Lavonte David set to return to Buccaneers for a year: reports
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have agreed to terms on a one-year contract to bring back star linebacker Lavonte David, according to multiple reports.
NFL Network has the one-year deal worth $7 million for the 33-year-old.
With Tom Brady leaving Tampa Bay, the Bucs find themselves in a rebuilding situation after winning it three seasons ago. But that didn’t deter David from staying with the only team he’s ever known in the NFL.
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New Orleans Saints quarterback Jameis Winston sacked by Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Lavonte David during the first half of an NFL football game in New Orleans on Sunday, September 18, 2022. (AP Photo/Dill Butch)
David has been with the Bucs since 2012 when the team drafted him in the second round from Nebraska. The Miami native felt right at home with them as he quickly made his mark as a starting linebacker early on.
He started with 139 tackles, one interception and two sacks in his rookie season, starting all 16 games that year. Then he followed that up with three straight seasons of 145 or more tackles.
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David was a first-team All-Pro in 2013 after totaling 145 tackles, five interceptions, two forced fumbles and 10 passes defended. His speed and aggressiveness made it extremely difficult for opponents to miss him in the open field, and it’s a quality of his game that hasn’t diminished.
Last season with the Bucs, David had 124 tackles, three sacks, five passes defended and one forced fumble in 17 games. And during the team’s 2020 Super Bowl year, David was a second-team All-Pro with 117 tackles and three forced fumbles.
Lavonte David #54 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers reacts with teammates after recovering a fourth quarter fumble against the Los Angeles Rams during the NFC Divisional Playoff game at Raymond James Stadium on January 23, 2022 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
So the production is certainly still there and David remains the veteran leader of a linebacking corps that includes Shaq Barrett and Devin White.
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The Bucs also made their way to quarterback, signing former first overall pick Baker Mayfield to a one-year deal. He was unsuccessful with the Carolina Panthers in 2022 after being traded by the Cleveland Browns, then he was traded to the Los Angeles Rams in the second half of the season.
This is where Mayfield presented clutch play, and perhaps the Bucs hope to find more of that in the Sunshine State.
Lavonte David #54 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers reacts after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers recover a fumble during the fourth quarter against the Carolina Panthers at Raymond James Stadium on January 1, 2023 in Tampa, Florida. (Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)
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David played in 166 regular season games, starting in all of them, totaling 1,346 tackles, 29 sacks, 12 interceptions, 27 forced fumbles and 143 tackles for loss.
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