Bucs Want Lavonte David Back
March 6th, 2026
Waiting continues.
If it is up to Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht and Bucs coach Todd Bowles, they want to roll with a 36-year old inside linebacker.
Look, unlike some readers of this here site, Joe is OK if the Bucs bring back franchise legend Lavonte David. However, Joe’s first option would be to bring in the best inside linebackers they can find.
If the Bucs sign, for example, Quay Walker and draft C.J. Allen out of Georgia, Joe would have the three on a rotation and make sure David becomes Allen’s big brother.
Once the regular season begins, Joe would inform the three that the two best start but David will absolutely be in the rotation.
Why does Joe bring this up? Well, Jenna Laine of ESPN had a post-combine Bucs notebook. Previously, Joe reported the Bucs told David if he wants to come back, there will be a roster spot for him.
Well, per Laine, the Bucs are more aggressive with David than that. They aren’t just leaving a light on for him, they want him back.
A source told ESPN that Lavonte David, the team’s longest-tenured player, still has not decided whether he will return to play for a 15th season, but the Bucs made it clear to his representatives in Indianapolis that they want him back, and the ball is said to be in his court.
Again, whether David wants to come back or not, they have to prepare as if David will retire. It’s not fair to the rest of the team as free agency begins not to address inside linebacker.
If David ends up retiring and the Bucs get caught with their pants down, then what do you do at inside linebacker?
Joe thinks Licht and Bowles need to attack free agency next week as if David will retire. If he comes back, hey, that’s icing on the cake.
As Joe previously reported, David had arthroscopic knee surgery after the 2025 season and has been rehabbing at One Buc Palace.
March 6th, 2026 at 7:12 am
Depth is a wonderful thing. Not sure how far that dollar will go, but that’s not my job and not my money.
March 6th, 2026 at 7:22 am
Mike Evans and Lavonte David would love to come back to a Bucs team that is committed to getting a serious pass rush
March 6th, 2026 at 7:32 am
Time for LVD to retire. It was time last year, but he squeezed one more year out.
This is where the Bucs make mistakes and it snowballs. Bowles will tell JL that is LVD comes back and SVD gets better, than the really only need to either sign a low-end FA or draft a LBer in the middle rounds.
I believe in the past JL has listened to Bowles and I can only hope that he’s learned to leave the roster evaluation folks not named Bowles. They guy who told everyone that his deepest position going into the season was ILBer.
March 6th, 2026 at 7:34 am
TB & JL are perfect for each other. They don’t hold each other accountable, resist change and are incapable of adjusting on the fly, and both lack creativity. Really, they’re negotiating with a guy that needs to go part time?! Wtf, save money and move on.
Also, @Joe, I don’t really see the value in David as a mentor. He has had 15, FIFTEEN, years to bring a young guy up to speed as an heir apparent. Result, 0. Furthermore, as a team captain we have witnessed his collective defensive counterparts fold to end the season, regularly loaf, and subject us to an annual swoon. I sincerely doubt those would be issues under the glare of a Sapp, Ray Lewis, or Hardy Nickerson. David is a great player, but I think you overvalued his leadership qualities.
March 6th, 2026 at 7:36 am
We are going to suck so bad on D next year ….. this team is going to have to boat race every game To have a chance at a win .
March 6th, 2026 at 7:37 am
You either get better, or you get worse. David isn’t getting better, he’s getting worse. Father time. Maybe it’s fitting Bowles, and David go out together after this season.
March 6th, 2026 at 7:43 am
Love LVD but it’s time to move on.
He’s a great Beta but not the mentor we need.
March 6th, 2026 at 7:45 am
This doesn’t end well. If they bring in a Quay Walker-type as Joe suggests…will LD be ok making a fraction of that long term deal? I doubt it. Knees don’t improve with age…especially one’s that swell up worse than Barely Tryin’ Zyon’s bank account after an early extension.
March 6th, 2026 at 7:47 am
He looked like he was done last year. Best to move on if he proves to be below average again. Like Spike said “Do the right thing” . Turn the page.
March 6th, 2026 at 8:00 am
The LVD problem is when the Bucs/Licht publicly make a guy the standard for the kind of player you want on your team, he becomes a little more important than his play. And if his play dips, it hurts the team. I love LVD but he’s getting older and slower and he’s less effective. Football wise, he’s probably the smartest defensive player we have but he’s definitely lost a step. Can’t easily cut a fan favorite who is the template for “I am that man”.
Puts the Bucs in a bit of a pickle. Hope LVD does the right thing, and the right thing could be just taking a bit of a pay cut and playing halftime help coach up two newly acquired MLBs.
Retiring works as well but we better go find a decent veteran to take his place. Starting two new draftees at middle linebacker is pretty risky.
March 6th, 2026 at 8:19 am
Joe can you retire the ac/dc loving manager line. Dead horse
March 6th, 2026 at 8:19 am
I think we should ditch Lavonte AND Evans, give the Raiders all our draft picks for Crosby, and then pay Hendrickson. Defensive problems solved!
March 6th, 2026 at 8:31 am
Any more than a 1 year $5M deal is utterly ridiculous…
Maybe throw in a few incentives but LVD should only be a rotational back-up type player at this point.
March 6th, 2026 at 8:35 am
agreed. either david and draft two LBs, or david and another starting caliber vet+ a draft pick at LB. david is still quality in the rotation and quality mentorship for the rook.
March 6th, 2026 at 8:47 am
For about the same money we’ll give LD, we could sign Tremaine Edmunds (Bears just cut him)
March 6th, 2026 at 8:49 am
Doubtful that LVD will ever be a TV football announcer. Player/ coach is a good option as long as mostly coach.
March 6th, 2026 at 8:53 am
Simply put, David has to be rotational. That simple FACT MUST be understood by David and everyone else involved.
That FACT drives David’s $ down, which makes it easier to retain David. If David doesn’t like the $, he can retire.
The other FACT in this equation is that David is not a full-time player anymore. However, he still can bring TONS of value to the team, and, especially, young LBs.
So yes, sign an LB not named David in free agency. Draft another one. Get your third one either out of the bargain-barrel-bin or in the last round in the draft.
Side note–SVD is not horrible to have as your FOURTH linebacker, so long as he is not number 1 or 2… (or 3).
March 6th, 2026 at 9:00 am
5 mil isn’t awesome value for a rotational player either this sentimental crud drunk on their own supply seems like it will turn out fantastic this is the NFL not for long league learn to move on.
March 6th, 2026 at 9:01 am
Dude was playing on a bad knee all season and people wanna act like he got old overnight and lost several steps… He wasn’t healthy, people. There’s a difference between gutting it out and playing at 75% and being over-the-hill. David can still play and if his knee is healthy, there is no reason he shouldn’t be starting this season for us.
March 6th, 2026 at 9:03 am
This makes sense. The Bucs want to make sure they get that top 10 pick so they’re going to keep mediocre players and continue with the status quo. No big changes since they believe they’re “close” so they will make a few “adjustments” and thats it.
Keeping players that play terribly and hoping they turn it around because they played well years ago is a losing strategy.
March 6th, 2026 at 9:07 am
make him a linebackers coach. he’s done as a player.
March 6th, 2026 at 9:08 am
LVD got 10 mil, Edmunds gets 18. LVD is marginally worth 5 this year. I’m not sure if the Bears have to eat some of his salary this year.
March 6th, 2026 at 9:12 am
YOU GOTTA WANNA BE GREAT fellow Buc fans. Bringing back David is like me sayin, you want tea grandma? He has aged and is pretty slow. Its time for him to leave. Bowles will start him out of obligation. And we need somebody faster and a ball hawk at his position. I love Evans. But he is nearing the end. I would use that money elsewhere. You can’t live in the past. Thyis is why we will never be great. Its time to move forward and give both these guys their roses.
March 6th, 2026 at 9:57 am
If Bucs sign LVD , that pretty much tells you the state of the Bucs defense for next year. Old and slow!!!!
March 6th, 2026 at 10:04 am
Licht has done a terrible job at replacing aging vets.
March 6th, 2026 at 10:26 am
Joe can you retire the ac/dc loving manager line.
Can’t do it, Sally.
March 6th, 2026 at 11:12 am
This is why people call Licht a sub par GM.
What value does LVD have at this point?
None as evidenced by the putrid Bowles defense in 2025.
March 6th, 2026 at 11:12 am
I hope he stays, healthy, plays in a part time/player coach role. Go Bucs!
March 6th, 2026 at 11:21 am
Great! Would love to have David back in any capacity.
At the same time, you must be realistic about his age and health and plan as if he won’t be there, then if he is, it’s a huge bonus.
March 6th, 2026 at 11:38 am
He didn’t get old overnight he got old in 36 years of life bud time to move on.
March 6th, 2026 at 11:48 am
Will always love LaVonte, but not sure his presence makes that much difference anymore. It’s not like he’s making all the linebackers around him better through his teachings.
March 6th, 2026 at 12:52 pm
@Joe, Quay is excellent overall, but from the many GB games I’ve seen in my neck of the woods, he is a coverage liability. He reminds me of D White, kinda lost in space.
Edmunds needs to be Licht’s #1 target
March 6th, 2026 at 2:07 pm
of course they do….who else knows bowles not so complex defense
GO BUCS!!!!!
March 6th, 2026 at 2:18 pm
All these morons wishing him gone are the same idiots in March of 2004 saying Lynch was too old, and Sapp is overpaid. The dumbest of the dumb.
David single handedly beat the Super Bowl champs last year with his clutch interception, without him, the Bucs lose that game. David has a long history of making huge clutch plays. Yes, he was slowing down last year, apparently due to knee issues, but if he’s healthy, he’s going to be the best LB on the roster without question, even at his age. Of course you want him back if he’s good to go.
But, again, you plan as if he won’t be there. You still draft, or sign FA’s assuming he’s not going to be around – THEN if David is around, it’s a huge bonus.
March 6th, 2026 at 2:36 pm
If he comes back, better be cheap and they better still add two more players. No more than 5 milly if he wants to play.
March 6th, 2026 at 2:49 pm
Another reason why the defense will probably be terrible again this year. It’s the definition of insanity, expecting different results.
March 6th, 2026 at 2:53 pm
Rod Munch: You’re not exactly a rocket scientist yourself, there’s literally dozens of posts, if not hundreds, of you being completely wrong about something. Wasn’t it you that had the Bucs going 5-12 the year they were 10-7?
March 6th, 2026 at 2:55 pm
Rod Munch: Your “single handedly” posts really make you look like a clown. 🤡
March 6th, 2026 at 5:04 pm
Lavonte made the play of the game against the Seahawks and in the final game against Carolina he made a reaction fumble recovery and took the ball from Bryce Young that I think was the difference between winning and losing that game too. He said he has some football left in him. We need him another year to work in our new linebackers. His pros still are outweighing his cons.
March 6th, 2026 at 5:07 pm
Really though, just the eye test for Bryce Young tells me that an NFL linebacker oughta be able to beat Bryce Young to the football. Still a great play.
March 6th, 2026 at 5:40 pm
Kind of mixed on not whether or not we should bring him back, but just what would a reduced role or what David’s’ load management even look like.
Would it be the early down stuff, like that 4-3 look Bowles would show where he’d have Reddick an OLB, standing up with the 2 ILBs early down? Ready for the run, but one of these three may be coming if you and you don’t know who the MIKE is?
David would be great if we bring a few draftees and UDFAs, it’d be as close to having a player coach for those young guys that do come in. I guess that’d also come in handy even if the new addition were a FA also.
Idk, I’m aware of the reality of Lavontes’ age, but something about at least what I know of him as a football player going all the way to his time as a Husker, where I started watching for Suh and ended up saying “who the hell is #4?” every Saturday. I’m not really ready to count him all the way out yet.
Full time, no, but if he does stay I’d like to think he and Bowles can keep him involved enough while also letting the FA/Draftee(s)/Both mesh together as well.
March 6th, 2026 at 6:08 pm
New blood on defense, please.