Lavonte David is gone from the field, but he’s still watching the Buccaneers with a close eye - and he likes what he sees coming in 2026.
Tampa Bay’s 8-9 finish in David’s final season ended without a playoff berth, a frustrating finish for a franchise icon. Even so, David isn’t lowering the bar for the Bucs’ future. If anything, he sounds convinced the next version of this team can be a problem.
On Kevin Clark’s This Is Football podcast, David spoke openly about the talent on the roster and singled out Rueben Bain in particular. “They are going to be some animals, man,” David told Clark, via JoeBucsFan.
“I knew Rueben Bain already; I reached out to him after he got drafted. And he told me, ‘Man, I wish you just waited one more year.”
And in my mind I was like, ‘Maybe I should have.’ But, you know, the deal is done already… I told him.
I’m definitely going to be there to be supporting him and stuff like that.”
That kind of praise from a player with David’s standing carries weight, and Bain already seems to have a strong network inside the organization, with Warren Sapp and now David offering support.
David didn’t stop there. He made it clear he believes the overall roster is built to do more than just compete.
“And I definitely have high hopes for those guys. The roster, I can speak on the roster.
The roster is amazing. Everything is set up.
You know, offensively, even though we lost Mike [Evans], but they still have some young guys. The offensive line is back healthy, Baker is healthy, you got Bucky [Irving] back healthy.”
That optimism comes with a reminder, though: Tampa Bay looked loaded last year too, and still finished on a 2-7 skid to close the season.
Now the pressure is on to make sure that doesn’t happen again. Todd Bowles is on the hot seat, and Baker Mayfield could be heading into a contract year. What the Buccaneers do this season will shape the franchise’s next move, including how ownership handles the offseason.
If Tampa Bay plays like a contender, it could help keep key veterans such as Chris Godwin and make it easier to bring back big-name free agents like Vita Vea, Yaya Diaby, and Cody Mauch.
If the season goes sideways again, the organization could be staring at a reset that reaches all the way from the head coach down.
In Other News...
Buccaneers Line Just Got The Kind Of Praise Fans Didn't Expect
For a unit that spent much of 2025 dealing with moving parts, the Buccaneers offensive line is suddenly getting a lot more respect than many expected. Sharp Football Analysis slotted Tampa Bays front among the leagues best, a nod that says as much about the talent up front as it does about how well the group held together through all the disruption. Tristan Wirfs remains the anchor, and the rest of the projected core with Luke Goedeke, Graham Barton, Cody Mauch and Ben Bredeson gives the Bucs a foundation they can build around.
The bigger question now is whether that praise holds up once the season starts and the line is asked to stay healthy long enough to settle in. Tampa Bays offense has been at its best when the protection is clean and the run game has some balance, so the health of this group looms as one of the most important storylines on the roster. If the Buccaneers can keep their front intact, this could be one of the reasons the offense takes another step. [Read more 🡒]
Bucs Fans Should File Away This Quarterback For Future Draft Talk
A quarterback to keep on the radar for later draft chatter is Drew Mestemaker, the Oklahoma State passer who is drawing attention as he heads into the 2026 season. For Buccaneers fans already thinking ahead to future quarterback discussions, he checks a lot of the early boxes that tend to get scouts interested, from arm talent to the kind of quick decision-making that can help a young passer settle in fast.
Mestemaker also brings mobility and the ability to work all levels of the field, which is part of why his stock could keep moving if the progress continues. The next step is the one that matters most for any rising quarterback: cleaner accuracy, more reps, and the kind of experience that turns promise into something NFL teams can trust by the end of the season. [Read more 🡒]
Buccaneers Tight End Enters Camp With His Future Suddenly At Stake
Payne Durham is heading into his fourth training camp with the Buccaneers in a very different spot than when he arrived. The tight end room is thin, which gives him a real chance to stay in the mix, but his role has been shrinking and the team has not gotten much offensive return from his presence as a blocker.
Durham will get his chance to answer those concerns in camp and preseason, where every rep matters for a player trying to hold onto a job. With Cade Otton, Ko Kieft and two rookies also in the picture, Tampa Bay has options at the position, and Durhams path forward depends on whether he can do enough in the coming weeks to keep himself relevant. [Read more 🡒]