The Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed 25-year-old linebacker Lavonte David to a five-year, $50.25 million extension on August 9, which comes with a $25.56 million guarantee, as per CBS Sports' John Breech. The three-year pro is set to receive an annual salary of $10.05 million.

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David is entering the final year of his rookie contract which would have earned him $740,000 this season. Because of the new deal, he is set to make so much more.

The Bucs was reportedly happy in giving the former Nebraska standout the compensation that he deserves after playing three outstanding seasons at Tampa Bay.

David collected 430 tackles, 10.0 sacks, 19 passes defended, and 6 interceptions in just three short years, giving him the right for the no. 56 spot in this years' Top 100 Players in the NFL. Last year, he was named no. 35 in the Top 100.

Breech noted that the Miami native's current salary made him "the highest-paid 4-3 linebacker in football and the fifth-highest paid linebacker overall."

The 6-foot-1, 233-pound defender made an impact immediately during his rookie year after he was selected by the Bucs 58th overall in the second round of the 2012 NFL Draft. He had led Tampa Bay in tackles in all of his years with the team even as a rookie, and was already a First Team All-Pro player during his sophomore year, as per NBC Sports' Pro Football Talk.

Meanwhile, ESPN's Pat Yasinskas said that the Bucs are simply paying David "what he's worth."

Yasinkas mentioned that in "the Tampa 2 defense, David is as important as any middle linebacker." With David and defensive tackle Gerald McCoy in their defense, the Bucs believe that they have the potential to become a Top 10 defensive team in the NFL for years to come.

Head coach Lovie Smith, who specialize in defense more than anything else, has also time and again declared his belief that they have the best outside linebacker in the NFL right now.

David is considered as one of the most underrated defensive players in the league today as he had never played in a single Pro Bowl in his three-year career. With this new humungous contract, he may have finally gotten the attention of the fans, media, coaches, and his co-players.

TagsNFL, NFL 2015, NFL news, NFL News 2015, NFL rumors, NFL Rumors 2015, Lavonte David, Tampa Bay Buccaneers