Promising Update On Vita Vea
November 16th, 2020
Possible return this season?
The more Joe watches the Buccaneers’ interior defensive line play, the more Joe yearns for Vita Vea.
The Bucs have not replaced Vea, not even close.
That’s no surprise. Athletic, 350-yard manbeasts are hard to find.
Newcomer nose tackle Steve McClendon, acquired before the trade deadline, hasn’t done much since his Bucs debut, and Rakeem Nuñez-Roches certainly hasn’t stepped up to Vea’s level. Not slight on “Nacho;” he’s a journeyman sixth-round pick. Ndamukong Suh has taken a step back, was well. (More on that tomorrow.)
Today, Joe asked Bucco Bruce Arians about Vea’s recovery from a broken leg on Oct. 8. Could Vea return if the Bucs make a run in the playoffs?
Arians did not rule it out. Joe also asked about tight end O.J. Howard, who blew out his Achilles in the game prior to Vea’s injury.
“They’re both doing really, really well,” Arians said. “See them a lot. You know, but even Vita, I doubt very seriously, even all the way to the [Super Bowl] that he would be ready. I think his is a sixth-month recovery.”
Joe loves hearing that both Howard and Vea are on point in their recoveries. And Joe thinks it’s cool that hope is still alive for Vea; Arians did rule out Howard for the season.
Vea is a motivated guy and there’s a chance that The Sickness delays the NFL playoffs. Regardless, it seems like Vea will be cleared by doctors before the 2021 NFL Draft, which should let the Bucs exhale and have more clarity on their D-line future.
November 16th, 2020 at 1:06 pm
You simply can’t replace Vea. He is (was) arguably the biggest, strongest tackle in today’s game.
November 16th, 2020 at 1:12 pm
That would be great. N-R has done good up front, but boy do we miss Vea.
November 16th, 2020 at 1:16 pm
Dline future?! No need to draft a noseplug he’ll be back next year lol Need edges and potentially a new QB as far as draft day needs as I see it today..
November 16th, 2020 at 1:18 pm
So much for people that complained about drafting him and his impact on the defense…
November 16th, 2020 at 1:25 pm
He’s sorely missed. I’d hate for him to rush back and get injured worse.
November 16th, 2020 at 1:26 pm
I dont think Vea would be in shape if he came back this year.
November 16th, 2020 at 1:36 pm
A four man front isn’t enough without Vea. Need more blitzing with safeties to get pressure on the QB. Our CBs can’t cover so we need max pressure.
November 16th, 2020 at 1:51 pm
The only reason to draft a nose tackle is if Vita moves to LT….
as far as his absence…….we are definitely not the same defense without him….the pass rush is not near as good….the pocket isn’t being collapsed and we are more vulnerable up the middle for stopping the run.
November 16th, 2020 at 1:54 pm
without VV, we’re missing that inside pressure…
GO BUCS!!!!
November 16th, 2020 at 2:10 pm
I was wondering about VV. Glad there is at least some hope for the post season games.
November 16th, 2020 at 2:12 pm
Licht really needs to go heavy in the trenches during the off-season.
Resign some guys and draft well.
Really need D-Line and Edge Rush depth.
November 16th, 2020 at 2:22 pm
The update is promising in the sense that both guys seem to be progressing but I didn’t necessarily get a warm and fuzzy from Bruce regarding Vea returning this year. It sounded more like it’s an extreme longshot. Thanks for the update Joe.
November 16th, 2020 at 2:43 pm
Joe, I read it a little different. Coach did not sound hopeful at all about Vea, saying it was a 6 month recovery. You’re technically correct, but the headline? well, clickbait. Ya got me.
November 16th, 2020 at 2:46 pm
Great news and I miss watching Vea treat grown men like children. I can’t ever remember a nose tackle being fun to watch outside of Vea. Maybe the Fridge?
November 16th, 2020 at 2:57 pm
man… if we could get this guy back in the playoffs!!!!
November 16th, 2020 at 3:14 pm
Agreed cmurda on the ‘extreme longshot’. Bucs seem to have had a lot of leg/foot injuries over these past several years. Thankfully both Vea & OJ are progressing well, but these things normally take lots of time to heal.
Your comment Joe that Suh has taken a ‘step back’ is truly intriguing. Nice tease. From what I can see, he’s still playing 75% of the defensive snaps and hasn’t missed a game; not too shabby for a 33-year-old interior DLineman. Stats aren’t all that bad either: 4 sacks, 15 solo tackles, 5 TFLs, 12 QB Hits, 1 FF and even 1 PD. And I’m sure that he’s gotten more attention from our opponents OLines since Vea went down. Personally think that the big guy is the best pickup we’ve made in years. He’s raised the play of everyone on that DLine, and without him, neither JPP nor Shaq get to feed.
Still, I miss Vea … he & Suh together were too much for most OLines to deal with.
November 16th, 2020 at 3:26 pm
Draft?
LT … can’t be anything else, then edge or QB. Trade for a real DB…
DS76 gotta go.
November 16th, 2020 at 3:38 pm
Vita is a great run stuffing 2-down NT. People who say he’s more than that simply have zero data to back up their argument.
It’s very important to have a 2-down run stuffing NT, it can put offenses in 3rd and 9 instead of 3rd and 6 — which allows Bowles to be more creative and aggressive compared to his passive soft zone he loves so much on 3rd down.
But as for Vita being the engine of the defense or a big difference maker, I’ve never seen that. In his entire career he’s had one big game, against the 49ers, when they were literally playing a 4th or 5th string QB with a bunch of backups on the o-line. Outside of that Vita can make some plays, and certainly helps in the run game, but lets say it’s 4th and short, how many times has Vita made a play there? None, to my memory.
November 16th, 2020 at 4:05 pm
Did I read that wrong, or is the quote wrong?
Because this doesn’t sound like there is any hope Vea will be back this season:
What am I missing?
November 16th, 2020 at 4:07 pm
unbelievable – I think the idea is IF games are pushed back because of the plague, there’s is at least a chance he might get back early, ahead of schedule. Say he doubts seriously he would be back is not ruling it out completely.
Thats my impression of the article anyways.
November 16th, 2020 at 4:26 pm
What’s gone unsaid is how lucky Vea’s injury occurred before the trade deadline.
Yes, the D line is not as good without Vea but it could be a whole lot worse.
November 16th, 2020 at 4:53 pm
Rod, I can’t remember an offensive coordinator being dumb enough to run right at VV in a 4th and short to provide you said memories.
Few people this side of Aaron Donald command more double teams than VV, and certainly not N-R or McClendon. You know what I can remember? VV eating up humans and space enabling more of our other playmakers in the backfield.
November 16th, 2020 at 5:12 pm
Proof read Joe.
November 16th, 2020 at 5:14 pm
He said I doubt very seriously we see Vea. Where is the optimism?
November 16th, 2020 at 5:19 pm
Leighroy – Week 1 vs the Saints this year, 4th and short, Vita jumps off sides. Basically turned the game around. There have also been 4th and goals where they’ve ran right at him and he didn’t make a stop. It’s happened quite a number of times. Can you think of any time he actually stopped anyone on 4th and 1? I can’t.
November 16th, 2020 at 6:08 pm
““They’re both doing really, really well,” Arians said. “See them a lot. You know, but even Vita, I doubt very seriously, even all the way to the [Super Bowl] that he would be ready. I think his is a sixth-month recovery.”
Joe loves hearing that both Howard and Vea are on point in their recoveries. And Joe thinks it’s cool that hope is still alive for Vea; Arians did rule out Howard for the season.”
…………….
Is it just me or do these paragraphs Completely contadict?
I read the quotes you typed by Arians to say Neither one would be ready
November 16th, 2020 at 6:29 pm
I read Arians pretty much counting Vea out.
November 16th, 2020 at 7:38 pm
Agree Munch, VV is good but he wasn’t/isn’t the franchise that he’s being made out to be.
November 16th, 2020 at 9:29 pm
Vea was maybe the best NT in the league, Joe. No one person was gonna replace him. Wouldn’t count on it he or OJ return this season.
November 16th, 2020 at 11:09 pm
vita is a special player and a key “clogger” up front…
his value to this team has become abundantly clear to everyone…
#AccoladesWhileNotPlaying
November 17th, 2020 at 12:42 am
Ha me too SB.
I think Rod explained it- a very very slim chance he could come back If the post season also gets delayed.
November 17th, 2020 at 1:25 am
Chesapeake Bay Bucco – Yeah, I think Vita is a very good run stuffing NT, I don’t want to downplay that and make it sound like I think he stinks, but I’ve just seen zero evidence of him being a game changer like people seem to hype him as. He’s good at stuffing the run, and that is really important, but he’s mostly a 2-down player. The defensive certainly didn’t have a drop off in the GB game without him, so saying he’s the reason the Bucs defense has been mostly bad lately doesn’t hold water. I think the defense has been off due to Bowles seemingly getting a lot less aggressive (although if anyone can show me the numbers, I’ll retract that, it’s more about feeling he’s less aggressive as opposed to making a statement).
November 17th, 2020 at 1:34 am
Not sure how that’s “promising.”
OJ and VEA are gone for the year and recovering. That’s essentially what that said. Saying it’s “promising” kind of implies one or both might be back before the end of the year. That’s not the case.
I guess it’s promising that they are healing instead of not healing but that didn’t seem like a possibility to begin with
November 18th, 2020 at 4:57 am
Rod, Rod, Rod!
You can’t be serious about the importance of Vea in Bowles 3-4 scheme. Look at the D ranking, numbers, the gash runs, the effectiveness of Suh, Nunez-Roches Gholston since he has been injured.
If you are only looking at pass rush numbers and sacks, you are completely missing the importance of the big man in the middle. On pass rush he pushes interior so the opposing QB can’t climb the pocket. You could argue he is/was the most important piece on the entire D. He takes on double and triple teams to allow other players to excel. Remember how free 45 and 54 were to make plays before Vea injury.
Even on the Ira podcast, they were not overly concerned when Vea was injured. I believe their opinion in all likelihood has changed.
Rod, do your homework before you make a comment.
November 18th, 2020 at 6:36 am
Vita vea is a massive man. Therein lies the problem. Always trouble with his wheels. If he could lose 25 of those pounds he could stay healthier and be more mobile. The power will still be there.