The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have a lot going on in NFL free agency, with quarterback Baker Mayfield and wide receiver Mike Evans highlighting the list of players unsigned for 2024. On the defensive side of the ball, linebacker Lavonte David is the biggest-name free agent, and running back Rachaad White wants him back next season.
“We want u back big bruh huge piece to next season,” White wrote, along with 100 and heart emojis, while retweeting a Lavonte David interview from Good Morning Football.
We want u back big bruh huge piece to next season 💯❤️ https://t.co/pDjBetHVdu
— Rachaad White 1️⃣ (@Chaad_1) February 29, 2024
David is a 12-year NFL vet with 181 games under his belt. He just turned 34 in late January, but the Buccaneers defender still has some tread on his tires. In 2023, he had 134 tackles — a number he hasn’t reached since his Pro Bowl season of 2015, to go along with 4.5 sacks, the third-highest total of his career.
While David is still a good player, even at his advanced age, the Buccaneers bringing him back is not all about talent. It is also about money.
The Buccaneers are in decent shape salary cap-wise heading into free agency. With $43.9 million in space, they have the 11th-most room in the NFL as the calendar turns to March. However, with Mayfield, Evans, Devin White, and Antoine Winfield Jr. all unrestricted free agents, that cap room will vanish fast.
Rachaad White may want David back for next season, but unless the LB is willing to give the team a hometown discount, he may be finishing his career elsewhere.
