The Athletic: Replace Lavonte David With Bobby Wagner
March 29th, 2026
Fallback option?
This may not be as crazy as it seems on face value.
Joe would lose a lot of money betting someone the Bucs would not draft an inside linebacker next month in the draft. It seems like the ultimate no-brainer that they will. But let’s say, on the first two days of the draft, the Bucs just don’t like the inside linebackers in their range when they are on the clock.
(Remember, it takes two to tango in trading back. If you can’t find a partner, you’re stuck where you’re at.).
If the Bucs don’t find that inside linebacker on the first two days of the draft — a dude drafted on the third day is projected backup depth. And there would the Bucs be interested in a Lavonte David clone?
Saad Yousuf of The Athletic believes the Bucs very much should be interested in free agent Bobby Wagner. While Yousuf admits Wagner’s skills aren’t what they used to be, he still has game.
Bobby Wagner with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers: The Bucs recently said goodbye to a franchise lifer, as linebacker Lavonte David announced his retirement this week after playing his entire 15-year career in Tampa Bay. The Bucs signed Alex Anzalone in free agency, but they can still do more to bolster the middle of their defense. Tampa Bay drafted David in the second round in 2012 with the No. 58 pick. Eleven picks before that, the Seattle Seahawks selected Wagner, who has turned in a likely Hall of Fame career. He’s not the player he was in his prime, but he’s shown to still have some juice.
Well, the Bucs also signed the Stinking Panthers’ leading tackler, linebacker Christian Rozeboom. So Joe isn’t sure how much more Team Glazer loot Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht wants to spend on the same position (inside linebacker). Signing Wagner would make three free agent inside linebackers signed.
That’s a lot tied up for two positions on defense.
But just from a football perspective, this wouldn’t be an awful idea. It gives the Bucs significant depth and one could put Wagner in a rotation with Alex Anzalone or Roseboom.
And of course, signing Wagner, 35, on top of Anzalone, 31, and Rozeboom, 29, would certainly lessen the odds that SirVocea Dennis gets on the field.
But yeah, this is a deep insider linebacker draft. Joe would rather Licht draft a guy than go damn near all thirtysomething crowd.
March 29th, 2026 at 8:08 am
something about lavonte out, and wagner, in just doesn’t sit right as a bucs fan…………..speaking for a friend 🙂
March 29th, 2026 at 8:09 am
and wagner in, ***
March 29th, 2026 at 8:31 am
We don’t need Wagner he’s washed.
March 29th, 2026 at 8:31 am
I thought this was a great idea 2 or 3 years ago…. Pairing David and Wagner together….
Now that Wagner is 36? No thanks.
Bucs need to use a high draft pick and bring in Allen or Rodriguez or Hill. This is a good class of ILBs and Licht needs to draft one early.
March 29th, 2026 at 8:38 am
Wagner had 4.5 sacks, 89 passer rating against, 170+ tackled, 4.8% missed tackle rate last year. David had 3.5 sacks, 120 pr against, and 114 tackles, 10%+ missed tackle rate. Who was washed? Advanced stats say Wagner was a much better player last year by far
March 29th, 2026 at 8:40 am
If the Bucs don’t want SVD on the field ever – why is he still on the team wasting a roster spot?
He was a 5th round pick – cut him and move on. Who would really care?
March 29th, 2026 at 8:50 am
I’m reading the Jags might have to cut Arik Armstead owing to cap issues, (DT) would LOVE to snag this guy
March 29th, 2026 at 8:59 am
Wagner is past his prime!
March 29th, 2026 at 9:05 am
No thanks I’d rather Get Younger an let them Play next to Anzalone who will be here at least the next 2 years an dude is the Best Coverage LB in the Game I want to put Jacob Rodriguez next to him I see JR being a Stud he does it all Run Pass he Creates Turnovers by punching out the ball or picking it off dude can be the Bucs next Lavonte
March 29th, 2026 at 9:07 am
Do any of you think the Bucs defense would look any better with Bobby Wagner in it? Putting 36 year old (soon to be) sprinkles on a turd is not going to make it taste any better.
March 29th, 2026 at 9:13 am
Think it is time to find the next LD.
Joe or anyone can you tell me how Bowles and Licht think McColumn and Morrison are good enough to start. They both were dismal last year and that is being nice. I would like to see them draft a real corner, move Parrish to the outside and sit both McColumn and Morrison until they prove otherwise. I just don’t get how they think these guys are going to magically turn around this year. Yes I get Morrison is new . However he appears to be a Dean clone injured all the time and plays poorly when on the field.
yes a little off subject. I am just trying to understand what I am missing.
March 29th, 2026 at 9:18 am
yeah i’m imagining “thor & boom” as opening day starters…
and rodriguez and svd as the 3rd and 4th respectively…
and as the season wears on, rodriguez steps in for roseboom at the starter, and roseboom as the 3rd…
and svd….well whatever…he’s the 4th i guess…or a nick jackson or me…yes me – i can be the 4th backer and svd can kick rocks
March 29th, 2026 at 9:19 am
Joe says “would certainly lessen the odds that Sirovcea Dennis gets on the field”. Kenton Smith says “we’re effed”.
March 29th, 2026 at 9:28 am
😂😂 pathetic if nfl journalists were gm’s the game would be trash. Somehow they forget to realize the Bobby Wagner’s of the game were once rookies too. You pass the torch in the draft and on day 1 or 2 their guy will be there unlike edge rushers
March 29th, 2026 at 9:36 am
Not only that Joe, remember Bobby Wagner is very close to Lavonte. They have followed each other’s career so the transition would be satisfying to both players. Who knows we might even see Coach Lavonte on the sideline giving game time insight. Priceless thinking.
March 29th, 2026 at 9:36 am
Would be good move. He showed last year he isn’t done yet and still has plenty left in the tank. And ppl really need to get off the sadiq train. Dude drops the ball way too much. Trade back or draft beast lineman. Get a lb and cb in 2nd or 3rd or CB in first if no beastly linemen are left then line help and lb and 2nd or 3rd. Best player available after that. I don’t care if sadiq if best player available at 15. I’m not taking a te who has drop issues at 15 in the first. That speed crap is overrated. Now if I can trade back to around 18-20 and get a Xtra 2nd round pick and sadiq is still sitting there ………then I take him and hope we can get his hands right. For some reason though I have a funny feeling about Culp this year. But otton is solid. Not great but solid and can still improve. Kieft is a solid blocker. Payne is solid backup and blocker and I think with new coordinator Culp might come alive. I’m not taking a te at 15 because he’s fast. Now if the Bucs know something I don’t and Sadiq’s drops were a fluke then go for it. But as of right now I see a bigger faster otton who drops it even more than otton.
March 29th, 2026 at 9:40 am
football1. I’m afraid you’re not missing anything. I hope our corners look better with a better pass rush and maybe better underneath help (linebackers) and over the top help (safeties). We really haven’t addressed corner at all, have we? Man alive, we have to shake out this defense. Defense Rules was saying a few months ago how many new faces we need on defense and I thought he was mistaken. But he was right. We’re gonna have a lot of guys starting on opening day that we haven’t seen playing for the Bucs before.
March 29th, 2026 at 9:45 am
Sign wagner and get 2 corners instead of drafting a lb high or doing something crazy like taking a overrated te at 15. Corner is our biggest weakness right now. This isn’t the year for a luxury pick in the first. Bucs te room is solid. Regardless of nonsense people say about them. Are they elite, not really. Are they at least middle of the pack, most definitely. Only way I’m going best player available at 15 is if there’s a top cb, a edge that slipped that shouldn’t of been there (and mesidor ain’t it) or if a beast of a lineman is sitting there (og/ot or dt). Otherwise I’m taking best cb.
March 29th, 2026 at 10:05 am
For me, I don’t see a deep playoff run by the Bucs in 2026. Licht doesn’t either since he didn’t make any big-impact FA pick ups. Picking up Wagner would help a deep run, but Licht doesn’t see it.
Signing Wagner might give the Bucs one year to allow this draft’s rookie ILB to develop. It delays the inevitable by a year or maybe half a season. I’m not sure Wagner would play much better than Roseboom while a rookie works into the lineup.
March 29th, 2026 at 10:23 am
Personally, I don’t think it’s a bad idea. Bobby hasn’t missed a game in 5 years, he plays all out every snap and would be a good mentor for the younger LBs. But I’m also not opposed to drafting 2 LBs in the draft and hope Licht is able to trade back in the first round to acquire additional picks.
March 29th, 2026 at 10:53 am
I think signing Wagner is a good idea:
1. A HOF guy has always got something left.
2. He’s probably a cheap signing.
3. Who knows what we get signing someone out of college (see JTS, Braswell, countless other BUC draft picks).
4 Anybody that could get Dennis off the field. Maybe trade Dennis for a box of new footballs.
5. Who would you rather see, Dennis or Wagner?
March 29th, 2026 at 11:04 am
Thank you Kenton Smith and yes I hope you are right and maybe so
March 29th, 2026 at 11:04 am
No, no, no!
This team always has a problem thinking letting go completely and building something new.
Evans and LVD leaving is a good start. Bringing in another very old LBer is another bandaid that will give delusional Bowles warm fuzzies about his LBer depth. And do nothing for the future of this team.
Draft a LBer like Hill or Rodriguez and maybe add a Kyle Louis in the 4th round. Then the Bucs finally have a core group of young LBers for the future and a guy like Anzalone with experience and Dennis for depth with experience
March 29th, 2026 at 11:22 am
Yeah, I would sign him to a one year deal. Even at 36 the guy is better than SVD.
March 29th, 2026 at 11:53 am
Not a bad idea. Especially when you know he can come in right away and play and start. And then groom somebody else draft wise to for next year and beyond.
March 29th, 2026 at 12:27 pm
Saad Yousuf of The Athletic doesn’t seem to have a clue how to build TEAMS. Bucs paid a healthy price to sign Alex Anzalone (age 32) to a 2-year contract ($17 mil … $8.5 mil/yr), an ILB with tons of experience. We also signed Christian Rozeboom (age 29) to an unspecified contract, an ILB with substantial starting experience. And oh ya, we’ve still got SVD (age 26) in the hopper (he’s got some starting experience too).
2026 is widely viewed as ‘The Year of the Linebacker’ by many. There are some GREAT prospects available this year. And at Pick #15, and our next pick at #46, we’re in a position to get 1 VERY GOOD ILB if we choose. Even at #46 we could get a starter-capable ILB this draft.
But to go with our 32-year-old experienced ILB and with our 29-year-old experienced ILB, Saad Yousuf of The Athletic recommends that we by-pass the draft and sign a 36-year-old MLB instead. And yes Joe, it is an awful idea. TEAM BUILDING doesn’t just look at the year you’re in as we all well know; it requires keeping an eye on the future. And we need to invest in that future TODAY, not wait until next year.