Rob Gronkowski Worships Vita Vea
February 9th, 2021
This is extra interesting to Joe since Rob Gronkowski wasn’t asked about Vita Vea when he delivered this love.
Gronk was at Disney World after his Super Bowl win and a raucous postgame party, and while there, the Bucs’ legendary tight end was asked on Fox Sports when he new the Super Bowl was won.
Gronk replied that he felt it was over in the fourth quarter and Gronk then quickly rolled into a rant on Vita Vea.
“I just want to give it up for our defensive line like what a tremendous game they played. Vita Vea, just coming back from [a broken ankle] and just having the dominant performance that he had in the playoffs is just incredible. That dude’s a beast,” Gronk said.
“He’s a monster. He’s huge. He’s fast. He’s scary. You don’t want to get in his way. But I got in his way; I took care of him in the locker room a few times you know. ‘I was like, yo Vita, you’re 350 pounds, you’re fast.’ He gets out of my way now because I showed him what’s up. Actually I run from him. The guy’s a beast. You don’t want to be in that guy’s way.”
Yes, Vea was an absolute beast to come back so strong and apparently in football game shape after his injury layoff. That showed a ton of character and drive. And Joe loved watching Vea rush off the edge against Chiefs. Fun stuff.
General manager Jason Licht took a lot of crap from some Bucs fans for not drafting oft-injured Chargers safety Derwin James back in 2018. Instead, he traded down and grabbed the draft picks that became Vea and Carlton Davis.
Hmmm, Joe hasn’t heard from the James crowd in a while.
February 9th, 2021 at 9:37 am
Vita Vea was a beast in the Playoff and the Super Bowl. When he is out, Suh sack numbers is almost non-existent. He forces double team and frees up all the rest of the pass rushers. At the combine, Vita Vea ran 5.1 seconds. This was at 347 lbs. He is a freight train.
February 9th, 2021 at 9:39 am
vita and suh are the “draino boys”…
they clog the lane like no other
February 9th, 2021 at 9:39 am
Vea getting back and being in shape was huge these last 2 games!
February 9th, 2021 at 9:43 am
Fans weren’t the only ones who wanted James and Allen over Vea and White. Some scribes did too 🙂 but none of that matter because we live at the top of the mountain now.
February 9th, 2021 at 9:49 am
Derwin James. Forgot about that.
However that was the same crowd who doubted the Devin White pick over and over for months. Haven’t heard from those people either.
February 9th, 2021 at 9:53 am
We saw what life was like without Vea. Decent defense, but nothing special.
Add the big guy back in the lineup, and boom, the defense becomes a wrecking ball.
February 9th, 2021 at 9:55 am
Jason Licht got the guy I wanted.
Ask the Saints, Packers and Chiefs about our line play on both sides of the ball.
February 9th, 2021 at 9:56 am
We would not have won that game, w/o Vita Vea IMHO.
February 9th, 2021 at 10:01 am
No doubt his return lit a fire in our front seven. I wasn’t expecting much when they said he would suit up against washington but boy was I wrong. There’s a lot of talk about Brady and he most definitely deserves it but this defense is the future. Bring in some young pass rushers to groom under JPP and Shaq and this squad can be great for a decade.
February 9th, 2021 at 10:07 am
Was more than happy to get Vea. Would been less happy with James. We needed a tackle like Vea.
February 9th, 2021 at 10:12 am
Vita Vea is freakish, as is Devin White. It’s awesome to have these young guys as building blocks for this defense for years to come.
February 9th, 2021 at 10:17 am
I was in the Derwin/Josh Allen crowd but will admit I was way off. Bucs don’t win the super bowl without Vea and White.
February 9th, 2021 at 10:21 am
Without Vita we don’t win the NFC championship game and certainly not the Super Bowl.
February 9th, 2021 at 10:23 am
Tampa Tom deserves the SB MVP, but the real MVP is the entire D. Release the hounds!!
February 9th, 2021 at 10:24 am
Vea, White, Winfield……our middle for years to come…..
February 9th, 2021 at 10:27 am
But but but but, some guy who played at FSU who can’t stay on the field should be the pick!
February 9th, 2021 at 10:33 am
First time commenting since the Bucs SB victory, I’ve been on CLOUD 9! What a fierce pass rush! Now we can start talking about the draft, right? I’d like to see the Bucs take an edge rusher in the first 2 rounds, and a good Nose Tackle somewhere in the draft. After seeing Vea rushing off the edge, and looking pretty good doing it, maybe the Bucs can go to a “Winnebago” front at times.
February 9th, 2021 at 10:35 am
But, but, but…Kobe Faker said “Fatso” Vea would get pushed all over the field.
February 9th, 2021 at 10:41 am
Jeff Saturday’s opinion of Brady will always be tainted by the fact that he hiked the ball to Peyton Manning in his NFL career.
February 9th, 2021 at 10:48 am
Vita is fun to watch.
February 9th, 2021 at 11:05 am
Watching Vea is so fun. He just collapses the pocket. No nifty moves. He just keeps moving forward and the QB has nowhere to go except backwards or down.
February 9th, 2021 at 11:10 am
I was all in on the Vea pick from the beginning. Always take the dominant DL player over a safety. Always. Even if you don’t need another DL.
February 9th, 2021 at 11:11 am
I for one can honestly say I was all in on the Vea pick in the draft. To be honest at the time I was unsure about the White pick but not anymore. Both are beasts. Congrats.
February 9th, 2021 at 11:17 am
I was all in on Vea when he pushed around Alabama’s front in the Peach Bowl. I’m a Bama fan and I was like “Who in the heck is that big SOB?” He was running down Alabama players. Dude has been stellar.
February 9th, 2021 at 11:46 am
Kudos to J Licht to sticking to his board and drafting Vea. He really transforms the D from good to great.
And props to Vea for working to come back from that injury. Heart of a champ right there.
February 9th, 2021 at 11:50 am
Vita is like Haloti Ngata, who was unstoppable for years.
February 9th, 2021 at 11:54 am
Vita deserves a LOT of LOVE for for his return from injury to make A significant CONTRIBUTION!!!
No Vea, possibly NO NFC Championship victory …
February 9th, 2021 at 11:58 am
Vea is a BEAST wasn’t sure who he was at 1st since he went to Washington. I live in Cali and can’t stand the Pac12 to be honest so I wasn’t happy about the pick at first not going to lie and then he was hurt and I thought great we wasted a pick. I’m so glad I was wrong. Still hate the Pac12 though. Lol
February 9th, 2021 at 12:00 pm
Vita is a monster. Like others have said, it isn’t a coincidence that when Vita came back 58 and 90 start getting sacks again.
February 9th, 2021 at 12:01 pm
Joe mentions Derwin James, he’s a FSU player from old. I went to FSU so I watched him. He was injury prone to the extreme. He always was thinking “greatness” too as opposed to team first. Hamstrings and knee injuries from minimal efforts. Could not understand what the appeal was, totally not surprised we passed on him. Was not surprised to see he is injury prone in the league, what has he done for the Chargers?
Drafting trenches is good strategy!
February 9th, 2021 at 12:52 pm
Still would rather have dalvin over oj
February 9th, 2021 at 12:54 pm
Jason Licht needs to get more recognition and national attention for this accomplishment!
February 9th, 2021 at 12:58 pm
Im a die heart N.E. PATS fan. Loved Brady he is the GOAT. Big props to T.B.Defense they play incredible defense these playoffs. Washington N.O. away. Green Bay away. They shut down 3 future Hall of Fame quarterback s. Great defense’s one of the best I’ve seen in 40 yrs
February 9th, 2021 at 1:14 pm
BB44…thanks for letting us borrow your QB for a few years….it’s going to be really fun.
February 9th, 2021 at 2:12 pm
VV was a beast….as was so many others….coaches included…
GO BUCS
February 9th, 2021 at 2:15 pm
At the time I thought the Bucs should’ve drafted Derwin James(when healthy maybe the best safety in the NFL). However, Vita Vea is the best NT in the NFL and was clearly a great draft choice.
February 9th, 2021 at 2:34 pm
I can happily say I supported the Vea pick over James because I believe that a great defense starts up front. Jason Licht looks like a genius now. That’s why the football folks get paid to do what they do. More times than not we just have to trust them. Trust has us sitting today as winners of Super Bowl LV and the undisputed best team in the NFL. BAR NONE!
February 9th, 2021 at 2:41 pm
Vita Vea definitely changes our defense. When he was hurt…. the entire defense looked mediocre. With him back it allowed the bucs to sit on the pass and not worry about stacking the box.
February 9th, 2021 at 3:04 pm
Hopefully Licht follows suit this draft and picks another monster with speed on D. We need an edge rusher and if free agency goes well the guy will have time to learn the game.
February 9th, 2021 at 4:47 pm
I am glad I don’t follow college football. When the NFL draft hits, I just read up on who the Bucs pick. I wait for the preseason to start. YES, Joes, the preseason games are a necessity whether you like them or not! How else are coaches supposed to decide on young untried players? The AI virtual crap won’t work. Whether it’s 4 games or 2, they are necessary.
February 9th, 2021 at 4:50 pm
P.S.: VV put on a brilliant clinic collapsing the pocket against the Pack. I had a feeling KC would be in trouble cos Mr. Vea would be starting and 100%!
February 9th, 2021 at 7:11 pm
Wow! Fantastic trade down to pick up Davis and VEA
February 9th, 2021 at 7:37 pm
Vea was great and all the strength was there but looked like he was still a little worried about twisting on that ankle and lost a tiny bit of agility… But aside from that he looked better than ever!!!
February 9th, 2021 at 8:21 pm
I am so happy for these young guys getting a ring now and a taste under Brady. Now they will just want MORE.
February 9th, 2021 at 9:00 pm
Vita Vea is the real Defensive MVP. He allows everyone to have single man rushes more often than not. This is why Shaq, JPP, and other gone crazy the past two games. This guy rarely go backward or pancaked.
He and others makes or defense similar to the young Ravens in the late 90s early 2000s.
February 9th, 2021 at 11:59 pm
We should have had VV, Davis AND Donte Jackson for that 1st rd trade down in 2018. Licht drafted MJ Stewart instead though which was a huge 2nd rd miss.
GM Licht has been near perfect since but that stupid pick really got under my skin for some reason. Probably because I really wanted us to get Jackson in the 2nd rd pre-draft – and there he sat….. but NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO…… LOL
February 10th, 2021 at 1:59 am
Vita is worth his weight in gold to our team.