Lavonte David References Bucs Adjustment Challenges, Praises Todd Bowles
February 16th, 2026
What went wrong with the Bucs last season?
Tampa Bay nosedived from 6-2 to 7-9 before winning the season finale.
Lavonte David still can’t figure it out completely, so he explained on a post-Super Bowl edition of the Caps Off podcast.
“At some point in that time we kind of like lost focus [during the second half of the season], lost track of what we were trying to accomplish. But it is what it is,” David offered.
“Maybe we just didn’t adjust, you know, throughout the season. And sometimes you get so comfortable with certain people being out there on the field and being able to call things a certain way, and then sometimes you end up getting stagnant and getting predictable in certain ways, where you don’t have certain guys available to do these things. So, like I said, I can’t really point my finger at exactly what [our losing slide] was.”‘
David went on to say the team never wavered internally and Todd Bowles was a big part of that.
“We felt like we could beat anybody we played against. … We never lost our confidence,” David said. “That’s a testament to Coach Bowles, too. You know, he was always positive. He’s never up and down. So he definitely was like even-keeled the whole time, just like, ‘Man, we gotta find a way. Leaders gotta lead, players gotta be able to step up more than usual.'”
The Bucs played a lot of young players last season, and many were thrust into key roles, David noted. He speculated that could be one small part of the season’s struggles.
February 16th, 2026 at 3:18 pm
Wow. LVD is on a speaking tour. Dude won’t stop giving interviews and JBF won’t stop hanging on his every word. Good, not great player more in the mold of Gerald McCoy. David was the captain of some horrible defenses. I hope he retires and doesn’t hold up a precious roster spot.
February 16th, 2026 at 3:23 pm
It is Time for him to retire. He is not a 3 Down LB anymore. We love you but like Bob Seger once sang, “Turn the page.”
February 16th, 2026 at 3:23 pm
Move on LVD while there is not much tarnish.
February 16th, 2026 at 3:25 pm
No doubt that LVD and his defense comrades are comfortable with Todd B. He allows them to get away with sloppy tackling, indifference to pass coverage, and constant confusion. Shocking that team ownership unwilling to make changes with the HC/DC. Even more shocking that ownership extended Bowles at the end of 2025. If words alone would win football games, LVD and Bowles would be undefeated.
February 16th, 2026 at 3:26 pm
Since no one could figure anything out and they became predictable on defense
I blame Baker.
February 16th, 2026 at 3:34 pm
With all due respect to one of the greatest Bucs of all time…..
What a mouthful of baloney.
Mom always said, if you can’t tell the truth in all its glory, keep your mouth shut.
February 16th, 2026 at 3:44 pm
KJ Britt was a 5th round pick.
SVD was a 5th round pick.
They are what they are.
Special teams backup LBs.
But we need some studs at MLB to make this defense.
And I want to see Tykes Smith and Winfield playing closer to the box.
We need their help as moneybackers in this defense.
February 16th, 2026 at 3:48 pm
Good player BUT this brings into question his football prowess!
February 16th, 2026 at 3:49 pm
So glad everyone else was to blame except Todd. And now the Bucs have added a second Todd, fired everyone else and are marching forward. Since the coaches had done all they could do last season, we should anticipate the same effort out of the new coaches. Success breeds success.
February 16th, 2026 at 3:51 pm
Whatevs
lol and people actually do blame Baker
Kind of comical .
Yeah it’s Bakers fault the defense couldn’t get on the same page.
February 16th, 2026 at 3:57 pm
Love you but
It’s time…
February 16th, 2026 at 4:17 pm
LVD, Dennis, Hall, Braswell, Reddick, Zyon and Winfield all need to be wearing different uniforms next year.
February 16th, 2026 at 4:23 pm
lazycoach lazy players
February 16th, 2026 at 4:27 pm
Pelsbuc61 Says:
February 16th, 2026 at 4:17 pm
LVD, Dennis, Hall, Braswell, Reddick, Zyon and Winfield all need to be wearing different uniforms next year.
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Agree. Better move AWJr before the rest of the league figures out he is a dud. The rest of these guys would not start for another NFL defense. They have as much value as Joe Tryon-Stinka who it turns out had NONE.
February 16th, 2026 at 4:44 pm
“What went wrong with the Bucs last season?” Uhhhh, the guy in the picture wearing the red hat?
February 16th, 2026 at 4:48 pm
Didn’t Joe write how David was overheard reading the riot act to his teammates after a game in the locker room ? Didn’t Joe say David said something about some players having gotten their “bag”?
It sounds to me like David wants some more Glazer money and is saying what he feels he needs to say for another 1 year contract.
February 16th, 2026 at 4:54 pm
“Good not great player in the mold of Gerald McCoy”. Huh?
February 16th, 2026 at 4:55 pm
#99 the big fella Says:
Whatevs
lol and people actually do blame Baker
Kind of comical .
Yeah it’s Bakers fault the defense couldn’t get on the same page.
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I hold him responsible for climate change as well!
February 16th, 2026 at 5:17 pm
Dolphins just released Tyreek, Chubb, and Guard James Daniels. Daniels should be very high on Bucs radar to finally add some depth and solidarity to this Oline that sorely needs it.
February 16th, 2026 at 5:22 pm
If they really drained a half gallon of fluid from his knee last year and it’s fully healed now he could gain a couple steps back. There’s no way to know without watching him play. Could be a disaster or a great turnaround. I say he’s earned a chance with a reasonable salary, but we damned well better draft some ILB’s in this draft and fairly early. LB is supposedly the strongest position in this draft and we are in a situation to take advantage of that!
February 16th, 2026 at 5:23 pm
James Daniels is a stud and the Bucs *should* snap him up immediately!
February 16th, 2026 at 5:33 pm
Players doing coach speak is kinda weird. Whatever David is saying isn’t adding up whenever I looked at the sidelines as the defense was getting railed they looks like a deflated tire don’t know where this never wavering attitude was but it sure wasn’t on this team.