The Tampa Bay Buccaneers entered the 2023 NFL offseason with several unanswered questions. Will Tom Brady return? Who will fill the vacancy left by fired offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich? How will the team navigate the salary cap? And finally, which pending free agents will the Pewter Pirates be able to retain?
At the top of the list of pending free agents for the Bucs is linebacker Lavonte David. The 11-year veteran has been a mainstay on the Buccaneers’ defense since being drafted. One of the most productive players for the team, David is deserving of a new deal.
The 33-year-old linebacker was recently on Tampa’s WDAE radio station where he stated contract talks have yet to begin. But, he expects that to change sooner than later.
David recently talked with Pewter Report’s Bailey Adams and discussed his status with the Buccaneers.
“Obviously, I would love to be back in Tampa. I played 11 years there. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. But I’m not naïve to the business side of football. So, I’m definitely grateful for whatever happens after.”
David had one of the largest cap hits in the league for defenders at $14.79 million. The team obviously want to lower that number and keep David paired with Devin White.
This wouldn’t be a “re-sign him” sentimental type thing either. David posted over 100 tackles and three sacks in 2022. Hardly a drop off, more like the norm for David.
Money is always an issue with these things. And the Buccaneers definitely have some money issues being roughly $55 million over the salary cap. But David is THAT guy, he is the heartbeat of the defense and a leader in the locker room. The Bucs have several tough decisions ahead, this shouldn’t be one of them.
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