Replacing a defensive icon requires more than just talent. After signing a lucrative deal, the battle-tested veteran brings his proven leadership and Florida roots to Tampa’s revamped defense.
Watching the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' defense without number 54 out there on the field is going to take some getting used to.
Of course, I am referring to legendary Bucs' linebacker Lavonte David, who retired this offseason after 14 seasons in Tampa.
Although there has been hope, however unlikely, that David will change his mind about retirement and return to the team, the Bucs must find a way to move forward without their Hall of Fame defensive leader, at least until he decides to give coaching a try.
In 2026, the bulk of the responsibilities of replacing David will fall on Alex Anzalone, whom the Bucs signed to a two-year, $17 million deal at the onset of free agency. After five productive seasons with the Detroit Lions, who he helped turn into a Super Bowl-caliber team, Anzalone must now do his best to help Tampa offset the loss of David.
One of the keys to the Bucs having a successful 2026 season will be whether Anzalone can fill David's shoes in the middle of Tampa's defense.
Bailey Adams of Pewter Report did a deep dive on the subject and believes Anzalone is built for the challenge.
Anzalone's Adaptability
One of the major reasons Adams believes Anzalone will succeed in Tampa is his adaptability.
He has already moved from the New Orleans Saints to the Lions and became a key member of Detroit's newfound winning ways. But it's Anzalone's experience with the state of Florida (and the heat that comes with it) that makes Adams believe coming to Tampa will be a smooth transition.
"The good news for the Bucs is that if you were to pick and choose certain characteristics to include as you build a guy you’re counting on to replace a legend like Lavonte David, Alex Anzalone is essentially that guy. He’s well suited for it. After four years in New Orleans to start his career, the veteran linebacker really took off as a key player for the Lions defense from 2021-2025. He had a lot of success in Detroit, plus his familiarity with the state of Florida gave him a pretty important head start when it comes to some of the intangibles that come with playing for Tampa Bay.
"Anzalone played his college football in Gainesville at the University of Florida, has family ties to Tampa and has spent every offseason of his career in the city. So, he’s plenty familiar with the area, and what’s especially important is that he’s familiar with the climate. Playing in the Florida heat is nothing new to him, and when you pair that built-in readiness with the kind of player and leader he’s been for the Lions over the last five seasons, this feels less like Anzalone being faced with a giant task of filling David’s shoes and more like him taking the baton from him and running with it."
Is Anzalone An Upgrade Over David
Even though David is one of the greatest players ever to suit up for the Bucs, there is no denying that his play fell off over his last couple of seasons.
Anzalone, meanwhile, is still playing at a high level and could easily be considered an upgrade over David at this point. One of Anzalone's biggest strengths is his coverage ability, something David (and the rest of Tampa's LBs) badly struggled with.
"The biggest area of concern for the Bucs’ inside linebackers in the last couple of years was in pass coverage. As good as David was in coverage in his prime, that part of his game fell off the hardest in his final seasons. He earned a 56.9 coverage grade in 2024 per Pro Football Focus, then dropped to a 45.1 last year. Even worse? K.J. Britt earned a 40.9 in 2024 from the other linebacker spot, then SirVocea Dennis played to a 30.5 grade last year. Opposing offenses killed Tampa Bay on screens, flares to the flat and wheel routes down the sidelines, taking advantage of one of the defense’s biggest weaknesses."
"Anzalone is a big reason why things could change in that department for Todd Bowles’ defense this year. He has earned PFF coverage grades above 65 in each of the last three years. There were some duds for him during in 2025 (a 49.9 against Kansas City, a 44.8 against New York and a 40.7 against Green Bay), but he also had some elite performances to balance them out (77.6 against Cincinnati, 88.8 against Washington and a 76 grade against Minnesota). He’ll be 32 in 2026, so he may not replicate the 72.1 grade he posted in 2024. But Anzalone should still be an upgrade over the 30s and 40s the Bucs got used to these last couple of years."
Adams also brings up that Anzalone is a much surer tackler than David and the rest of the Bucs' linebackers have been over the past couple of seasons. There is also some upside with Anzalone as a pass-rusher, something he was rarely asked to do in Detroit.
Final Thoughts
It is always hard when a franchise legend calls it a career.
However, the Bucs couldn't have done much better in acquiring a replacement for David than they did by signing Anzalone. The former Lion should quickly become a fan favorite in Tampa.
Anzalone has enormous shoes to fill for his new team, but he is well-equipped to succeed with the Bucs. He won't make Tampa fans forget about David, but there is a good chance he will make the Bucs' defense stronger.
Adding Anzalone was one of the best moves Tampa made this offseason.
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