Why This Buccaneers Player Could Be the Right Replacement for a Franchise Legend

The Bucs and Todd Bowles have to feel better about not having to figure this out right away.

Nov 16, 2025; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles on the sidelines during the first half of the game against the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Amongst the hoopla that is Baker Mayfield and Vita Vea's contract extension talks, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are back to football as all 32 NFL teams have now begun training camp.

That means we are closer than ever to the 2026 season getting underway, and for the Bucs, that means putting their new-look roster to the test with hopes of returning to the playoffs.

Much of the Bucs roster has stayed intact, but they are welcoming in new faces at other positions and still lack in others.

However, there is one spot in particular that the coaching staff and team are happy they don't have to answer as we head into camp after the retirement of franchise legend Lavonte David — inside linebacker.

Bucs Happy To Have Lavonte David Replacement

For over a decade, Lavonte David roamed sideline to sideline as the man in the middle of the Bucs' defense.

David retired this offseason, leaving a massive gap in the middle of the defense, and Tampa Bay thus filled his role by signing veteran leader Alex Anzalone in free agency.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers ILB Alex Anzalone | Alex Anzalone 'X'

Filling the void left by David was one of the most important things the Bucs needed to do this offseason, and they landed perhaps one of the better guys to do just that in Anzalone.

Anzalone is the Perfect Fit, Takes Pressure Off Others

Much like David, Anzalone will immediately step in as a leader on the Bucs' defense.

A former captain for the Detroit Lions, Anzalone might not have the speed he once did earlier in his career, but has shown time and again that he has a nose for diagnosing a play early, making the right reads, covering over the middle, and sure-tackling.

That is something the Buccaneers knew they needed with the departure of David, and with full understanding that the guys they had in the locker room before Anzalone's arrival likely couldn't fill the shoes of the future Hall of Famer.

Not having to worry about the middle of the defense will be huge for a Bucs defense looking to turn things around in 2026.

With the arrival of Anzalone and the selection of Josiah Trotter, the Bucs won't have to worry about filling all of what David could do as one player.

With training camp set to begin, we will see how Todd Bowles plans to use his new middle linebackers, and the hope is that there won't be any falloff from David — and even that there will be a potential opportunity to see an uptick in production across the middle linebackers as a whole.

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