Lavonte David, LB
In most cases, bargain players are often those who have exceeded expectations amid their cheap rookie contracts. Similarly, David's play has clearly outweighed the financial deals of his contract, even at 34 years old.
David, who just finished his 14th season as a Buc, has continued to be the centerpiece of Tampa Bay's defense. In 15 starts, David recorded 134 tackles, 17 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, five pass breakups, and five quarterback hits. In addition, David posted a 6.8% missed tackle rate, the lowest mark of his career, and a career-high four quarterback pressures.
That comes just one season removed after David posted 124 tackles, ten tackles for loss, 3.0 sacks, and five pass breakups in 17 starts in 2022. It's worth noting that David earned an 84.1 grade from PFF, the highest of any Buccaneer that year, along with a phenomenal 88.5 coverage grade, a 73.5 run defense grade, and a 72.4 pass rush grade.
While David has continued to play at a high level for several seasons, his contract does not reflect the same. After the 2022 season, David signed a one-year, $4.5 million contract to return to Tampa Bay in 2023. This past offseason, David and the Bucs agreed on a one-year, $8.5 million deal, both of which are significantly cheaper than the two-year $25 million, and the five-year, $50.2 million deals he signed earlier in his career.
Of course, age, availability, and supply and demand play a major role in that. Still, David is only the 14th highest-paid linebacker in the league, behind several linebackers who underperformed in 2023.
Player | Team | PFF Grade | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
Tremaine Edmunds | Bears | 56.6 | $18M |
Mat Milano | Bills | 70.9 | $14.1M |
Azees Al-Shaair | Texans | 64.7 | $11.3M |
Zaire Franklin | Colts | 60.9 | $10.4M |
Logan Wilson | Bengals | 63.6 | $9M |
Lavonte David | Buccaneers | 73.4 | $8.5M |
For David to still take a pay cut even after outperforming the likes of Edmunds, Milano, and Al-Shaair, the third, fourth, and sixth-highest-paid linebackers in the league, speaks volumes to how much of a bargain signing he was for Tampa Bay.
Age and a sharp decline in play are legitimate concerns, but David still gives the Bucs more spending room in other areas of their roster.