tampa Bay? Coincidence, I think not.
June 14th, 2019 at 4:35 am
A good D is always strong up the middle and Bowles is doing just that – the scheme change alone puts LVD back in position to be dominant – the two studs in front of him and White are going to make it fun to watch!!!