Quiet Contract Year For Lavonte David
August 9th, 2022
Premier free-agent-to-be ranking.
After talking to Lavonte David early in training camp, Joe confidently can say the iconic Bucs linebacker plans to play beyond this season, his 11th in the NFL.
That means David is in a contract year when his two-year deal runs out after this season.
Among all the pending Bucs free agents, David is one of only two to appear in NFL.com’s new list of top-25 free agents for the 2023 offseason. Tom Brady ranks No. 2; David is at No. 18, ahead of Baker Mayfield and one behind Eagles cornerback James Bradberry.
The last time David was in a contract year (2020), he didn’t miss a game and had a heck of a season, including a dominant showing against Washington in the Wild Card round of the playoffs.
Joe’s not saying that David is the kind of guy motivated for greatness by a fat new contract, but he is human. Money talks. And he has been working with Derrick Brooks on what it takes to be a durable, mid-30s linebacker.
Joe just hopes David and the Bucs find common ground when it comes to his future. It would be a little painful to see David in a 49ers uniform or running free in Ron Rivera’s 4-3 defense up in Washington.
August 9th, 2022 at 4:46 am
Odds seem pretty good that Brady won’t be our QB in 2023, so the Bucs will be in a big transition year. We’re already roughly $63 mil ABOVE next year’s projected salary CAP, and that’s not including Dead CAP and BEFORE signing any of our 31 FAs (to include a huge percentage of our defense such as LVD, Hicks, Gholston, RNR, Nelson, Neal, Ryan, Dean, SMB, Edwards, Cockrell, Delaney).
Yikes! And yet, we MIGHT opt to keep LVD for one simple reason if none other: we’ll owe him $6.9 mil if he isn’t re-signed because of the way we structured his contract. IF he gets a new contract, that gives us the opportunity to kick the can down the street once again. With a little ‘creative financing’ LVD could cost us almost nothing NEXT YEAR over what he’d cost us if he DIDN’T PLAY.
Did I mention that we can do essentially the same thing if we re-sign Suh this year? He’s costing us $6.8 mil to NOT PLAY this year. Signing him to say a $5 mil or so 1-year contract gives us the opportunity to spread the resultant $12 mil out over several years so that it wouldn’t be as painful (push it beyond 2023 IOW).
August 9th, 2022 at 5:41 am
The Suh ship has sailed. Didn’t get the memo? We have a pretty good cap guy defence, think I’ll trust his,and Licht’s judgment on who we keep.
August 9th, 2022 at 6:05 am
Bring back Suh!!!!! And JPP
August 9th, 2022 at 6:26 am
I can’t see signing LD beyond one more year (that being said, that was probably what they have been saying about Brady for most of a decade)
August 9th, 2022 at 6:41 am
Just worry about this season. Next year is a year away.
August 9th, 2022 at 7:56 am
Bring back all the old washed up DL! Sign Chidi Ahanotu and Brad Culpepper while we’re at it.
August 9th, 2022 at 8:09 am
DR, in all seriousness your plan is essentially to mortgage more of the future to sign diminishing players breaking down physically before our eyes, bc we already mortgaged the present for said diminishing services last year?
That’s like taking out a HELOC to go buy a used car with 150,000 miles to be the 4th car in our garage. I’ve seen many, many good takes from you, but today I’m sorry to say that isn’t one of them.
August 9th, 2022 at 8:25 am
Suh has been replaced….
And….with our issues next year, there is almost no way we can afford a top-tier QB salary.
It will be time to get much younger…..I suspect our # 1 or 2 draft pick to be a replacement for LVD…..
Sorry, folks….time to pay the piper.
August 9th, 2022 at 8:54 am
Defense Rules seems to have everything figured out, folks.
August 9th, 2022 at 9:23 am
Leighroy … We’ve already mortgaged the future, BIG-TIME. This is THE YEAR and we have to be all-in to bring home the prize. We’ve pinned all our hopes on 2 interior DLinemen who are very, very good BUT who each have a significant injury history. Suh to me represents INSURANCE that IF either Vea or Hicks goes down, our DLine can still git ‘er done. Not to mention that he can help keep their def snaps in a reasonable range, HOPEFULLY lessening their chances of injury.
I obviously don’t share the same opinion as many JBFers that Suh regressed considerably last season and that he’s toast. I have no problem respecting others’ opinions who happen to see that differently. The decision to re-sign Suh isn’t up to them or me anyways. Eventually the Bucs’ front office will decide one way or the other. Personally I think they already have, but again, that’s just my OPINION.
August 9th, 2022 at 9:27 am
I think Fans worry to much about the Cap and Money. The Saints have been in Cap hell for some time now and yet, they find a way to keep adding players. Same for the Patriots. The Patriots have been kicking the can for 15 years it seems. Yes, it matters, but not to a point to be worried. We’ll be fine, and two players I can’t imagine the org allow to play for anyone else is David and Evans. We’ll see. I’m all for cutting bait when it’s time. But will the Glazers and JL feel the same way?
August 9th, 2022 at 9:37 am
At some point we will have to rebuild and we will suck again as you can only keep kicking the can down the road for so long before the cap hits catch up to you. We’ll unless you are the Saints. It seems like they been in cap hell for well over a decade yet they keep signing big names.
August 9th, 2022 at 11:34 am
Defense Rules speaking the spot-on truth again. It puzzles me what some of these moes watch – probably they don’t watch, they just read stats and parrot narratives they’ve heard repeated countless times. And don’t know the difference between a football and a tennis racket when they do watch.
August 9th, 2022 at 11:49 am
Suh gronk n oline depth is required to fill out this roster correctly as it stands..betting on some rookie dline man for depth.
August 9th, 2022 at 11:53 am
Don’t know how you are going to sign any free agents with almost a negative 64,000 in salary cap. Licht has reworked all but a couple of players salaries.
August 9th, 2022 at 11:56 am
Looks like your going to have to find a new QB next year the 3 stooges behind Brady all stink.
August 9th, 2022 at 12:28 pm
Allbuccedup … ‘Looks like your going to have to find a new QB next year the 3 stooges behind Brady all stink’.
If you’re REALLY a Bucs’ fan, your comment should read ‘Looks like WE are going to have to find a new QB next year’. But then again, i suspect you’re not based on what followed.
August 9th, 2022 at 12:50 pm
Real Bucs fans enjoyed those top 5 picks.
August 9th, 2022 at 1:00 pm
Defense Rules I would say WE need to find a new quarterback but WE is not going to find a new quarterback Licht is going to have to do that. You can only say we if you are part of the Glazers upper management team.
August 9th, 2022 at 1:09 pm
Might be perfect timing, Roquan Smith wants out of Chicago .. pair him with devin white it can be scary
GoBucs!
August 9th, 2022 at 2:32 pm
Trade the Bears Lavonte and Darden sign Smith to a long term deal.