Mark Dominik: Lavonte David Won’t Get $10 Million In Free Agency
February 26th, 2023
Lavonte David
There is zero Bucs hate in fired former Tampa Bay general manager Mark Dominik, and the rock star GM certainly adores the greatest draft pick from his five years running the Bucs.
That man is Lavonte David, the iconic Bucs linebacker drafted in Round 2 of the 2012 NFL Draft.
Dominik is a SiriusXM NFL Radio analyst these days and he was talking about the free agent market for linebackers on Friday. The chatter was around David’s draftmate, eight-time Pro Bowl linebacker Bobby Wagner.
Wagner, 32, was just released by the Rams after a monster season in 2022. The Rams are no longer contenders and Wagner earned $10 million last season and was due to make more going forward — a classic salary cap casualty.
Dominik said age will work against Wagner in free agency and he’ll have to really fight to earn $10 million again this season. Dominik compared Wagner to David, a free agent next month, and Dominik was adamant David will not command a $10 million salary again. He earned $12.5 million in each of the past two seasons. So David is looking at a significant pay cut, if you believe Dominik. And Joe does.
What’s interesting about David is that Bucs accounting maneuvers have him counting nearly $7 million against their 2023 cap. So the Bucs could re-sign David and probably save cap room this season by kicking money down the road.
Could David be had for $15 million over two years? If so, Joe imagines Todd Bowles would be pounding a drum in Jason Licht’s ear to make that happen.
February 26th, 2023 at 9:13 pm
Lavonte staying a Buc for $15 mil over 2 years sounds perfect. Draft an ILB in 2024 to replace White (assuming he really believes that he’s worth $20 mil a year), then draft another ILB in 2025 to replace LVD and we’ll be in good shape for years to come.
February 26th, 2023 at 9:35 pm
Agree. Trade White for a 2nd and 3rd rd draft pick. He isn’t worth the money and isn’t the player the Bucs hoped. Use one of those picks on his replacement. LVD can help get him up to speed. Win-win.
February 26th, 2023 at 10:14 pm
Even at 33, LVD is still one of the best inside LBs in the game. If we can find a way to afford him, I’m fully on board with keeping him and hoping that he still has legs when we are truly competitive again in 2025.
February 27th, 2023 at 12:33 am
The fact that Dumbazznik said this makes it a certainty that some team will offer LVD $15 million a year. Mr 28-52 paid Clayhands $25 million to block, traded premium draft capital for an injured Darrell Revis, who was about to be cut, and way more that no one could make up. Unloading Michael Bennett, LeGarrette Blount, and more. I can’t stand listening to him, when he comes on NFL radio I turn to a random AM radio frequency and listen to static. There’s more insight there.
He is the ultimate boob accountable for the lost decade, so anyone listening to him should follow the exact opposite advice.
Maroon.
February 27th, 2023 at 7:04 am
28-52 is damning. I won’t argue with GF’s take.
February 27th, 2023 at 7:04 am
Wagner I believe graded out as the best ILB still. I say sign them both if you can find a trade partner for White. While I think White has been good I don’t think he has been good enough to set the LB market for his new contract after the 2023 season.
February 27th, 2023 at 7:11 am
Dimwit Dumbinic
February 27th, 2023 at 7:15 am
I’ll never forget him overpaying cb eric wright by millions….
February 27th, 2023 at 7:38 am
White has to move to OLB and be moved around like Parsons. Re-sign LVD and draft a middle linebacker in a mid round.
February 27th, 2023 at 9:30 am
Interesting take, USF. Sign both, dump White.
Kinda puts the LB corp in a bind in a year or two, however.
February 27th, 2023 at 9:35 am
Ya cuz teams are going to line up for a out of position can’t cover ilb I’m talking white
February 27th, 2023 at 9:35 am
David is the most important player on our defense and also should be a buc for life. find a way to keep him
February 27th, 2023 at 9:44 am
A few million here, a few million there, a few million kicked down the road to another cap year! Who handles all this stuff? Is it the same people who handle our national debt??
February 27th, 2023 at 1:41 pm
I hope LVD stays and makes sense what Dominik said….why do we dump on every previous GM? I can see one day after Licht is fired, people will never mention anything he did right, like you know just the SUPER BOWL, it will be he had a worst GM record than the Rock Star in his first five years…
So many of you are wimps behind a keyboard
February 27th, 2023 at 7:36 pm
@Cobra it does but then there isn’t pressure to draft an immediate replacement for both this year. I would still draft another LB but for the next year or two we would have the best starting ILB duo in the NFL.