Bring Back Lavonte David
January 25th, 2024
Can still kick tail.
Maybe Joe is being selfish, but there is no reason for the Bucs to let Lavonte David walk.
A pending free agent, David had his 34th birthday this week. While it is borderline insane to bring back a 34-year old linebacker, was there anything about David’s play that suggested he was remotely over the hill?
David finished the 2023 season with a game-high 13 tackles on Sunday while also racking up a sack, two tackles for loss and a quarterback hit.
David may not be as quick as he once was but he isn’t remotely slow. One thing that helps David is he is so quick in reading plays he’s able to get himself into position to make impact hits.
If David does retire — there is some social media chatter coming from a Bucs defensive assistant that David wants to start a ministry soon — would the Bucs even entertain bringing back Devin White? Joe would rather the Bucs draft his replacement.
Damn right David can still play. If he leaves, it will be a sad day in Tampa Bay.
Happy Birthday To Future Hall of Famer Lavonte David:
● Pro-Bowler
●1st Team All-Pro
● 2x Second Team All-Pro
● Superbowl Champion
● 1,035 Tackles (3rd All-Time)
● 28 Forced Fumbles (18th All-Time)
● 14 10-Tackle games (active leader ) pic.twitter.com/vRCT71RauJ
— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) January 24, 2024
January 25th, 2024 at 12:16 am
Without a doubt my favorite bucs player of all time. He’s been a continuous bright spot his entire career. Man I hope he doesn’t hang up his cleats, but if he does, thanks for the memories
January 25th, 2024 at 12:41 am
Please God…Tell Lavonte to wait one more year to start his ministry…he will be great at that….but we would really miss him.
January 25th, 2024 at 12:49 am
Shame, he’d be held in even higher esteem if Bloweszo didn’t leave him high and dry with a Diva LB who lacked proper coaching and never had discipline, and a back end who Toad never properly taught what their zone assignments were, or even how to play zone.
Having Britt out there, I have noticed an uptick in LVD’s play because Britt knows what he is supposed to do and then actually does it.
Fire Bloweszo. Hire Pete Carroll since Harbaugh is now a Charger.
January 25th, 2024 at 1:17 am
LVD54 I hope you don’t go anywhere or retire but if you do, it’s been a pleasure seeing every snap you have ever played in a Bucs uniform. You were one of the very few bright spots from the Mark Dominik era in what was otherwise some dark dark days. I salute you.
January 25th, 2024 at 1:43 am
Sign him for life. He deserves the respect and he is still playing at a higher level than most of the rest of the NFL LBs.
January 25th, 2024 at 2:03 am
Sign LVD- he’s as solid as it gets- a true champion!
How about a Bowles confidence poll Joe’s?
Let’s have a referendum to show to the Glazers!
Or are you trying to not rock the boat too hard with the team?
January 25th, 2024 at 2:33 am
He was asked on video if he was done a couple of weeks ago and the way he responded made me think he’d already decided this was it.
January 25th, 2024 at 4:06 am
The only reason for LVD to not be back next season is if he decides to retire. He’s such a professional. When’s the last time you said LVD had a Nad game? Never.
January 25th, 2024 at 4:07 am
Bad game
January 25th, 2024 at 4:22 am
Dave Pear … So Devin White’s situation is all Bowles’ fault in your eyes? Was it also Bowles’ fault when Devin played lights-out super our Super Bowl run? Or when Devin made 2nd team All-Pro in 2020 & 1st team in 2021?
Todd Bowles’ defense requires players who can ‘play within the system’ to be effective. Devin White showed this year that he didn’t like that, probably because it didn’t feature him enough. Personally I hope that he finds what he’s looking for with another team, but don’t want the Bucs to re-sign him. I do very much though want us to bring back Lavonte David. He’s the heartbeat of this defense.
January 25th, 2024 at 6:38 am
We can’t pay everyone. We have to pay wirfs, Winfield jr and Moore young guys along the way. I love you #54, heck I met your family several times, great people. But I think it’s time to move on. We need to get younger all around.
January 25th, 2024 at 6:41 am
You know you’re a special player when at 34 yrs old there’s not a single post with a negative comment about the guy. EVERYBODY knows Lavonte is elite and has been for a very long time. He’s a great human being too. Invaluable to this team.
Pay him for 2024.
January 25th, 2024 at 6:52 am
Hope he wants to play one more year he’s the best linebacker in the nfl imo even at 34, so glad he’s been a Buc all these years
January 25th, 2024 at 7:08 am
Come back please.
January 25th, 2024 at 7:21 am
I just want a David jersey in White.
January 25th, 2024 at 7:43 am
Think he retires 🙁 if he does I’ll be sad but I’ll be happy to have watched one of the greatest LBs to ever play
January 25th, 2024 at 7:53 am
Tatum Bethune and Kalen DeLoach both have late round grades but played awesome for the Noles. Cheap options to compete w Britt and Russell and Dennis
January 25th, 2024 at 8:31 am
Pay the man he has been the leader of our defense for a decade.
January 25th, 2024 at 9:36 am
He is the beating heart of this team.
January 25th, 2024 at 10:26 am
Mr. “Why prolong the obvious” is the head coach, also an alleged defensive genius, overseeing the worst pass defense in the league, and a unit that has visibly declined in performance. LVD and Antoine Winfield are the lone exceptions. Boewls’ defense’s propensity to make the same mistakes over and over and over and over indicates a glaring failure to implement corrective action. This is ultimately on the head coach.
The decline in performance of Diva is a related but separate issue. He’s obviously been on a skid since the SB run. While some want to credit Bowles for finally benching him at the end of 2023, there are two issues about that.
1. Bowels failed to coach him up on his assignments, details, and indiscipline.
2. Bowels should have benched him much earlier in the year, even going back to last season.
Head coaches are accountable for the team’s performance, but Todd accepts none, blaming others for poor game plans when he bears ultimate responsibility, and of course, is someone who doesn’t want to “prolong the obvious.” Toad’s game management skills are laughable if they weren’t so horrific.
The entirety of his performance is enough to indicate he will never run a team in a way that practices to eliminate their defects.
But we’re obviously stuck with him. Maybe Jason Licht can quietly take him into the office and review these deficiencies, as anyone running an organization should do at the end of a performance cycle. Jason will try. Will Todd do anything about it?
Consulting the Magic 8-ball, signs point to “No.”
January 25th, 2024 at 10:37 am
Gotta have him back. Please don’t retire. Would love to see him sign for 2 more. David and Evans, career Buccaneers.
January 25th, 2024 at 10:54 am
Yes, we would love to have Lavonte back. He is the ultimate example of how to play well in the NFL for so many years. And getting younger does not necessarily mean getting better. A consummate team leader and mentor to young Bucs. I don’t think at this point it’s about the money but his calling at this time in his life. His heart will lead him as to which direction he will take. If he retires he will have gone out at the top of his game and that’s a legacy which few have attained. He will have the opportunity to touch many lives for good in his ministry. Maybe the Bucs could use him as team chaplain.
January 25th, 2024 at 11:13 am
And yes, we need LVD back. Would be awesome to see what he could do with a back end that were coached to know their assignments as well as he does
January 25th, 2024 at 12:01 pm
Smart, experienced defensive leaders are as important or more important than a game-wrecking edge rusher. LVD is one of those guys. It’s like having an extra coach on the field. Add in his still very good skills and you keep him if possible because replacing him will be tough.
He still has a few good years left in the tank and that should be enough for him to pass the torch for the next leader to be ready.
He’ll probably not be happy but his protégé D. White will probably be gone just based on how little TB used him in Detroit let alone the amount of $$$$ he’ll ask for. Unless JTS takes “back up/bench player money” he’s likely gone too.