Gregg Rosenthal calls Lavonte David ‘one of the most underrated players of his generation’
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are looking to rewrite the script in 2020, going from the doldrums to the top of the NFL mountain. With Tom Brady now the man under center, the Bucs seem destined for a return to the postseason after more than a decade.
This year’s squad is full of talent on both sides of the ball, and the signing of Brady was perhaps the greatest free agent move in franchise history. But the Bucs will have a number of highly-sought after free agents of their own in 2021, and Gregg Rosenthal over at NFL.com listed three Tampa Bay players on his list of the top 25 free agents of 2021.
Coming in at No. 8 was linebacker and reigning sack king Shaquil Barrett.
Per Rosenthal:
“According to the Football Outsiders Almanac, Barrett had 18 QB hits and 55 hurries in addition to his league-leading sack total of 19.5 in 2019. If he comes anywhere close to those numbers again, he’s ranked too low here.”
Right behind Barrett at No. 11 was wide receiver Chris Godwin, who had a career year last season with 86 receptions for 1,333 yards and nine touchdowns.
“A new-school prototype who can line up anywhere on the field and make plays after the catch. Don’t be surprised if Godwin’s value goes up even further with Tom Brady throwing him the ball.”
And finally, at No. 23 was linebacker Lavonte David.
“One of the most underrated players of his generation, David continues to play at a high level with a true three-down skill set that is very hard to find in off-ball linebackers.”
David and Devin White could easily make up the best linebacker duo in the NFL today. With the Bucs appearing in five prime-time games this season, David will get the chance to showcase his game on the national stage.
