Lavonte David Says 2026 Bucs Will Be “Animals”
July 9th, 2026
YaYa Diaby and rookie Rueben Bain (right).
Legendary retired Bucs linebacker Lavonte David was talking again.
This time it was on Kevin Clark’s podcast that posted yesterday via ESPN.
David took a break from his new Pilates focus to talk about his life and, more important, the 2026 Buccaneers. No. 54 is fired up.
“They are going to be some animals, man,” David said of the Bucs. “I knew Reuben Bain already; I reached out to him after he got drafted. And he told me, ‘Man, I wish you just waited one more year.” And in my mind I was like, ‘Maybe I should have.’ But, you know, the deal is done already. … I told him. I’m definitely going to be there to be supporting him and stuff like that.
“And I definitely have high hopes for those guys. The roster, I can speak on the roster. The roster is amazing. Everything is set up. You know, offensively, even though we lost Mike [Evans], but they still have some young guys. The offensive line is back healthy, Baker is healthy, you got Bucky [Irving] back healthy.”
David went on to note various Bucs offseason signings and returning players. “The roster is set up beautifully,” he said, adding he expects a great Tampa Bay season and significant impact from Bain.
July 9th, 2026 at 4:24 pm
He can unretire is that easy
July 9th, 2026 at 4:42 pm
Bro, he was here for a LOT of bad defense, I am not even sure if he knows what a good defense looks like
July 9th, 2026 at 5:09 pm
Hopefully not the noah Spence type
July 9th, 2026 at 5:25 pm
“They are going to be some animals, man”
This from the same guy that loves Bowles and thinks he’s a great coach.
I guess LVD is a member of the Pom Pom squad now.
Floormatt and the bois will welcome him with open arms.
Just remember, nothing is Baker’s fault or Todd’s fault.
Injuries and assistants only are the culprit.
#Winning
July 9th, 2026 at 5:31 pm
Ty for the link. That was a fun interview and LaVonte sounded so upbeat. I’M glad he’s still around.
July 9th, 2026 at 5:36 pm
If he means running around looking like they’re lost in the forest on defense??
100% correct
Bowles is a circus clown. 🤡🤡🤡
July 9th, 2026 at 5:41 pm
Does that mean they’ll be singing: “House of the Rising Sun?”
July 9th, 2026 at 5:43 pm
He had a great career, but Lavonte retired a year too late, not a year too soon.
If the Bucs had drafted Campbell or Schwesinger last year, keeping Lavonte around in 2025 as a mentor could have been a good thing, but that ship never sailed.
July 9th, 2026 at 5:44 pm
Steve V —
“(Evans) Missing 12 games in 2 seasons a fact! Temper tantrum on TV fact =DIVA!”
Me: Evans being a first ballot HOF’er is a FACT
The Bucs losing twice as many games as they won with Evans out of the lineup is a FACT.
The usage of a minute sample of negative truths in an attempt to override a larger, positive truth is a FACT, albeit a sorry one.
It’s also a FACT that Evans was one of the greatest Bucs to ever wear the uniform. Why would you attempt to sully his reputation?
Did he hurt your feelings by leaving?
Joe claims he has “secret information” regarding the “real” reason Mike hit the road. If we ever become privy to this set of FACTS, and Mike was the bad guy, perhaps these new FACTS will change my mind … a little.
For now, however, speculation is a wasted endeavor. And FACT, the Bucs were always a better team when he was in the lineup.
July 9th, 2026 at 5:45 pm
Sorry, the above was written for the article before this one.
July 9th, 2026 at 5:50 pm
I hope LD is right. However, what would you expect from him , the defense is terrible!!. In my humble opinion this defense will not be good at all until they replace the CB’s. I have been saying it for awhile, McColumn needs to be benched and Morrison needs a lot of developmnet and can’t stay healthy. The depth at LB is also pretty bad. They may be expecting to much from both Trotter and Bain especially early on. I don’t understand how Licht and Bowles can roll with the CB’s and and LB’s. Like I said the offense will need to score a ton of points because the defense is going to give up a ton. Yes even LD talked more about the offense than the defense. I still predict 7 wins tops. Sure hope I am wrong. However don’t be surprized when you see once again McColumn and Morrison chasing receivers from behind in a wide open backfield. Well then Morrison will first have to be on the field. Then again who backs him up?
July 9th, 2026 at 6:35 pm
Anybody with any sense could see the biggest weakness of the team was the defensive front 7. We addressed that with the draft and free agency. We also picked up a steal in round 4 with a new nickel. Walker returning from injury is like a bonus draft pick.
A healthy O-line and nobody on offense who HAS to receive a certain amount of looks scripted to maintain his stat line means Z-Rob has the freedom to game plan based on our strength and the opponents weaknesses and nothing else.
Hope LVD is a regular presence in the locker room… He’s a class act and a legend
July 9th, 2026 at 6:57 pm
A Koala is an animal.
July 9th, 2026 at 7:15 pm
LVD was done 2 years ago. He cost us with his performance-sorry to say.
July 9th, 2026 at 7:41 pm
Dereck Brooks retired a year too late as well.
LBs do that.
It’s easy to look back now, but those things are unpredictable. David did good the first 6 games.
July 9th, 2026 at 7:46 pm
For those saying the defense is bad…you don’t know that. It’s a new year. New players. Are they the right players? We’ll see.
Bowles has run good defenses in the past. He just hasn’t had the right players since signing Mayfield. Once that happened, it became all about building around him. Rightfully.
If you want a good replacement for Bowles next year, you better hope the defense improves.
July 9th, 2026 at 8:02 pm
Who’s the DC????
July 9th, 2026 at 8:41 pm
“ For those saying the defense is bad…you don’t know that.”
😵💫🙄🤡
July 9th, 2026 at 8:45 pm
A sloth is an animal too.
July 9th, 2026 at 8:46 pm
💩🚽🫏
July 9th, 2026 at 9:08 pm
Gonna feel weird not seeing 54 out there. Been a while
July 9th, 2026 at 9:40 pm
david is part of bucs history. enough david stories.
July 9th, 2026 at 9:51 pm
Yeah, yeah, we know, the players are “animals” and they are ready to go next season. I’ve been hearing this since 1989 with this team and the only times I believed it was during the Dungy, Gruden and Arians eras. Get a real HC and I’ll actually have faith in this franchise going deep into the playoffs.
July 9th, 2026 at 9:54 pm
🚨
LynchMob50 can clown all he wants, but I’ll take the opinion of a future Hall of famer who spent 13 years inside that building over anonymous doom-posting.
Lavonte David has seen the 2–14 teams, the Super Bowl roster, and everything in between. When he says, “This roster is set up beautifully” and calls them “animals,” that carries weight.
This isn’t blind optimism. The Bucs attacked their biggest weakness the front seven added Rueben Bain, got key defenders healthy, return a healthy offensive line, Baker, and Bucky Irving, and brought in Zac Robinson to unlock the offense.
I’ll trust the guy who actually lived it over the guy living in the comment section… especially one who sounds more like Cameron Jordan’s biggest fan than a Buccaneers fan.
🔥 LFG
💍 ME
☠️ Enough of the fake fans!!!
July 9th, 2026 at 10:08 pm
@JA
You just spent an entire post proving Mike Evans was a Hall of Famer… while completely ignoring the actual discussion. Nobody is debating Mike’s legacy. We’re debating whether the 2026 Buccaneers are a more complete football team. You and I both know that football isn’t won by nostalgia. It’s won by roster construction, depth, coaching, health, and player development.
The Eagles moved on from stars and won a Super Bowl. The Chiefs traded Tyreek Hill and won two more. Great organizations evolve instead of clinging to yesterday. The Bucs now have a healthy offensive line, Baker, Bucky Irving, Pistol 🔫 Zac calling plays, a rebuilt front seven, and far better overall depth. You argued against a point nobody made, then declared victory. That’s not analysis, that’s arguing with yourself.
🔥 LFG
July 9th, 2026 at 10:30 pm
MonsVenus. – I almost selected sloth. But, a sloth has a mean streak, it’s just so slow there’s no evidence of it. A cuddly koala only wants to eat sleep and pee. And be cuddled.
But yeah, sloth is a good one.
July 9th, 2026 at 10:32 pm
PS – the School of Pom Poms is turning out some serious brain sturgeons at an impressive rate. Congrats.
July 9th, 2026 at 11:00 pm
When the team does great this year (barring injuries) it will prove it’s the players, not the scheme and coaches. Talent does wonders for a football team.
July 9th, 2026 at 11:05 pm
^^^^^^^^^^
😆🤣🤪🤡🦦
July 9th, 2026 at 11:34 pm
Compared to last year, it’s only our hope that they rise up to the occasion.
July 10th, 2026 at 2:30 am
Soft fuzzy bunny rabbit 🐰 is an animal.
July 10th, 2026 at 9:09 am
Notice how the Floormatt always qualifies his lemming speak with “barring injuries”.
He’s building in excuses for his favorite loser HC\DC for the inevitable outcome in 2026.
Reading his mental midget insights always gives me a chuckle.
The captain of the Pom Pom squad never disappoints to go full retard.
🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
July 10th, 2026 at 9:17 am
Maybe a gerbil is the animal. They were popular in the 1980s.
July 10th, 2026 at 9:58 am
Hey Aquabong (3.28) – will you be happy if the Bucs have a good season with a deep playoff run or would you be happier being “right” that your team (I use that loosely) is bad so that you get a cookie?
Don’t be miserable just to prove you’re right.
July 10th, 2026 at 12:01 pm
LVD is the worst person to ask if you want an honest assessment. He thought the Bucs defense with GMAC was going to be lights out every year.