Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports

The NFL's regular season is over, which for most teams, means it's time to start figuring out plans for the offseason.

NFL free agency is a huge part of the process, and along with the NFL Draft, it has everyone preparing for what should be a very active couple of months.

We've officially come up with our own contract projections for the NFL's top free agents that include context behind each player's 2023 season, the likelihood of a franchise tag, the projection itself, and the first-year cap hit for a team that's “all-in” and is needing to reduce that first-year hit in order to maximize their cap dollars.

So, without further ado, let's check out the projection for Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker, Lavonte David. 

Lavonte David 2024 Contract Projection

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David really has no comps as his play on the field over the past few seasons was worth way more than the one-year, $4 million contract he re-upped for in 2023 with the Bucs. but peel back the context of the situation and you can see why David signed for peanuts…and why he will likely get more in 2024.

David has been a Buc since the team drafted him in the second round of the 2012 NFL Draft. Facing extreme cap constraints last year since they took the entirety of the Tom Brady dead cap. David wanted to retire a Buc so he agreed to a deal far below his value. It is likely that if he wants to continue his career for another year it will again be with Tampa Bay. And there is a good chance the Bucs repay David for his willingness to sign a team-friendly deal last year with a new deal that guarantees his performance bonuses for the new deal.

  • Franchise Tag Likelihood: Low
  • 1 yr $7.0M, $7.0M APY, $7M GTD 
  • Year One Cap Hit: $3.0 million

Be sure to check back in and around the site for more projections, as we will add more in the coming days and weeks.

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