The Tampa Bay Buccaneers re-signed long-time linebacker Lavonte David this offseason, and general manager Jason Licht thinks David still has plenty left in the tank.
“Lavonte continues to stand the test of time and play at an exceptionally high level year after year, so it was never a question that we wanted to bring him back as the heart and soul of our team,” Licht said, via Rick Stroud of The Tampa Bay Times. “The example he sets and the leadership he brings have been vital to our success as a team. It is extremely rare to have a player producing at such a high level for going on 13 years now, but Lavonte plays with a passion and a love of the game that shows no signs of slowing down.”
There were some questions as to whether or not David would retire after this past season, and if the Buccaneers didn’t bring him back, he may have.
But, Tampa Bay opted to give it another go with the veteran.
David is coming off of a 2023 campaign in which he played 15 games and still managed to rack up 134 tackles, 4.5 sacks, a forced fumble and five passes defended.
The 34-year-old, who played his collegiate football at the University of Nebraska, was selected by the Bucs in the second round of the 2012 NFL Draft.
David burst on to the scene with 139 tackles, a couple of sacks and an interception during his rookie year, and the following season, he earned a First-Team All-Pro selection after rattling off 145 tackles, seven sacks, five picks, a pair of forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and 10 passes defended.
Somehow, David did not make the Pro Bowl that season, but he did make his first and only trip to the Pro Bowl in 2015 after finishing with 147 stops, three sacks, three interceptions, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, 13 passes defended and a defensive touchdown.
The Miami native has logged less than 100 tackles in a season just twice, and he has also added a couple of Second-Team All-Pro nods to his resume.
We’ll see if Lavonte David is still just as effective in his 14th season in 2024.
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