It’s been a difficult offseason for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. While they’ve been able to add some impact free agents and improve the roster in some areas, they lost their two longest-tenured players in Mike Evans and Lavonte David.
Both were staples in the locker room with David being a 12-time team captain and Evans being a nine-time team captain. Their absence will be a lot to overcome as Tampa Bay enters a new era, and head coach Todd Bowles knows it.
“We lost two legends, obviously. Mike Evans and Lavonte David,” said Bowles in an interview with SiriusXM NFL Radio.
“We will miss Mike, believe me. He was a presence on the field and off the field for what he brought to the table.”
As difficult as losing Evans is for the organization from a sentimental standpoint, Bowles remains confident that the offense has the pieces to be successful in 2026. He mentioned the team’s first-round investment in Emeka Egbuka last offseason along with the returns of a healthy Chris Godwin Jr. and Jalen McMillan, which rounds out a strong starting receiver trio.
“Lavonte, from a personal standpoint, that one was tough for me because he was my signal caller for the last seven years and he was the guy that everybody looked to to get ‘em going. On and off the field, he presented himself the right way, he practiced the right way. He was one of those guys, once in a lifetime guys that you literally can’t replace.”
Based on how he spoke about the two players, Bowles appears to be more impacted by the loss of David than the loss of Evans. That makes sense, considering as a defensive coach he worked more closely with David, while also taking into account the Bucs’ strong remaining depth at wide receiver compared to their remaining need at inside linebacker.
Bowles described free agent signing Alex Anzalone as a very good linebacker and a leader. Anzalone will step into David’s role as the defensive signal caller, so he’ll have big shoes to fill, and the Buccaneers are expecting big things from the veteran in his first season in Tampa Bay.
Replacing talent and production is one thing, but replacing franchise legends like Evans and David is another. The Buccaneers took a major blow in losing two players that delivered elite results for over a decade, and they'll need new leaders to emerge and lead the franchise into this new era.