For the last 13 years, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have had one very distinct advantage every time their defense went out on the field. That advantage’s name is Lavonte David.
With David back in the fold for another season on a 1-year, $9 million contract, Tampa Bay can count on the 35-year-old inside linebacker to do what he’s done for the entirety of his career. Which is to make plays at an elite level.
What they haven’t been able to count on is any consistency the other inside linebacker spot, where K.J. Britt hurt the Buccaneers more than he helped them in 2024 and signed a free agent contract with the Miami Dolphins on March 13. The next option is third year linebacker SirVocea Dennis, who has been impressive in limited action but has struggled to stay healthy and missed 17 games over his first 2 seasons, including 13 games in 2024.
While the Buccaneers hope shoulder surgery has fixed an issue Dennis has been dealing with back to his college days at the University of Pittsburgh, that’s not a gamble a Super Bowl contender should take. Which is why the Buccaneers should look to sign a moderately priced free agent like 2-time Super Bowl champion Willie Gay, who is a free agent after one season with the New Orleans Saints.
Gay, who is only 26 years old, spent the first 4 seasons of his career with the Kansas City Chiefs, where he was a full-time starter on back-to-back Super Bowl-winning teams in 2022 and 2023.
Buccaneers Have Seen Dennis Play at Elite Level
When Dennis has been on the field for the Buccaneers, he’s been really good. Good enough that his play through the first month of the 2024 season had him on track to displace Britt in the starting lineup.
In the first 4 games in 2024 before his injury, Dennis had 22 tackles and 1 sack.
“(Dennis) super instinctive,” Bucs general manager Jason Licht told Pewter Report’s Scott Reynolds. “He’s fast and active. He’s good in coverage and he’s got great awareness. That was a big blow to us, losing him because he was really coming along. And I think he was becoming one of the better, young linebackers in the league.”
While Dennis is a gamble in the starting lineup, it’s not a very expensive one. The fifth round pick (No. 153 overall) in the 2023 NFL draft is only due $1 million in 2025 and $1.145 million in 2026.
Gay’s Championship Pedigree Could Benefit Buccaneers
Gay is coming off what was basically a lost season with the Saints, where he played in 15 games with 8 starts and had a career-low 28 tackles while playing on a 1-year, $3 million contract.
Those numbers might be more indicative of the state of the Saints’ franchise as a whole than a defect in Gay’s game. New Orleans finished the season 5-12 and head coach Dennis Allen was fired midway through the season.
Gay shouldn’t be too expensive for the Buccaneers — thinks something along the lines of a 1-year, $1.2 million contract. With 64 career starts including 9 postseason games and 2 Super Bowls, that type of experience could be a difference maker for Tampa Bay as the franchise tries to make the playoffs for the sixth consecutive season.
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