The Tampa Bay Buccaneers know that this is the year to make a run at a championship. With 43-year-old quarterback Tom Brady still winning his battle against Father Time, the Bucs have to like their chances of getting back to the postseason for the first time since 2007.
And unlike last year when Brady struggled to find offensive weapons in New England, he’ll have a plethora of talent on the Bucs roster in 2020, headlined by Pro Bowl receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, as well as tight end Rob Gronkowski.
But the Bucs defense is also expected to turn some heads this year, especially after finishing last year with the top rush defense. The addition of safety Antoine Winfield Jr. and continued maturation of linebacker Devin White should make Todd Bowles’ defense one of the top units in the league. And leading that group will be the old guy, himself, linebacker Lavonte David, who is entering his ninth season.
Gil Brandt over at NFL.com had David and Mike Evans at No. 6 on his list of the top 10 offensive-defensive duos in the NFL in 2020.
Per Brandt:
“Not since Randy Moss has Tom Brady played with a receiving target who possessed the size-skill ratio of the 6-foot-5, 231-pound Evans, who has topped 1,000 yards in each of his six NFL seasons to date. David is a former two-star high school recruit who has since proven himself to be a five-star talent, accumulating 1,008 tackles in eight seasons. He’s been incredibly reliable as a pro, missing just seven games thus far while switching between five different coordinators (including interim Mark Duffner in 2018).”
I love that David is finally getting some recognition after years of being overlooked. Evans should have another big season with Brady under center. Another 1,000-yard receiving year would make it seven-straight for Evans to begin his career, breaking his tie with Randy Moss for most all-time.
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