Lavonte David: More “Togetherness” This Season
July 14th, 2023
This was not the Tom Brady Effect that Joe expected.
When Brady was on the Tampa Bay roster, the power brokers at One Buc Palace all talked about how Brady’s impact would be lasting for years after he left town.
So how might that manifest this season, other than a large majority of national analysts not named Shaun King or Rick Spielman thinking the Bucs will decline significantly without Brady?
Responding today on SiriusXM NFL Radio to co-host Alex Marvez, iconic Bucs linebacker Lavonte David said the Bucs are a more unified group so far in 2023.
“I just feel like this year I already see a change of just, you know, having a more togetherness, more of a continuity of the football team where everybody is just sticking together and depending on one another to take this thing to another level,” David said when asked what’s different in Year 2 with Todd Bowles in the head coach seat.
“And obviously we’re already doubted, especially after losing Tom. So we already got a chip on our shoulder, and Bowles is the right guy to lead us to be able to go out there week in and week out and be properly prepared and play our butts off.”
Maybe the absence of Brady is the unifying force within the Bucs’ roster. Carlton Davis went there recently, and Rachaad White very gently hinted.
Joe has to say the “togetherness” take from David sure seemed odd considering Devin White asking to be traded.
When Brady left New England, there was plenty of chatter about how Bill Belicheat was a super genius and the Patriots would survive and thrive minus The Goat.
Bowles hasn’t been the beneficiary of that kind of respect, so maybe he’s found a way to fire up his team (and himself?) around the rampant and sometimes-ugly projections for this season.
July 14th, 2023 at 2:58 pm
Devin White is just an outlier here. Doesn’t make what David said odd either way. Adds intrigue, but not odd and of course DW45 has been a lone outlier all off-season anyways. The “togetherness” David references here is still 99% correct even with the outlier in 45. Devin is gonna do his own thing no matter anyways – as we’ve found out this bizarre off-season.
So don’t agree with that little blurb, but definitely picking up on everything else you referenced here in this post!
July 14th, 2023 at 3:11 pm
At the start of every season ,players are “together” because they are optimistic .. As season goes on and losses mount togetherness weakens -and just fall apart as the losses pile up
July 14th, 2023 at 3:18 pm
Every team has a “chip on their shoulder.” I like to keep track of the other teams in our division and every player talked about being doubted and motivated. Aints players were yapping about how they will take the division back. ATL is still upset about that awful roughing call. Panthers feel like they’re close after finishing second in the division. Oh, and the Packers’ players are hyping up Jordan Love just for extra measure from a team outside of their division. Let’s see what happens on the field. I’ve always felt that the defensive guys were closer to Bowles than the offensive guys. I think that’s a function of Bowles being the defensive play caller. I think he needs to give up play calling duties. Rex Ryan said that he regrets not giving up play calling duties during his tenure with the Jets and Bills.
July 14th, 2023 at 3:21 pm
Maybe they have the chip that winning the division without Tom Brady is a thing they really want to do to prove SO many wrong.
July 14th, 2023 at 3:44 pm
Doesn’t LVD have these hindsight pearls of wisdom every freaking year?
July 14th, 2023 at 4:02 pm
I would imagine with sleepy leftwich gone. Canales running up and down the field filled with ideas. Him and Bowles calling live plays against each other in practice. No divas, no goat off field news. Just a couple guys trying to earn it and showing up
July 14th, 2023 at 4:24 pm
Together or not. Todd Bowles has proven he’s not head coach material.
July 14th, 2023 at 4:34 pm
LVD . Is a hall of famer hands down!!!
July 14th, 2023 at 4:44 pm
What Cricket Baker said. That should be a great motivator for them.
July 14th, 2023 at 5:43 pm
Yeah and the Patriots had a great core of receivers. Not.
July 14th, 2023 at 5:45 pm
Fans don’t believe in Bowles luckily his players do.
July 14th, 2023 at 6:13 pm
The media made it all about Brady when it was the defense that terrorized the Saints, Packers, and Chiefs. Now many of the key pieces are still here still motivated and everyone is writing them off for dead. The leaders speaking this way should give the fans real hope.
Let them sleep
July 14th, 2023 at 7:05 pm
I have to wonder how much Tom Brady was a negative force for morale last season. Yeah, things were bad last season, but Tom didn’t hesitate to show his frustrations and take it out on other players (and tablets). Combined with half-practices that summer, the divorce, the skipping off to the wedding.
I have to wonder if these Bucs are talking about togetherness and sticking together in part because they don’t have all that weighing them down anymore.
July 14th, 2023 at 7:24 pm
That “Brady Effect” is some fantasy, we’ll all bear witness to.
July 14th, 2023 at 7:28 pm
Wait till the “Baker Effect” kicks in. That’s gonna be fun to watch.
July 14th, 2023 at 7:45 pm
LVD and Mikey are sure fire HOF’s! They were far and away the best part of the lost decade!
July 14th, 2023 at 8:50 pm
“Plays will be made”…
This is a proud team full of guys with playoff experience and I can totally see how being insulted daily could bring them closer together…They’re probably out to prove everyone wrong and I can’t wait to see it materialize…I wouldn’t be surprised at all to see the Bucs win the NFC South again this year without Brady…
July 14th, 2023 at 9:35 pm
The Brady effect is real. It’s just not what people thought it was going to be. Instead it’s everyone saying the team will suck and can’t win without Brady. That, however, can be a very powerful motivator for the entire team.
July 14th, 2023 at 9:56 pm
Why do we keep hearing about things like there’s more togetherness, it’s attitude, it’s a winning mentality… Etc. etc. etc.?
Where did it all go last year?!?!?!?
Was it because Brady was distracted. Because BA bailed?
Is it because Bowles is not good as a HC? Is it because BL was atrocious?
I don’t understand why no one of the media is asking these questions
July 14th, 2023 at 11:01 pm
@westernbucs. I see you conveniently left out the wild card game against Washington. The one where we made a third string QB look like Montana. The one where Brady threw for almost 400 yards and had 3 TDs, and would’ve had more if not for the drops. We wouldn’t have any made it past the WC without the offense. It doesn’t fit your narrative
July 14th, 2023 at 11:12 pm
Ive actually seen our draft pick Dennis up close..and He is A stud he can start… believe what you want I guarantee he has a Great preseason and could be third LB eye test don’t lie…like Thursday night football against The Ravens…with D.White… that was unacceptable 😞
July 14th, 2023 at 11:52 pm
With all the off field issues last year, TB12 was a shell of himself – of course there is more cohesion this year
But there is a lot less talent and Todd is still the HC….ugh
July 15th, 2023 at 12:54 am
Bowles is a little conservative for my taste as a coach but why do so many Bucs fans hate him with such intensity?
July 15th, 2023 at 4:25 am
Kumbaya … everybody together now… Kumbaya!
I gave up on the psyche of football teams after our first Superbowl win. Too hard to put a finger on what is really going on. Especially these days with coaches being more tight lipped than ever and saying only what won’t get them in trouble. Players get told to not talk about things as well. Add to that the media and their reluctance to stick to the facts….Yeah… I gave up. Lets play some football!
Go Bucs!
July 15th, 2023 at 5:00 am
Brady went through a divorce.
Divorce is like death.
As Arians said “That wasn’t Tom Brady out there.”
July 15th, 2023 at 8:25 am
Togetherness = Coach likes us we go bowling
Remember Raheem had togetherness too
Red Flag
July 15th, 2023 at 8:50 am
Perhaps Devin White is not the type of togetherness team player needed? At this point trade him and slot someone else in. Can’t afford him next year.
He thinks he is worth 20 mil? Rather have Winfield next year. No need for Whites antics, he is just not that good.
July 15th, 2023 at 1:18 pm
Bucfan13 idk why you’re so triggered here. Washington only put up 23 points in that game and we were missing Devin White.
My “narrative” is that this defense can be pretty dang good and there’s no reason we shouldn’t compete for the NFC South title this year, with or without Brady
July 15th, 2023 at 7:42 pm
All we gotta do is stay healthy and more importantly give the QB time to throw and gg we winning 10 games.