Primetime For Lavonte
May 6th, 2020
Teammates have his back.
As Joe has written several times, with the arrival of Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski added to the weapons the Bucs offense already possessed, the Bucs will have several primetime games this fall.
Earlier this morning Joe brought a video clip from closet Bucs fan and co-host of “Good Morning Football,” seen weekday mornings on NFL Network, Peter Schrager. He hopes all NFL fans finally finally will realize what a baller Bucs linebacker Lavonte David is.
And it is not just Bucs fans who are frustrated by David being slighted year after year for postseason awards and honors. It seems this is in the forefront of the minds of Bucs players.
When Bucs left tackle Donovan Smith was asked today about the potential for multiple primetime games this season, one of the first things he mentioned was that it’s time for football fans to become educated about David.
“It will be great for a lot of guys,” Smith said in a Zoom conference call. “Lavonte, I feel like he gets snubbed on a lot of accolades throughout the league. To see a guy work as hard as he [does] and as smart as he is, to lead the way he does, it pains me to not see him get what he deserves.”
It’s really depressing that David is annually shafted for the Pro Bowl.
If David makes the Pro Bowl at 30 this season, it’s a great example of two things: the power of television to market a player to the general public and the coaches and players that account for two-thirds of the vote, plus the power of a losing franchise to drag down the image and reputation of an exceptional player.
May 6th, 2020 at 5:22 pm
DS76 might make the PB too….he’ll step his game up….
GO BUCS!!!!
May 6th, 2020 at 5:33 pm
Dreaming of the days when we had 6-8 Pro Bowlers every year – we have 11 easy if we win 10 games…
Brady
Gronk
Evans
Godwin
Marpet
David
Barrett
JPP
Suh
Vea
White
Wow, just wow – when is the last time a Bucs team had a rundown of talent like this
Anyone that thinks we are not going to be a very good team, please go back to bed
May 6th, 2020 at 5:51 pm
Joes
There you go …lavonte david
“Americas shafted probowler”
😂
May 6th, 2020 at 5:56 pm
Pro bowlers should be broken down into to qualifications, statistics first, then player AND coaches vote second. The first half of the rostered pro bowl players will be automatically voted in as stat leaders and top performers. That would be the first wave.
The second wave of players would THEN be voted on from a list of players that excludes the ones who were automatically chosen from their performance. This way the players and coaches really have to think about the guys they faced that were difference makers, but not that sexy name that is noticed from popularity.
I agree the primetime games will make help tremendously, but the sysrem needs to be reworked.Hell maybe even let the fans vote on the second wave..That would certainly give the players more incentive and also get the fans bacl engaged with the most meaningless game in professional sports.
May 6th, 2020 at 6:38 pm
Can we change it from the pro bowl to the popularity bowl? How about the big market bowl? Toilet bowl?
May 6th, 2020 at 6:39 pm
I wear my lucky creamsicle undies everyday and I got the #1 BUCS FAN license plate on my ride…….And I just came here to say I think we have 25 pro bowlers including 3 Special Teams Pro Bowlers!!!
GO BUCS!!!!
May 6th, 2020 at 6:52 pm
ProBowl this year !!!!!!!!
This man deserves it
He does everything
May 6th, 2020 at 6:54 pm
I just want to know where JimmyJack got his creamsicle underwear.
The rainbow coalition? lol
May 6th, 2020 at 8:17 pm
I wish the press would stop anointing this team as the new darlings and a deep playoff run is waiting, etc.
Human psychology is too powerful. They will subconciously believe the press clippings, particularly the young DBs.
I hate this.
May 6th, 2020 at 8:20 pm
David is EVERY BIT as Good as Kuechly. Maybe better. We will see.
May 6th, 2020 at 8:24 pm
I second the “America’s shafted pro bowler” for David. That man has gotten the shaft year after year and the thing that really blows my mind…. the Bucs organization has done nothing to get his name and talent out there to help get the recognition he deserves. Like Licht telling Ira he needs to do more for Barber to get into the hall. I wanna know what he’s been doing for both David, Barber and the other snubs. Him and the rest of management should be ashamed on how they’ve let these guys down. Truly sad….
May 6th, 2020 at 9:27 pm
“Human psychology is too powerful. They will subconciously believe the press clippings, particularly the young DBs.”
And isn’t that wonderful? Nothing much more powerful than belief in self and the ability to achieve something.
I do not worry about this team NOT putting in the work and effort. They won’t be all talk. Starting with Brady and the coaching staff and now this team has some real leadership. I didn’t see any VHG kind of dog in any of these young DB’s.
May 6th, 2020 at 9:43 pm
The Pro Bowl is a farce. Should be determined by stats alone and should take place after the Super Bowl. The current format is just a worthless process that proves nothing. Going by stats only would provide the game with the REAL NFL best. Not the most popular. Then the game would be worth something.
May 6th, 2020 at 11:33 pm
Lavonte should be a 4x pro bowler at least right now. If he doesn’t make it this year (especially if our defense continues to improve) then he is the most pro bowl shafted player in NFL history.
May 6th, 2020 at 11:53 pm
Levonte , in the mind of Tampa Bay fans
you are a great player and a great addition. People I know from Nebraska still love you and miss you.
May 7th, 2020 at 2:02 am
David has been a top 3 linebacker almost every year he’s played. Others have had good seasons too but he easily Would have made 3 to 5 pro bowl’s if he was on one of the big televised teams year after year