Hustling Lavonte David
January 16th, 2020
Warrior. (Photo courtesy of Buccaneers.com.)
This is all you need to know about Lavonte David.
The Bucs linebacker year after year is shafted for postseason honors. It’s really sad and starting to become comical. Each year David is ignored and shade is thrown on national NFL writers for their lack of football knowledge or their subjective voting, or both.
Here, by way of the NFL’s NextGen stats, comes evidence of what a ballhawk David is. He entered the NFL at the same time as fellow linebacker Luke Kuechly, and the two have put up scary similar numbers through the years.
But Kuechly, until this past season, played the glamour position of defensive players: middle linebacker. You know, same position as Dick Butkus, Ray Nitschke, Jack Lambert, Mike Singletary, Ray Lewis.
And yeah, it’s time to add Kuechly to that list.
NextGen stats, which are compiled from data gathered from sensors embedded in players’ equipment, show just what a hustler David has been — in the same say that the newly retired Kuechly was.
Only one player since 2017 has more tackles than David after covering 20 yards or more of real estate to make a play. And that was Kuechly.
With Kuechly out of the NFC South, Joe doesn’t think he is typing out of turn to suggest the best linebacker in the division is now David.
Hopefully, folks outside of the Tampa Bay area start catching on.
January 16th, 2020 at 9:01 am
Site so boring now we need more Winston posts PLEASE!
January 16th, 2020 at 9:12 am
THESE ARE THE GUYS I GET EXCITED ABOUT!!! Lavonte and JPP- they are the true keys to us making it to the playoffs next year!! Forget Jameis, sign these guys Jason!!!
January 16th, 2020 at 9:15 am
Where’s trollmax to call him overrated, weak-minded, his usual copy and paste BS. What a tool. David’s one of the great linebackers in the game today. And that’s unequivocal.
January 16th, 2020 at 9:36 am
Yeah, Where is the “We could have had Luke Kuechley!” crowd now.
January 16th, 2020 at 9:39 am
LVD is one of my favorite Bucs. Plays hard and fast every play. Totally underrated. He could play for me anytime
January 16th, 2020 at 9:40 am
Joe isn’t about to ignore Jameis, the most important news subject of the offseason. Don’t worry.
January 16th, 2020 at 9:41 am
Mr. David. While you are blowing up and doing everything you can….its not for nothing. You’re about to shine in the playoffs soon and hopefully the Superbowl….we just need to fix this QB situation 🙂
January 16th, 2020 at 9:54 am
Sb lol we could’ve had both Kuechly and David and a host of other really great players if Mark Dominick wasnt such a moron.
January 16th, 2020 at 10:06 am
The best talent that Luke Kuechly had was his ability to instantly analyze the opponents formation and tendencies and call them out to his team mates.
He was amazingly accurate.
Then when the QB audibled out of the play, Kuechly seemed to know the audibles.
They should put him in the booth with Tony Romo, they would make a great team.
January 16th, 2020 at 10:23 am
Everyone has been talking about jameis, shaq, jpp, vea, etc in regards to the future but I am almost positive we are in for lavonte’s best season ever.
2nd year in this scheme and he balled last season?!?! Lavonte is going to be in contention for dpoy next season. Mark my words. His stats are going to be crazy.
2020 is Lavonte’s year.
January 16th, 2020 at 10:35 am
@Joe … “Kuechly, until this past season, played the glamour position of defensive players: middle linebacker.”
Calling Mr. Derrick Brooks … What a shame you didn’t play a more glamorous position like Barrett Ruud did. Heck, you might’ve even made the HOF if you had. Oh wait …
(Sorry Joe, I know better. Oh wait, apparently no I don’t). BTW, Lavonte is a UFA after this year. Hope the Bucs don’t play the silly game that he’s too old to be effective and disrespect him by throwing a low-ball offer at him.
January 16th, 2020 at 10:52 am
Joe
I don’t believe you’re typing out of turn at all. I would say however that LVD will have serious competition for that claim from Devin White next year.
But White is still potential and LVD has been money already. I have no problem for giving a warrior like him props.
January 16th, 2020 at 10:54 am
I suggested we trade Lavonte David last year…figuring his value was at the right point and his age was where he would start declining.
Boy, was I wrong.
Lavonte David is about to have a very high profile year. While I do think we could get a lot for him, he’s stuck it out and at this point I’m wondering if he should retire a Buc.
And while I disagree that he is the ‘best Bucs linebacker ever’ (as someone said yesterday), I do believe he is very good…and I want all his time to pay off for him now.
The Bucs going forward…are looking like a potentially dominating team in 2020…assuming we can maintain a strong defensive line and either keep Winston or get an upgrade that does not require development before producing.
January 16th, 2020 at 10:56 am
stpetebucsfan Says
“I would say however that LVD will have serious competition for that claim from Devin White next year.”
I have to say, I think you might just have hit the nail on the head. Even if David has a better year, odds are the media will talk up White more, as he seems to have drawn their interest.
January 16th, 2020 at 11:48 am
He’s criminally underrated on the national level. Definitely a ROH guy at least.
January 16th, 2020 at 11:50 am
He is criminally underrated on the national level. He’ll be in the the ROH.
January 16th, 2020 at 12:14 pm
How this guy gets. Snubbed from the Pro Bowl almost every year is a joke. I believe he has only been voted to 2 of them which equals his ALL PRO selection. What a travesty as a result of a popularity contest as opposed to PRODUCTION
January 16th, 2020 at 6:08 pm
What I was talking about AwShbucs was that we were going to take a LB. Not Two. Dominick obviously made the correct choice. Barron not so much
January 16th, 2020 at 9:28 pm
Kuechly has always been a bit of overrated IMHO and in no way deserves to be mentioned among the all time great middle linebackers like Butkus and Lewis. Damn good player, but let’s not get silly.
Lavonte on the other hand has always been disrespected by the (mostly) moronic national (thank goodness for JBF) media. Maybe now that Kuechly is gone Lavonte will start to get more recognition playing his second year at middle linebacker.
I know that I am a homer and I despise (from a football sense) every team and player in our division, but I feel that Kuechly for whatever reason has been overhyped by the media while Lavonte has been largely ignored. Lavonte is not in Derrick Brook’s class, but he has not deserved the shafting he’s gotten.