Buccaneers linebacker Lavonte David is in good company after four seasons with the team.
In 2015, David recorded 147 tackles, the most of his career. That has become the standard for him after he picked up 146 tackles last season and 145 the year before. The Buccaneers have had some excellent linebackers in their history, so how do David's numbers stack up? The answer – pretty well.
David has 577 tackles in his first four seasons. Comparatively, Derrick Brooks had 515, Hardy Nickerson had 218 and Shelton Quarles had 101. Defensive backs Ronde Barber and John Lynch had 226 and 168 tackles, respectively, in their first four seasons.
In terms of solo tackles, David still leads the pack. He has 405 thus far, ahead of Brooks (377), Nickerson (218), Quarles (68), Barber (186) and Lynch (125). All five of those players are among the top ten tacklers in Buccaneer history. Lynch was also recently named a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
For his efforts in 2015, David was selected as an alternate for the Pro Bowl. All six of the linebackers selected this season are with teams still alive in the playoffs so, depending on which teams make the Super Bowl, David could wind up making the trip to Hawaii.
Behind David, the Buccaneers' defense finished No. 10 in the NFL in total yards allowed per game. The group finished No. 25 last season and hasn't been ranked in the top ten since 2008.
*Stats according to Pro Football Reference
