Cincinnati Bengals should consider Lavonte David in free agency
By Larry Horn
Lavonte David of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is one of the most underrated linebackers for many seasons. Why hasn’t he been noticed till now? It is because Tampa Bay hasn’t been playing for anything until now. Even the casual fan can’t understand how great he is. David would be a perfect run stopper for the Bengals.
What makes Lavonte David special?
David, who was a second-round draft pick for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2012, is about to turn 30 years old. David has played for Tampa Bay his entire career and only knows one thing, he hits hard and never misses his gap assignments. David is exactly what a dominant linebacker should be.
David’s career is all about stopping the run and has been a pretty solid cover linebacker. David has compiled 1,125 tackles, 24 sacks, 12 interceptions, forced 24 fumbles, recovered 16, has 51 pass breakups and returned three interceptions for touchdowns in nine NFL seasons. David has done it all very quietly.
The 2015 season was the only Pro-Bowl appearance David made. David was named first-team all-pro in 2013 and second-team all-pro in 2016 and 2020.
Lavonte David so underrated , dude can do absolutely everything
— Jay March (@JayMarch) January 18, 2021
What can Lavonte David do for the Bengals?
David has been a part of the top-ranked defense against the run for the past two seasons. The Bengals need a veteran at linebacker to fill the gaps on run plays. This will be very important since the Bengals play in a run-heavy division.
Having David will also help if the Bengals change to a 3-4 defense. A 3-4 defense makes it easier for linebackers to read their gap assignments well. David is a born leader in the 3-4 defense and will help out a very young Bengals linebacker core for the next several seasons.
How much is Lavonte David worth?
David has just finished a five-year extension with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It was worth just over 50 million dollars. His market value is worth 13.1 million a season. As Cincinnati frees up more cap space this can happen. He is worth a three-year investment of about 40 million dollars a season.
Next. PFF names NE OG Joe Thuney as Bengals top free agent to pursue. dark
This is the Cincinnati Bengals time to solve their offensive line issues. The Bengals have other needs in addition to having a defense that can stop the run. The Bengals signing David to become one of their starting linebackers is our man.