3 Tampa Bay Buccaneers who won’t be back and the best replacement options
By Josh Wilson
Buccaneers who are done in Tampa Bay after Cowboys loss: Lavonte David
This one will sting, but Lavonte David, who has spent the entirety of his career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, could very well be moving on. David, who has surprisingly made just one Pro Bowl and All-Pro first team, is about to turn 33 and it makes sense that at this stage in his career, he’s ready to ring chase if he doesn’t simply retire.
For the record, based on his performance this season, he shouldn’t retire.
All-time in Bucs’ franchise history, David is first in tackles for losses, first in forced fumbles, third in solo tackles, and 10th in sacks. Though he hasn’t had the All-Star notoriety to go along with it, he has been very consistent for the Bucs for a decade now.
David himself has admitted he’s wondering if this is it for him in Tampa:
Lavonte David says “of course” he thought about if this could be his final game with the Bucs tonight. Said he wants to be back, has been here longer than any player on this team.
— Greg Auman (@gregauman) January 17, 2023
Though his career is closer to the end than the beginning, he still racked up over 120 tackles this season and was graded 84.1 by Pro Football Focus.
Spotrac estimates he’ll be good for about $10 million on a one-year deal this offseason in free agency. If the Bucs are positioning to a rebuild, that might not be money they’re willing to spend even on a long-time Tampa name.
David ranked in the top 15 on our list of 30 best free agents this offseason, so look for him to have several suitors.
BEST OPTIONS TO REPLACE LAVONTE DAVID
- Internal roster: K.J. Britt
- Free agency: Roquan Smith
- Draft: Trenton Simpson