The start to what's a pivotal offseason for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers hasn't been kind as the fanbase is being forced to say goodbye to pillars of the franchise. The offensive pillar of the franchise Mike Evans departed via free agency opting to leave for the San Francisco 49ers. On Tuesday, the Buccaneers are likely saying goodbye to the heart of the defense as Lavonte David will hold a press conference where everyone expects he'll announce his retirement.
Bucs will have a press conference at 2 today involving linebacker Lavonte David. No specifics but all signs point to him announcing his retirement after 14 seasons in Tampa.
— Greg Auman (@gregauman) March 24, 2026
The decision doesn't come as a shock given David's age, but the timing is less than ideal for the Buccaneers as most of the top free agents have come off the board. Losing Lavonte David only makes nailing what was an already important NFL Draft more of a priority for a team with hopes of returning to the Playoffs.
Bucs map out life after Lavonte David with defense-heavy 3-round mock draft
15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: CJ Allen - Linebacker - Georgia
Losing Lavonte David creates a massive hole at linebacker which is going to be impossible to fill overnight. Georgia linebacker CJ Allen may be best equipped to fill the void, and grow into a player like David long-term. Allen is a high-IQ linebacker who called Kirby Smart's defense, and he'll be able to have a similar effect on the unit to what David did, especially as he gets older.
46. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Caleb Banks - Defensive Tackle - Florida
The Buccaneers need to get better rushing the passer, but David's retirement will likely make that need something they address on Day 2 of the draft. Adding more depth up the middle to help the linebackers out makes a ton of sense while pairing Vita Vea with another solid player. Florida Gators star Caleb Banks has a concerning injury track record, but when healthy, he's arguably a Top 5 talent in this class who can help generate pressure up the middle.
77. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Zakee Wheatley - Safety - Penn State
The Buccaneers secondary suffered a big loss in free agency as safety Christian Izien left for the Detroit Lions. Penn State safety Zakee Wheatley would be a great addition to the secondary as a piece with size and length who can rack up tackles while he also showed that he can be a ballhawk during his time in college.