PFF Ranks Buccaneers Linebacker Corps Outside Top 20 in 2024

The Bucs have a bit of an unknown at the position heading into the season.

River Wells | Jun 30, 2024

Jan 15, 2024; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Lavonte David (54) carries the ball during warm ups before a 2024 NFC wild card game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports / Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports

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Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have had a solid linebacker corps for years now, partially due to the presence of Buccaneers legend Lavonte David. But with the departure of another player this offseason, the unit faces a big unknown.

The Bucs are likely to run linebacker K.J. Britt alongside David this offseason after the departure of linebacker Devin White to the Philadelphia Eagles. That leaves a big unknown in the unit, and Pro Football Focus agrees, having ranked the Buccaneers' linebacker room No. 23 in their latest linebacker corps rankings league wide.

Here's what writer Gordon McGuinness had to say about David and Britt:

"Lavonte David's play finally started to decline in 2023, with the 34-year-old having his lowest-graded season in coverage since 2015. While he’ll still be good enough, he might not be the difference-maker he once was.

K.J. Britt is relatively untested, having played just 328 career snaps, though he did earn a 72.0 PFF run-defense grade in his third NFL season."

It is true that Britt is untested, but he won the favor of Todd Bowles last season while replacing Devin White and could be a strong player for the team. If that doesn't work out, the Bucs also have SirVocea Dennis out of Pitt, who will be entering his second year as an NFL player and could also fill that role if needed.

David may have lost a little bit of a step, but he remains one of the team's best players and still performed very well last year for the 2023 season. Provided he doesn't get injured, David is likely still one of the better coverage linebackers in the league, much less for the system Bowles runs.

We'll just have to wait and see how Tampa Bay's linebacking corps looks in action (as with anything), but both David and Britt should be highly motivated heading into next season.

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Published Jun 28, 2024|Modified Jun 30, 2024

RIVER WELLS

River Wells is a sports journalist from St. Petersburg, Florida, who has covered the Tampa Bay Buccaneers since 2023. He graduated with a journalism degree from the University of Florida in 2021. You can follow him on Twitter @riverhwells.