Lavonte David may be aging but he has shown no signs of slowing down. A return to the Pro Bowl may be on the horizon for 2020.
Lavonte David has been one of the best linebackers in the NFL since he came into the league in 2012. Very few players possess his prowess against the run, rushing the passer, and in pass defense.
As great as Lavonte David has been, he has often been overshadowed in Pro Bowl voting and other individual honors. Some believe that this is due to Tampa Bay being a smaller-market team but it is also true that David does have some stiff competition.
While this past season’s horrific Second-team All-Pro snub to T.J. Watt will be saved for another day, Lavonte David has been left out of the Pro Bowl mostly due to two other players.
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There have been very few perennial locks for the Pro Bowl that have been more consistent than Bobby Wagner and Luke Kuechly. Kuechly and Wagner have been automatic locks for the Pro Bowl for the NFC since 2014 and have accounted for nine total All-Pro sections during that same time.
It almost becomes a habit in these popularity contests that the big names only grow bigger while players that deserve a chance at receiving due recognition are forgotten despite the fact that players like Wagner and Kuechly do deserve the recognition that they receive.
Half of the duo that is the Wagner-Kuechly dynasty has collapsed as Luke Kuechly has shockingly retired, leaving a spot open for an inside linebacker in the NFC Pro Bowl voting.
Lavonte David certainly stands out as one of those with the most to gain from this as he performs at an extremely high level and could quickly see a surge in Pro Bowl support.
The Buccaneer defense has seemingly turned the corner on their down years defensively this past season under Todd Bowles and Lavonte David was starting to receive recognition as a big part of their defensive successes towards the end of the season.
Lavonte David is a player that fully deserves all of the personal accolades as he has shown support and loyalty to an organization that has been stuck in a rut for his entire time on the team. David could have left several times in free agency but has remained loyal and continued to perform at a very high level.
At the current rate that things are going with Luke Kuechly out for the 2020 season, Lavonte David is well on his way back to his first Pro Bowl since 2015 on what could be the best Buccaneer defense of the decade.