Defensive Tackle Invited By Bucs
April 1st, 2018
Reportedly to visit One Buc Palace.
Even though the Bucs loaded up on defensive tackles in the offseason, some fans want more.
Apparently, Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht is listening, or at least is a kindred spirit.
There is a manbeast of a defensive tackle from the PAC-12 named Vita Vea of the University of Washington. And per WalterFootball.com, Vea is one of the Bucs’ 30 allotted invites to come to One Buc Palace for a workout and/or intense interviews.
Many believe Vea is the best defensive tackle in the draft and a top-10 pick.
So for those who think Vea is the answer to the problems of the Bucs, despite Licht spending a lot of Team Glazer loot on defensive tackles, this should make your Easter Sunday.
Here’s a little more on Vea, who at 6-4, 347 pounds is slightly larger than the Easter Bunny.
April 1st, 2018 at 8:15 am
No way we draft a 2 down nose tackle 7th overall
April 1st, 2018 at 8:20 am
They are bringing him in to see who blocked him the best.
April 1st, 2018 at 8:21 am
Easy….He’s not a 2 down DT, he’s incredibly explosive for his size, and will constantly need to be doubled, guess who you can’t double if he’s destroying double teams??? JPP, McCoy, Spence and Curry, also this DL needs an infusion of youth, all 3 of our studs are 29+, that being said, the Bucs aren’t smart enough to plan for the future
April 1st, 2018 at 8:22 am
Easy….He definitely isn’t worth the 7th though, he’s more of a trade down option
April 1st, 2018 at 8:22 am
@Easy … “No way we draft a 2 down nose tackle 7th overall.” Any chance you said the same thing Easy about Licht drafting Aguayo in the 2nd Rnd? There are relatively few ‘difference-makers’ in this year’s draft it looks like who appear to be pretty close to ‘sure things’ for 10-years or so. Chubb, Barkley, Nelson… maybe just a handful of others. Vea is one of those I’d surmise. IMO though so is Payne.
April 1st, 2018 at 8:27 am
Guzzie:
No way he’s on the field on 3rd down with McCoy, JPP, Curry , Spence (if healthy) or Beckwith. I’d rather have Harold Landry rushing the passer. Also, you paid Beau Allen pretty damn good money
April 1st, 2018 at 8:32 am
Good crop of DTs this year.
Unlikely we get Vea – but I would be surprised if we didn’t pick a DT at some point in this draft.
April 1st, 2018 at 8:33 am
Defense Rules: Is rather trade down and draft Harold Landry who IMO is just as good as Chubb but was hurt last year.
April 1st, 2018 at 8:34 am
Can’t hurt….a good trade down pick…
April 1st, 2018 at 8:50 am
THe Bucs need guys that move people on the lines!!!!! If I have a complaint for NFL GM Licht’s draft is that not a lot of premium picks for the Trenches!!!!! Too many skill position players drafted high with out Trench reinforcement!!!! Mount Vea is someone you can use on third downs as he will create space and open lanes for blitzing!!!!!!
And creating a D-line mainly from free-agency is an expansive short term gain!!!! If the big three are gone, and the Bucs are getting low ball offers to trade down, why not get a great DT that will not make it to the 12th pick!!!!!!!!
GO Bucs!!!!!!!
April 1st, 2018 at 8:56 am
McCoys eventual replacement, I personally couldn’t pass this man up if he was available
April 1st, 2018 at 8:58 am
If Buffalo gave us their two 1st rd picks, a 3rd rounder (1st pick in 3rd round) and we gave them our 1st plus G McCoy, we would grab Vea with one of those selections. We never know what scenario can happen once draft begins so might as well prepare.
April 1st, 2018 at 8:59 am
Joe,
Your use of the word “Easter” offends me. Please replace with “Spring” (sarcasm).
-Unconcerned Bucs fan
April 1st, 2018 at 9:13 am
For some of you that say he’s not a pass rusher go back and do more film study.
April 1st, 2018 at 9:16 am
“I gurentee you we will not be ranked lower than our 2017 32nd worst pass coverage defense”
The Buc Realist
April 1st, 2018 at 9:16 am
Damn Skippy.
If Chubb & Nelson are off the board.
“V”s a strong fall back plan.
Sidebote: Still gotta pick-up a corner though. Maybe DRC?
April 1st, 2018 at 9:28 am
I agree with luvmybucs but just know that he stuffs the run like Sam Adams or siragusa from the 2000 ravens he is that kinda talent. But he won’t get sacks if any one cares
April 1st, 2018 at 9:34 am
For those of you that say Vea is McCoy’s eventual replacement, stop. McCoy is a 3 technique. Vea is a NOSE TACKLE. It would be like drafting Nelson at 7 and switching him to Tackle. Could it work? Sure, but why take that chance? If you draft someone top 15 in the First round, leave them at their position of strength, let them excel at the position that made you draft them so high.
April 1st, 2018 at 9:34 am
Happy Easter All!
He is Risen!
April 1st, 2018 at 9:36 am
That said, I’d still like to see him line up NEXT to McCoy, but we just paid someone else a bunch of money to do that very thing.
April 1st, 2018 at 9:45 am
Ummm… go bucs!
April 1st, 2018 at 10:00 am
If the Bucs don’t draft Derwin James or Quenton Nelson and trade back with Miami or Buffalo then Vea would make sense as the first round pick.
April 1st, 2018 at 10:01 am
Been saying it…
Never too much
Never too much…
FIX THE TRENCHES
Vea with the 1st pick. Move up for Landry if need be. RB after that
#TRENCHWARFARE
April 1st, 2018 at 10:08 am
I don’t care who we just signed. Now IS the perfect time to shore up the line with youth. Don’t care who starts, how many snaps yada yada. Rotation rotation should be the mantra for our dline this year. Though i want Vea, wouldn’t mind M.D. or Landry with the first since either wouldn’t be pressed to be the MAN.
Far as secondary with the 1st. Please let it be James. NOT impressed by CB this year at all
April 1st, 2018 at 10:40 am
This is great news. This tells me they are seriously considering Vae from some position in the first round. I love it because it doesn’t fill a need and it means this GM is not willing to take a lesser player based solely on need.
Our franchise has been through enough torture allowing team needs to dictate our drafts. The draft is where you truely build a team. It’s about the future, not patchjobs for the next season.
The wins have not been here but I am very pleased with the roster Licht has assembled here. Hopefully we can come out of this draft with at least 1 secondary piece and somebody who can run the ball halfway decent. Next year will be the year of the edge rusher so our future at that position will hopefully be addressed then.
April 1st, 2018 at 10:43 am
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWZmaTKEXIQ
Ive been singing his praises here for how long? ….still want him, but in a trade down scenario if he’s there……then trade back into the first for Landry
April 1st, 2018 at 10:43 am
But if Chubb or Nelson is till there….hmm
April 1st, 2018 at 10:51 am
He’s basically has comparable athleticism to McCoy while carrying 50 lbs more weight. He has the strength to play nose, the athleticism to play 3-tech, and he can play the 5-tech as a DE in a 3-4. I’d take him top-10 in a heartbeat if Nelson and Chubb aren’t there.
April 1st, 2018 at 10:54 am
No way we are drafting him unless we trade down. Him at 7 is a FAR reach.
April 1st, 2018 at 10:55 am
Love this guy
April 1st, 2018 at 10:57 am
@SB… yes he is!!
April 1st, 2018 at 10:59 am
Due Diligence …never know…just like OJ last year
April 1st, 2018 at 11:00 am
Like @AlteredEgo said a couple weeks ago….”look over there…look over there”. No harm in the due diligence, Vea would make FAR LESS sense that Nelson, after only Barkley making the most sense.
Nope.
Go Bucs!
April 1st, 2018 at 11:01 am
First Down…..I think you are right on that. With other players being touted as higher prospects and being secondary players we badly need I have no idea why they would pick a lower rated prospect at the tackle position. Would make very little sense.
I think they brought in Vae to prepare for the trade down scenario. If your not filling an immediate need in round one makes sense to do as much homework as you can on who3ver you get.
April 1st, 2018 at 11:10 am
I would love Vita Vea…he’s my preferred first round pick.
But the chances of us picking him, even if available at 7, are slim and none.
If wrong, I’d be dancing all over the place because of the pick, but it ain’t happening. Not with so much spent at DT already.
April 1st, 2018 at 11:14 am
Fix the back yard before the front yard….
April 1st, 2018 at 11:16 am
@JimmyJack
Don’t bother with rankings . Every year, after the top 4 picks, teams start reaching according to the rankings . Every. Year.
That’s because the rankings are a sham. They are made by fans and media guys, not pro football guys. That is why you see teams striking gold on players when they take them ‘too early.’ Much like we did with Ali Marpet.
The rankings mean absolutely nothing except to ‘hope’ they will help predict when opposing teams will make moves for certain players…but they are always wrong during the actual draft. That’s why every media source has different rankings.
If a team likes a player and does not feel he will be there when they next pick, then they take him. Period. Regardless of ratings and rankings.
April 1st, 2018 at 11:18 am
They could also think a division rival wants him.
April 1st, 2018 at 11:22 am
Let’s understand something, while JPP is pretty much a sure thing…the other signings are not. On paper, they look okay (not great). But if they turn out to be disasters again like last year, Licht might be planning to compensate for it.
April 1st, 2018 at 11:27 am
I’m definitely in in Vea in the 1st. Yes he makes our flume elite with enough studs to keep it fresh through 4 quarters, but if he’s not playing 3 downs every series on D, he can help us in other ways. Once upon a time he also played RB. Can you imagine bringing him in as a FB on goal line or short yardage situations either opening up a hole or even toting the rock. A 350 pound fullback could help fix those red zone woes, while also being a terror on the D-line.
April 1st, 2018 at 11:34 am
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We better NOT draft Vea at #7!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
If we trade down and get #12 and #22, I still don’t even want him at #12 as I’d rather get Derwin James at #12 and DT Taven Bryan or Da’Ron Payne at #22, or even Derrius Guice at #22 and then DT Maurice Hurst in the 2nd round.
I’d be thrilled with Vea at #22 but I doubt he slips that far.
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April 1st, 2018 at 11:35 am
^ good thinking Bonzai
April 1st, 2018 at 12:11 pm
I’d love Vea if we hadn’t lost our 3rd rounder. I just don’t see how we don’t trade down now seeing that we really need to get one of the top 5 RB’s and at least 2 more DB’s but I’m not the expert.
April 1st, 2018 at 12:13 pm
Bonzai……Yes I do understand that. The only reason I am going by the media rankings is because none of us know what the Bucs Big Board looks like. Seems like the only fair way to guess what might be closest to their own board.
And yeah the media is usually pretty far off but they are usually fairly accurate in the top of the draft.
April 1st, 2018 at 12:22 pm
Some of you forget Lichts Mantra of signing a FA then drafting the same position. You can never have to many good D-Lineman. Money has nothing to do with this. Spence and McCoy are injury prone. Vea can do it all D-Tackle position. Hes the exact type of Lineman Smith likes. If you dont think this is possible. You better wake up. Tired of hearing people say “Not at #7”. This is a silly statement. If you believe hes a difference maker. You take him regardless of the spot.
April 1st, 2018 at 12:22 pm
But if they do wind up staying at 7 and getting Vae I would actually love the pick because it means they love the player that much to take him over secondary players………I may have misrepresented that thought in an earlier post.
At the end of the day I just want the Bucs to get players they really believe in and not just picking based on need…….Which has been a bad habit this organization has fallen into under prior management.
April 1st, 2018 at 12:55 pm
No on vea. Pass
April 1st, 2018 at 12:56 pm
This guy in 2 years is going to be All-Pro. He is that good! I would jump on him at #7 if Nelson, Chubb or Barkley is gone. He would make everyone on our D line that much better. A guy that big and that quick and that strong does not come along too often.
April 1st, 2018 at 12:57 pm
The University Of Washington is Seattle is a well known party school, the same school ASJ was from.
That said, I am with Bonzai here, I like Vita Vea a lot. especially if we can trade down, and still get him +++ some extra picks!
LOL “Vita Mix Vea”
That said, I am truly enjoying the absence of Tmaxcon from posting. It really was getting old, wading through all the noise he created.
April 1st, 2018 at 1:00 pm
I was just thinking (I know, that should scare everyone) about the draft, and since we are rather limited in picks, I wonder if Licht has taken a look at the Samoan Rugby beast Jordan Mailata, he could be trained to play either OL or DT by the right coach. Since we have Buckner and Warhop, who are pretty good at getting guys in a position to play well, grabbing Mialata as an undrafted free agent could produce a damn good player. The guy is a serious athlete, with a 5.12 40 yard dash at 6-foot-8, 346-pounds. Imagine him next to McCoy, throwing guards around.
April 1st, 2018 at 1:07 pm
“truly enjoying the absence of Tmaxcon”
Absolutely. Banning the king of jbf trolls was long past overdue
April 1st, 2018 at 1:13 pm
Trade down. Pick up a 2nd. Take Vita Vea in first. Trade 4th and one of two 2nds to trade up back into first for a RB. Use remaining 2nd for a CB.
April 1st, 2018 at 1:18 pm
Deep draft with Dt’s this year so of course we sign two…
April 1st, 2018 at 1:19 pm
Landry could go higher than we think, would not be surprised if he gets picked before Davenport. Dt’s are deep in this draft, we might find a gem later
April 1st, 2018 at 1:28 pm
They are really interested with Via at #7(if Nelson,Chubb and Barkley are gone) but hope to pick him up at #10-13 with a trade down.
Taking a Safety at #7 doesn’t go with what today’s NFL coaches/GMs think of that position(Derwin is old school like player but the zebras will flag him to death and the AL guy is over hyped).At CB there is no talent worth a top 15 pick.
April 1st, 2018 at 1:33 pm
Happy Easter everyone. Christ is risen!
April 1st, 2018 at 2:26 pm
Happy Easter All.
BucFan90- Yes He Is
April 1st, 2018 at 3:22 pm
Anyone ever here what became of Maurice Hursts heart issue at the combine? Would be intresting risk to take if it causes him to fall a ways.
April 1st, 2018 at 5:10 pm
I like Vea, but I only draft him at #7 as a last resort.
1) Chubb, Barkley or Nelson.
2) If none of those 3 are there, trade back if possible. We could use the extra picks.
3) If you can’t trade back, Vea or James — tough decision because both are questionable value at #7. I would take Vea and one of the remaining proven FA safeties.
Under no circumstances pick any of the CB at #7. Minkah is definately overrated and I’m not sold on Ward.
April 1st, 2018 at 6:07 pm
All of you sleeping on Denzel Ward are in for a rude awakening. He’s going to be a very good starter in the NFL regardless of who drafts him, provided he stays healthy of course.
April 1st, 2018 at 6:09 pm
Betterbelieve,
If Barkley is the one player who can change this franchise, if He is going to be all pro yr 1, then please enlighten me.
Because, Barkley didn’t transform the lions. He was an impact player and helped his team improve by being versatile. But you have him as a 3 down back.
He is, according to you, the player who can singlehandedly turn this franchise around. If He couldn’t do it in college at RB why do you think He’s going to be to do it as a pro?
If Barkley is the best RB in years, why was He not considered the best RB in college. This was the consensus opinion not a single person’s opinion. A player who is transformational , as you state Barkley is, should be seen by a overwhelmingly large majority as the best back in college football for the year.
I read the line where you said He is only compared him to Bell and Gurley.
I will pass on the validity of such a pairing and suggest another more logical player to compare Him between. Christian McCaffery. This is by far a better player
for comparison. Gurley is….is..So different from Bark that it is pointless to attempt it. But you seem to have seen some point . What are you seeing as similarities between the two?
April 1st, 2018 at 6:15 pm
************
I don’t celebrate Easter as a Biblical Christian, as the current “holiday” isn’t actually connected to Jesus’ resurrection and is in reality just a celebration of the spring equinox, just as “Christmas” isn’t actually connected to Jesus’ birth and was in actuality invented by Rome in the 4th century as a way to honor their Sun god … but … JESUS CHRIST OF NAZARETH IS RISEN INDEED and every day is a great day to celebrate that fact and to be happy to be alive, even in a world that seems to love insanity, despise truth and one that is dedicated to destroying itself.
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April 1st, 2018 at 6:26 pm
Lets just do a quick comparison of two players for you to try and get my point across.
Player X: 40 Time – 4.36 Vertical – 38.5″ Broad – 132″
Height – 6’0
Weight – 193 LBS.
Arm Length – 31 & 1/4″
Player Y: 40 Time – 4.32 Vertical – 39″ Broad – 136″
Height – 5’10 & 7/8″
Weight – 191 LBS
Arm Length – 31 & 1/4″
——————————————-
Player Y = Denzel Ward
Player X = Marshon Lattimore
If you have the time, there is a 24 minute video on Youtube showcasing Ward’s skills. If he stays healthy, he has the athletic ability, instincts and grit to be top 10 NFL corner.
April 1st, 2018 at 6:29 pm
Anybody find it interesting that Cleveland, Denver and our Bucs had Vita Vea in, but Miami, Buffalo and Arizona didn’t. He’s an 11-15 projection, so what does that tell you?
April 1st, 2018 at 6:31 pm
Tmaxcon got banned?! This is madness
April 1st, 2018 at 7:51 pm
Saying Vea is just purely a NT is lazy evaluating that’s largely basing that statement on his size and him going to the same school as Danny Shelton. He is athletic for his size, but also strong enough to hold the point of attach som though he played NT well when called on to do it, he also rushed the passer from the 5-tech position.
April 1st, 2018 at 8:00 pm
Pass on Vea, if he is so “explosive” why are his college #s not that impressive? Danny Shelton 2.0 IMO
April 1st, 2018 at 8:12 pm
@Gambelero:
Super excellent point.
April 1st, 2018 at 8:23 pm
BTW it is immensely important to remember who the D-Coordinator is and what kind of systems he likes to play. M. Smith has chosen two large physical d-tackles when possible. GMC is a variant and not a typical fit for what the aim is.
Can you imagine two Suh-types inside? That may be where we are heading.
April 1st, 2018 at 8:46 pm
We can only hope Easy
April 1st, 2018 at 9:44 pm
Nice that tmax has been reinstated at JBF. April fools.
April 1st, 2018 at 9:48 pm
Maxi’s 2 disciples get banned too?
April 1st, 2018 at 11:18 pm
I only just now realized the NFL draft is normally the last Thursday of April. For some reason I thought the date jumped around from year to year, but even going back to the 90s it would generally be the last weekend of April.
April 2nd, 2018 at 2:59 am
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DUKE,
What in the world are you talking about?
100% of analysts and scouts believed Saquon was the best RB in college football last year and he is considered the best RB prospect since Adrian Peterson, if not Barry Sanders.
Now, NO RB can single-handedly transform a team, so that’s out of the question, but your comments are very, very strange.
Also, comparing him to Christan Mac is absurd … he’s infinitely bigger and stronger, and also happens to be faster. He’s a far better prospect than Gurley or Elliott were coming out of college and it’s not close. He’s the NCAA equivalent of Lev Bell … now, whether he blows up in the pros will depend on where he goes, and of course staying healthy, but your comment are so very strange … explain yourself.
Oh, and by the way, TEAMS not individual players win games in the ultimate TEAM sport of football … Peyton Manning never won anything in 4 years in Tennessee and the very year after he left, the immortal TEE MARTIN led the Volunteers to a National Title … wins mean NOTHING when it comes to evaluating individual talent in the NCAA or the NFL or the MLB or the NHL, etc., … it means something in INDIVIDUAL sports like boxing and tennis!
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April 2nd, 2018 at 10:01 am
Easy Says
“Tmaxcon got banned?! This is madness”
No way. Did he???? That would be awesome!