Best Athlete In NFL?
November 13th, 2019
Hooked on Bucs’ defender.
Closet Bucs fan and NFL Network personality Peter Schrager may have identified the best athlete in the NFL. And he is on the Bucs roster.
While co-hosting “Good Morning Football” today, seen weekdays on NFL Network, Schrager was all fired up for a guy he said “may be the best athlete, pound for pound, in the NFL.”
And that would be Bucs’ defensive tackle Vita Vea.
Schrager was all worked up talking about Vea and had highlights to demonstrate how Vea is blowing up. Schrager showed Vea ragdoll Cardinals center A.Q. Shipley on Sunday, and also showed Vea take out three different Cardinals defenders on Peyton Barber’s game-winning touchdown.
Joe understands it is low-hanging fruit to beat up the piñata that is Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht. But with Vea, it sure looks as if Licht got that one right.
You can see Schrager describe Vea in the NFL Network video below.
Have you been watching @Buccaneers DT @VitaVea this season? @PSchrags says he’s one of the NFL’s best players we’re not talking about, and shows why in “Cool Plays, Bro”.
Oh, and stay for the Vea high school running back highlights. pic.twitter.com/HqcQdj8spj
— GMFB (@gmfb) November 13, 2019
November 13th, 2019 at 2:13 pm
hmmmmmmmmmmm The FSU Shills seem to be quiet all of a sudden on this. Truly causes one to ponder.
November 13th, 2019 at 2:17 pm
How cool is that? WTG Vita!
November 13th, 2019 at 2:21 pm
You can both like and be happy with Vita Vea while also thinking that Derwin James was the better pick. Doubly so considering how abysmal our secondary remains.
November 13th, 2019 at 2:29 pm
I stayed for the running back highlights… Maybe we should see some more runs from the V-train on Sundays?!
November 13th, 2019 at 2:31 pm
Look at him plowing through AND out running the other kids as the biggest guy out there when he was playing RB in high school!!!
I told ya’ll….big guys, that strong and that fast HAVE to be on your team. Im sure there will be a time we use him at RB in a goal line situation…
Proud of my big promotion BIG V!…i promoted him like no other on here,….just like D. White…just like Marpet.
Glazers, im for hire….its my passion.
November 13th, 2019 at 2:48 pm
Apparently, the fans won’t cheer for him until he plays DB better than Derwin James.
November 13th, 2019 at 2:48 pm
Imagine teaming VV up with the DT coming out of Auburn …of course we have other 1st round needs too
November 13th, 2019 at 2:49 pm
I like Vita but for Bucs fans of all people (who consistently have the worst secondary in the NFL) to take a victory laps on this one is insane.
If you could do that years draft all over again literally 32 NFL teams would take Derwin James over Vita Vea. So quit the FSU hate caus ether Bucs could have Derwin James and Dalvin Cook would probably have a winning record with those 2.
November 13th, 2019 at 2:52 pm
One can simply not complain about the Bucs secondary and then say the Bucs made the right pick by passing on Derwin James.
November 13th, 2019 at 2:52 pm
Love it when we draft towards the lines in the 1st. Lets do it again… how far can Chase Young fall?
November 13th, 2019 at 2:57 pm
I mean Derwin is still first team all pro and Vea probably won’t even make pro bowl or get mentioned for all-pro this year. Secondary is still the weakest area on the team so they shouldn’t have passed on him or Minkah. Us FSU homers also wanted Dalvin Cook and we know how that one turned out. All that being said, Vea is a monster and my favorite player on the defense.
November 13th, 2019 at 2:59 pm
MadMax, congrats, you promoted three non pro bowl players. The hell are you bragging about? Devin White looks like crap too.
November 13th, 2019 at 3:10 pm
Thems some sweet running skills. That was good enough for Lamar Jackson to say “dayum”
November 13th, 2019 at 3:12 pm
Lol derwin james… where is he at this year?
November 13th, 2019 at 3:12 pm
Licht still sucks
November 13th, 2019 at 3:13 pm
Vita “Maui” Vea
November 13th, 2019 at 3:13 pm
Regardless of how well Derwin James is playing so far, there are far more great safeties out there than athletic, run-stuffing, collapse the pocket NTs.
Vea is by far a better choice for the Bucs to build around than Derwin James would have been. Vea is the primary reason we’re #1 against the run, and he’s going to make it easier for our other D-Lineman to get to the QB.
Bucs can easily find some safeties in free agency. They’d wouldn’t easily find a Vita Vea.
Excellent pick by the Bucs (for a change).
November 13th, 2019 at 3:17 pm
Side note – this just in:
PFF TB Buccaneers
@PFF_Buccaneers
#Bucs Jamel Dean was the highest graded defender in the entire #NFL last week with a 95.5❗️
He allowed 1 reception for -2 yards with 2 pass breakups and an interception#GoBucs
November 13th, 2019 at 3:17 pm
Believe Dean actually had 4 pass breakups
November 13th, 2019 at 3:40 pm
he did get it correct, he is now 1/50.
November 13th, 2019 at 3:57 pm
VitaV is is a ProBowl caliber player this year. But does not light up the stats sheet and being on a losing team(so far) will likely not get the honor.
November 13th, 2019 at 3:58 pm
I want the DT Raekwon from Alabama
November 13th, 2019 at 3:59 pm
@ManzielMadness
Not far, even with his stupid suspension over borrowing money to get a ticket for his girlfriend to last year’s Rose Bowl, even though she paid for the ticket and he paid back the money he borrowed. There are some seriously stupid rules out there. If he’s there past…..6, I’d be insanely surprised. Likely he goes earlier than that honestly.
November 13th, 2019 at 3:59 pm
@berto, ignore what was going on with White, go ahead….he’ll be where Vita is in his 2nd year…injuries happen.
November 13th, 2019 at 4:04 pm
74 when you look at VHIIIs career stats(30 something games) and compare them to Dean’s career stats(2 games) it’s appalling.
Dean has nearly half of the production as Vernon in PDs and INTs. Easy to see why they fired Vernon. Then you factor in that effort was lacking and it becomes a no-brainer.
Now we got a more productive player on the field. Secondary should benefit.
November 13th, 2019 at 4:11 pm
MadMax….Not sure if Vita will ever get a carry but in Bruce’s post game comments he did say that if Vita keeps blocking the way he did they might gotta give him a endzone pass one of these days.
November 13th, 2019 at 4:46 pm
Too cool.
November 13th, 2019 at 5:00 pm
JimmyJack Says:
November 13th, 2019 at 4:11 pm
MadMax….Not sure if Vita will ever get a carry but in Bruce’s post game comments he did say that if Vita keeps blocking the way he did they might gotta give him a endzone pass one of these days.
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Schrager acts like he’s on meth. If BA is dreaming up creative O plays for VV, he needs to do the same with JW. DK had JW bootleg optioning and running a lot his first 2 seasons here. BA needs to think about it. The offense is better player-wise than it was 3 years ago.
November 13th, 2019 at 5:07 pm
All you FSU homers with the Derwin James wishes need to just fade away with your fantasies. Please.
November 13th, 2019 at 5:10 pm
74 Bucs fan Says:
November 13th, 2019 at 3:17 pm
Believe Dean actually had 4 pass breakups
………….
He had 4 Passes defended in his last two games Each!
Carlton Davis (Our best cover corner) had 4 All of last yr.
I was criticizing the Sh!t out of him in the Seattle game yet he did what a REAL pro does and he started fixing it!
November 13th, 2019 at 5:12 pm
JimmyJack Says:
November 13th, 2019 at 4:04 pm
74 when you look at VHIIIs career stats(30 something games) and compare them to Dean’s career stats(2 games) it’s appalling.
__________________________________________________
100%! More passes defending in 2 games than VH3 in 9.
I’ve been telling ya’ll since the Seattle game, even though he got picked on by Russell Wilson in his first start, Dean showed serious instincts. If he keeps improving he will be our #1 CB (I know, not saying much on this team lol, but still)
As for Vea, LOVE IT!
I was stoked we drafted him and not James.
November 13th, 2019 at 5:21 pm
I’ve been wrong about a million times
But I got one thing right, I got one thing right
I’ve been at the wrong place at the wrong time
Chasin’ all the wrong things most of my life
Been every kinda lost that you can’t find
But I got one thing right (I got one thing right)
Been the kind of guy girls mamas don’t like
Runnin’ with the wrong crowd on the wrong nights
‘Cause I’ve been wrong about a million times
But I got one thing right, you
November 13th, 2019 at 5:26 pm
Dean was bad in the Seattle game but he wasn’t as bad as Wilson was good…..Wilson dropped in a couple of real beauties when Dean had good coverage….especially that pass in OT.
Can we simply enjoy the success with Vea without whining about Derwin James?
I mean, I like James but he isn’t a Buc….Vea is and he’s a good Buc.
November 13th, 2019 at 5:29 pm
FSU can’t recruit anymore because their facilities need big time upgrades.
So, instead of investing money in the facilities, and give Taggart a chance, they buy out his contract, then they are going to buy out another football coach’s contract to get him to come to FSU.
No wonder Fisher left…
November 13th, 2019 at 5:51 pm
I coulda sworn I saw VV drop back in coverage one play!!
November 13th, 2019 at 8:41 pm
It’s not just about Derwin James. In ADDITION to Vea we ended up picking up two DB’s…that’s three players instead of one and two of them in our area of greatest need.
November 13th, 2019 at 9:42 pm
I GLADLY eat my CROW Pie……I wanted DERWIN over Vita, and thought Vita was a bust. So HAPPY Vita is a monster! Derwin will also be a perennial pro-bowler, so in reality, either pick would have been good for the bucs.
But Vita is awesome to stabilize our OL, and so glad I was wrong about him. Dude is an athletic monster, and so happy he is a BUC…..for years to come! GOOOO VV!!!
November 13th, 2019 at 11:33 pm
Had no problem at all when he was drafted. Don’t know if he’ll be a super star but he seems to be playing very well indeed.
November 14th, 2019 at 1:45 am
Sapp needs to apologize!
Sapp needs to look in his heart and make some changes.
He should stop being so jealous of the youngbloods and show them some love.
November 14th, 2019 at 9:51 am
Sign me up to the Vita appreciation landslide also.
November 14th, 2019 at 11:41 am
Called it before he was drafted. So glad we got him.
November 14th, 2019 at 12:34 pm
Holy $#!t him running the ball was awesome