Why Wasn’t Vita Vea In BSPN’s Top-10?
July 18th, 2026
Not enough almost-sacks?
Joe thought this was very cool of the WWL.
And, hey, Joe’s panting coming down the final stretch of the NFL dead period with training camp 11 days away.
It’s not like BSPN to address areas where they could be taken to task. So Joe doffs his cap at the BSPN suits who allowed NFL reporter Jeremy Fowler to address potential oversights.
Fowler and the four-letter this week published its Top-10 list of every position. The annual exercise is cobbled together after Fowler (and others?) consults with and collects votes from NFL suits, coaches and scouts.
One interesting omission was Bucs’ Pro Bowl defensive tackle Vita Vea. That seemed odd.
Fowler addressed why Vea did not make the cut.
Vita Vea, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Vea is still widely feared as one of the league’s best nose tackles, but the 31-year-old’s pressure numbers have fallen, and he was not one of the top 10 run-stopping DTs in ESPN’s run stop win rate.
Oh, those pressures! Bad Vea! You didn’t have enough almost-sacks. Shame on you! You instead preferred to put quarterbacks on their asses. The nerve!
Sadly, as players like to say, the NFL is a business. Joe guesses the lack of almost-sacks may be a reason the Bucs haven’t reworked Vea’s contract. His contract expires after this season and Vea was a hold-in during minicamp.
Imagine the idea that a defensive tackle puts quarterbacks on the ground as opposed to running near them and yelling “BOO!” and that could cost a guy serious coin. That’s the crazy world we live in.
July 18th, 2026 at 9:16 am
BSPN hates the Tom Bradyless Bucs
July 18th, 2026 at 9:32 am
Vea is the hidden gem of the Bucs defense. Last year with such medicore play from the DL’s others players, Vea was easy to account for. They could key on him and let others go. With that said he is 31, not a good age for D Tackles. My guess is that is the Bucs reason for not being in a hurry. However, Suh, whom Vea now trains with had a long productive career. The Bucs might take a close look at that because Kancy can’t stay healthy and the Bucs have no one to replace Vea. The defense has been pretty poor the last two years and has a way to go before it becomes credible this year. They desperately need Vea this year and next to improve this defense.
The Bucs need to really make the right moves with Baker and Vea if they really want to compete. Presently the way they have been approaching things I think they are looking at long term rebuilding than retooling. They just don’t really appear interested in winning right now. I don’t know ask ME what he thinks.
July 18th, 2026 at 9:40 am
When your team under performs and you have a paucity of quality players on line and at LB the public perception falls.
Don’t kid yourself VV is still a game wrecker with some accompanying pieces and can stop Eagles tush push-who else does that?
July 18th, 2026 at 10:13 am
I love VV, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see Licht trade him while he’s still good and before he declines. At the very least, he needs to come out on passing downs to bring in a pass rushing DT.
July 18th, 2026 at 10:28 am
I’m interested in seeing what Capehart can do at this level. He exhibited some power at Clemson. He could be a nice rotational player
July 18th, 2026 at 10:37 am
It’s starting to feel like the Bucs are going to ride out existing contracts and take it from there.
July 18th, 2026 at 11:01 am
It wasn’t just Vea’s pressures that were off last year Joseph…..
Also trending down were:
Sacks – 4.5 (down from 7 the previous year)
Tackles – 34 (down from 42)
Solo Tackles – 16 (down from 27)
TFLs – 7 (down from 10)
QB hits were the same at 13.
This was with one extra game played compared to 2024 – as Vita played 17 (regular season) games for the first time in his career – which is a good thing obviously….
To be fair – 2024 was Vita Vea’s best statistical year and earned him a Pro Bowl award – but ’25 stats were a tad down from 2023 numbers as well – and he only played 15 games in ’23….
Vea’s stats are not always a direct correlation to his true value on the field at the position he plays – but down is down – and 350 pound players rarely trend upward statistically once they are past 30 years old.
July 18th, 2026 at 11:15 am
“Why Wasn’t Vita Vea In BSPN’s Top-10?”
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!
OK.
I have finally stopped laughing at this headline…
The reason is very simple.
Vita Vea is NOT deserving of a top ten designation.
He is a very solid NT – but his ability is limited by his off season conditioning and his health.
If I were the Bucs I would make him earn EVERY penny of his next humongous contract and I would force him to play out his current deal…
Sorry big boy.
I don’t care what you did yesterday…
Today is all that matters IMO.
July 18th, 2026 at 11:24 am
Im sorry, but I have a hard time envisioning Licht doing anything remotely proactive as this. See Evan’s Buc for life contract, trade deadlines as he sits on his hands, shoot he could have resigned Devin and traded him before anyone knew about his temperament. Licht is a passive trend follower/chaser, not a trend setter/leader. He’s more likely to give Kancey a fat bag before the guy can get thru 8 games
July 18th, 2026 at 11:47 am
Underperforming
Trade him if the season is at Bowels historical
Win ~ Loss pace at the end of October
July 18th, 2026 at 2:33 pm
Yawn
July 18th, 2026 at 2:57 pm
I agree with Marine. It would be wise to trade him now while we can get something for him. Let someone else get saddled with a big contract for this part time declining average DT.
July 18th, 2026 at 3:32 pm
Bring on September!
July 18th, 2026 at 5:13 pm
Yall know Big V can choose to retire, right? Keep that in mind before choosing to degrade a still competent force who I pushed for us to draft back then…..
He’s still very relevant Jason! We need that big front!
July 18th, 2026 at 6:19 pm
Wasn’t it Bill Belichick who said “better to get rid of a guy a year too soon than a year too late”? The reason I say that is because it was mentioned trading him… I think he’s still a great player but will he be in 3 or 4 years?
July 18th, 2026 at 6:26 pm
I could see them giving Josiah Green a chance.