Bucs face leadership void left by Mike Evans, Lavonte David departures
Bucs players reported for the first day of offseason workouts Monday, but much of the conversation centered on who wasn't there.
Lavonte David, the heartbeat of the defense, retired after 14 seasons. Mike Evans is gone, too, taking his production - and his voice - to San Francisco in free agency.
Sure, their snaps can be replaced. Their roles on the depth chart can be reassigned. But their presence in the huddle, their command in the locker room and their ability to steady a team are not traits so easily duplicated.
For the Bucs, the offseason didn't just start with a workout. It began with a void.
"In the NFL, the only thing that's consistent is change, right?" center Graham Barton said. "You know, that leadership figure in the community and the facility that Mike and Lavonte have been, and they're incredible teammates. Their names should be around here for a long time for all that they've done for this place.
"But it's a new year, right? It's a new team and you've got to adjust and figure out where your strengths are and where you need to get better and kind of go from there."
It's unlikely the Bucs will find players to duplicate the production and leadership of Evans and David, who have been fixtures together for the franchise since 2014. Both enjoyed Pro Football Hall of Fame-worthy years.
On the field, the Bucs will have to replace them in the aggregate. The receiver room is well-stocked with Chris Godwin, Emeka Egbuka, Jalen McMillan and Tez Johnson.
The linebacking corps got an infusion of new blood from older players with the signing of Lions free agent Alex Anzalone and Carolina free agent Christian Rozeboom.
Both were leaders on their former teams, but the Bucs also will need an organic approach.
One player who seems ready to embrace a leadership role is third-year safety Tykee Smith.
After making the transition from nickel cornerback to safety last season, Smith was among the Bucs' most productive players on defense, finishing with 100 tackles, two sacks, one interception, 13 passes defensed and two fumble recoveries.
While David led with an economy of words, preferring to pull players aside individually, Smith says he intends to lead more vocally.
"I'm definitely looking to step up more with Lavonte (retiring) and just me going into my third year, I'm ready to become more of a voice on the team," Smith said. "I think my leadership style will be more vocal than (Antoine Winfield Jr.). We both have two different approaches on how we say things if that makes sense."
Smith credits David for his transition from college to the NFL, serving as a mentor to him since arriving as a third-round pick from Georgia in 2024.
"Since I got here, I think he played a big part the success I had early," Smith said of David. "I think the biggest thing was just how to be a pro, how to go about it day to day, watching him and how he handled everything, how he prepared for games. I think sometimes he knew what was coming beforehand so just trying to take me under his wing was a real blessing my first few years."
Where Smith struggled at times was in pass coverage, especially in the deepest parts of the football field. Pro Football Focus ranked him 43rd among 98 qualified safeties with a 65.8 overall defensive grade in the 2025 season. Smith knows what he needs to improve.
"I think just me playing way more full speed this year, with me going into my second year, being back there and being in more in space," he said. "I played more down on the line of scrimmage my second year. So it's me just being better in space this year. I think I had some really good moments being able to fit up some runs and covering some tight ends. The biggest thing for me improving is just getting better in space.
"I think the biggest thing is communication. So we're trying to start that early once we get on the field. Once we're ready to get on the field and do actual football stuff, that's going to be the big thing making sure we're on one page."
Smith notes that several of the Bucs' free agents on defense - Anzalone, defensive tackle A'Shawn Robinson and outside linebacker Al-Quadin Muhammad - play with the kind of edge he is known for.
"I feel like that's something we needed more of," Smith said. "That kind of fits my M.O. so I'm really excited about the guys we brought in. I'm looking forward to working with them."
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This story was originally published April 20, 2026 at 5:42 PM.