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Buccaneers LB Lavonte David wants to get back to old self

Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Lavonte David (54) during an NFL game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia on Sunday, Nov. 22, 2015. (AP Photo/Brad Penner)

Buccaneers’ weakside linebacker Lavonte David spoke to reporters Monday, saying he wants to “be able to get better and get back to my old self.”

  • David struggled in year one of defensive coordinator Mike Smith’s scheme, but with a year under his belt, is poised to bounce back now that he has a better understanding of Smith’s defense.
  • The insertion of Smith’s new scheme resulted in David posting his lowest career tackle total of just 83 combined tackles in 2016. Compared to his first four seasons, this a drop of nearly 50 combined tackles, as he averaged 132.5 tackles from 2012–2015
  • Getting back to his old self would be a huge plus for the Bucs, as David's overall grades through his first three seasons earned an average of 87.8, whereas he graded out at 77.6 in 2016.

Lavonte David

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