“It Started Off As A Joke”
October 22nd, 2021
A new twist to the Vita Vea story was revealed recently.
And it came from Vea himself. The manbeast of manbeast nose tackles is a favorite player of national radio and TV host Jim Rome. Vea was a guest on The Jim Rome Show and explained how he wasn’t supposed to play against the Packers in the NFC Championship game.
Vea was rehabbing his broken ankle and the team’s plan for him was to return for the Super Bowl, if the Bucs got there, he said. But Vea marched into One Buc Palace after the Bucs beat the Saints in the NFC Division round and told team officials he was playing against the Packers.
If they wanted him in the Super Bowl, Vea said, then he needed a few snaps against Green Bay.
“It started off as a joke,” Vea said, but the Bucs put him through a rigorous day of cardio on Tuesday following the Saints game, the players’ off day. Vea said that was critical but difficult. He previously hadn’t put real weight on the ankle; he didn’t consider treadmill work to be real running.
As the NFL world knows, Vea indeed played against Green Bay, about 3 1/2 months after shattering his ankle. He said he wasn’t supposed to play 33 snaps but coaches just kept putting him out there.
Ironically, now-healthy Vea has only played more than 33 snaps in half of the Bucs’ six games this season.
It drives Joe nuts that Vea doesn’t play more, but Joe suspects that will come when the games are more critical.
October 22nd, 2021 at 10:13 am
He is so valuable to the team we don’t want to risk injury to him.
I will never forget the way he cleared out 2 Men, so his ex teammate Joe Tryon could get a sack.
I watched Cleveland play Denver last night, and D’Ernest Johnson literally ran all over Denver. Try as they might, they just could not stop him.
Cleveland ran the clock out on Denver, because Denver just could not stop the run.
No way they would do that to us! With Suh and Vea on our line, running on us is like trying to run against a brick wall!
October 22nd, 2021 at 10:14 am
Our best defensive player, and will have to become a franchise player the way Lavonte David has become. His impact on games has been eye popping. Rex Ryan said on a podcast after the falcons game that he thinks Vea is playing better than Haloti Ngata ever has.
October 22nd, 2021 at 10:15 am
Manbeast = Manimal
October 22nd, 2021 at 10:20 am
It’s a long season. Our depth is doing just fine. No need to wear out your best players in our very winnable games.
October 22nd, 2021 at 10:21 am
Have you guys asked bowels ?
October 22nd, 2021 at 10:33 am
Joe has no need to ask his bowels anything. They talk to Joe each morning when he’s on the throne… or if he eats sauerkraut. 🙂
October 22nd, 2021 at 10:38 am
I absolutely love keying on VV50 while watching Bucs games each week. He’s fun to watch, impactful to say the least, a growing disruption to OLs in the NFL, and and seems to be a great locker room kind of guy.
I am, however, offended that he doesn’t consider treadmill running to be “real running!” Try telling that to my legs after a couple mile scamper on the belt.
October 22nd, 2021 at 10:53 am
I usually do the same thing KingLDavid54 on the first re-watch!
October 22nd, 2021 at 10:54 am
I like that BA understands how to keep vet players fresh. You only have to win by one point. To hell with the snap count.
The real concern IMO is getting JPP healthy and productive.
October 22nd, 2021 at 11:02 am
Big Fan of Vea. Joe, just face reality. He is already and is always going to be a part time guy when it comes to snaps. He is averaging about 58% of defensive plays right now. Still worth it to me. Still earning his pay and making an impact.
Big question is, what is going to happen when it comes time to re-sign him? We need to start thinking about it. 2022 will be year 5. Do we pay big money for a so called part time guy. I would at least for another 3 years or so. Now a 3rd contract after that once he is on the wrong side of 30, no way. But if the Bucs can keep him around until he is about 29 or 30, then I think we will keep getting similar results.
October 22nd, 2021 at 11:03 am
Joe any idea what the cardio was and how long?
October 22nd, 2021 at 11:19 am
As the weather cools down… Vita’s snap count goes up.
October 22nd, 2021 at 11:27 am
Good for you fighting back the grammar police Joe!
I still love the ridiculous question tho, “HaVe ThE JoUrNaLiStS aSkEd ThE cOaCh?!” What do you think wise guy?
October 22nd, 2021 at 11:40 am
Every great defense has a select few ‘kingpins’; key players who you build your defense around. Our 2002 team had Sapp & Brooks for the DLine & LB position groups, and IMO Lynch as the kingpin for the Secondary. Our 2020 defense had a number of kingpins, to include JPP, Suh & LVD.
But last year’s team also included several who’ve begun to fill those roles now & will do so even more in the future I think. Those key cogs going forward include Vea, White & Winfield as a minimum. The latter 2 are typically on the field for 100% of the snaps; Vea not so much. Gut feel is that Bowles is using Vea strategically (most significant downs in his opinion), and isn’t really as concerned about his snap count as much as some seem to be. Got a hunch that Todd Bowles knows what Vea is capable of much better than any of us do, and in fact may even be experimenting with how much & when he uses Vea right now.
October 22nd, 2021 at 12:19 pm
Just don’t think you are going to see a very big increase in the amount of snaps he plays because of the way he plays
October 22nd, 2021 at 12:59 pm
Mount Vea
October 22nd, 2021 at 1:25 pm
Barefoot Bulldozer
October 22nd, 2021 at 1:45 pm
17 games plus playoffs. I have zero issues putting that mans body on a pitch count if it means he’s ready for higher leverage situations down the line.
October 22nd, 2021 at 4:57 pm
And the sad thing is we are STILL at the bottom of sacks for our other DL.
October 22nd, 2021 at 6:07 pm
How about “Tongan Terror”?
October 24th, 2021 at 1:41 am
Aloha,
Well, I am guessing Vea is playing exactly the # of snaps the Bucs think best.
Question is why?
Does he come out on some passing downs? Is he on the field for 3rd and long?
Most teams pass way more than run, of course.