Lavonte David “Underappreciated”
May 30th, 2023
Data on Lavonte David.
One of these days Joe could see the NFL, or at least the Bucs, starting an annual award and giving it to the most underrated player in the league/team.
It would be called “The Lavonte David Award.”
Year after year after year after year David is just about ignored if not forgotten when folks discuss the game’s best linebackers. All David does is rack up numbers that few if any of his peers can match.
Recently, NFL stat queen Cynthia Frelund decided to cobble together a list of the league’s most underappreciated players. And guess who made that list? You’ve got it, David.
In 11 NFL seasons, David has posted at least 100 tackles nine times — the same number of times he’s hit double digits in tackles for loss. In my 10-season sample of computer vision, his tackle closing speed (the speed he’s traveling at the time he makes a tackle) ranks in the 80th percentile.
To help translate what Frelund meant so non-stat geeks understand, David’s worst “closing speed” to a ballcarrier still ranks him among the top 20 percent of linebackers, per NextGen Stats.
Frelund also noted the only linebacker who may have better coverage skills than David is Tremaine Edmunds with the Bears.
Look, Joe is almost tired of labeling David “underrated” even though he is. If someone wants to be a dumbass and claim David isn’t that good, well, one actually has an inalienable right in this country to be a dumbass.
May 30th, 2023 at 12:34 am
Let’s hope he puts together another 100 tackle season.
May 30th, 2023 at 2:13 am
You never hear a peep out of David. He just does his job. Bucs have been spoiled for a long time with LBs. Nickerson, Books, David…
White could be the successor, but he’d rather be a locker room lawyer and try to force the issue with social media. When Warren Sapp calls you out it’s time to shut up and get humble. Not White. He just got mad and asked out of Tampa – as if that isn’t going to follow him. Of course it is and if new team mates see you taking plays off they already have the script on you. Only way to dispel it is to show on the field. Then you get paid.
Levonte David meanwhile just shows up every year and makes plays. His head matches his athleticism. Because he’s been a good soldier – a great teammate and represents the Bucs well – he keeps on getting contracts. A good employee gets the benefit of the doubt – he’s earned that trust even when he reaches an age where usually teams don’t resign. If David has a strong season – they might bring him back for one more. After retirement pretty sure the door will always be open for him too. How do you not want a guy like that around?
Nobody is going to give White a hundred million right now. Meanwhile David has gotten $61M paid in his pocket already – keep playing steady and being a company guy then you’re not as concerned about what is guaranteed. They just keep writing you checks.
May 30th, 2023 at 3:50 am
As you said, White could be the successor but he won’t. The very (too) early returns on Dennis seem promising, so fingers crossed, let’s see what develops.
May 30th, 2023 at 4:18 am
Diva White is the Bucs successor to Antonio Brown!
Toad Bowels is the Bucs successor to Richard Williamson!
May 30th, 2023 at 6:43 am
Dudes a hall of famer that will probably never get in due to being ridiculously underrated.
May 30th, 2023 at 7:41 am
…It also could be called the Paul Gruber award.
Why Lavante hasn’t been the captain for the past seven years, borders on criminal. The “C” on White’s chest is further under-appreciation and an insult, by the people who should respect him and his career the most!
May 30th, 2023 at 9:22 am
He is not underappreciated by true Bucs fans!
His effect on Devin White can not be overestimated.
There is no Stat for that, but we all see it.
May 30th, 2023 at 11:47 am
she is so hot
May 30th, 2023 at 12:12 pm
Kyle yeah definitely would
May 31st, 2023 at 12:50 am
Joes
Many of us could care less what the big media machine BS crews have to say and even less about what they think of the Bucs in their ill informed posts. I See a headline with your patented BSPN in it and i’m getting to the point that I don’t even bother reading the post.