Bucs LB Lavonte David Undergoes 'Minor' Surgery to Repair Knee Injury

Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Lavonte David has undergone surgery to repair a slight meniscus tear in his knee, coach Bruce Arians told reporters Monday. 

David had missed practices last week with what had been termed as a minor injury. No timeframe for his return has been given, although Arians said he should be ready in time for the upcoming season. 

The 29-year-old put together another strong statistical season in 2018. He finished with a team-high 120 combined tackles to go along with 3.5 sacks and two passes defended.

David, however, was a liability in pass coverage. According to Pro Football Focus, he allowed 647 yards through the air, while 87.3 percent of the passes in his direction found their intended target.

He wasn't solely to blame, but he clearly had a role in the Buccaneers surrendering 259.4 passing yards per game, 26th in the NFL.

Tampa Bay made a number of moves to address its defense, signing Shaquil Barrett and Deone Bucannon and using its first five draft picks on defensive players.

If David's injury forces him to miss any time, the Bucs will look to first-rounder Devin White in particular to shoulder a bigger load in the linebacking corps.