Vita Vea Named To Pro Bowl Roster
January 31st, 2022
The NFL is marching down its list of Pro Bowl alternates to fill the NFC and AFC rosters for Sunday’s game in Las Vegas.
After Buccaneers savior linebacker Devin White was added tothe NFC team last week, along with safety Antoine Winfield, Jr., today comes word that manbeast defensive tackle Vita Vea will join them.
Vea is a Pro Bowl talent playing a part-time load of snaps. So it’s extra cool that he got this honor. Joe will continue to pray to the football gods that something will trigger Bucs defensive coordinator Todd Bowles and Bucco Bruce Arians to give Vea more snaps.
Vea playing less than half the snaps against the Rams last week still keeps Joe up at night. Vea played as much in the playoffs this year as he did in 2020 when he was coming off a nasty broken ankle.
January 31st, 2022 at 3:08 pm
Well diserved!!!! Congrats big fella…….Hope you are a Buc 4ever!!! like Evans and LVD an Gholston….Not like other some mercenaries around!!!
January 31st, 2022 at 3:11 pm
Yeah wtf how did he not play every snap….???
January 31st, 2022 at 3:27 pm
Any idea why his snaps were limited?
January 31st, 2022 at 3:42 pm
Seems obvious the Bucs had Vea on a bit of a “snap count” this year. He took 607 Defensive snaps which was 56% of all the snaps available to him. (Lowest % of his career) He did also play 95 snaps on special teams though so you have to factor that in somewhat….
The “strategy” to limit the big man’s snaps just a bit in 2021 DID pay off in that Vita started 16 games this year – avoiding major injuries that have cut previous seasons short for him…
But like Joe – I find it head scratching that you would employ this ‘snap count for Vea’ strategy all season – with the goal of getting him (and many others) to the playoffs healthy – and then have him play less than half the snaps vs our Nemesis in the biggest, win or go home game of the year.
In an overview kind of way – Lack of pass rush (especially in the 1st half) is the primary reason the Bucs lost that game. Vea should have been in there more often to try and help get extra push in Stafford’s face.
January 31st, 2022 at 3:44 pm
But Joe!!! How’re you gonna get Nacho on the field if you’ve got Vita out there? I mean…the guys name is “Nacho”. Can’t have a dude w a monicker like that riding pine behind a top 12 unstoppable first round draft pick. Don’t be silly.
January 31st, 2022 at 3:48 pm
The part-time thing REALLY bothers me. Dude was a 1st round pick!
How many snaps was Donald on the field? Just saying!
January 31st, 2022 at 3:52 pm
Congrats big fella!
Need him on the field more next year especially if suh gonzo
January 31st, 2022 at 3:52 pm
I do not think I would even bother with the Pro Bowl if I were a player selected. What a waste of time and risk of injury. All pro means a ton but the Pro Bowl is pretty much meh, IMHO but congrats Vita and at least in that game it is normal to play part time. Perfect fit.
January 31st, 2022 at 3:55 pm
Vea played the 2nd most snaps of all 3 starting DL. He beat Gholston by 100 snaps! Vea is 9th in all Bucs defensive players (LB, OLB, CB, S included).
SNAP COUNT BT DL
Suh – 717
Vea – 607
Gholston – 507
Vea, 4Net, and Gronk actually played about the same number of plays.
January 31st, 2022 at 6:22 pm
Pro Bowl..Whats that?
January 31st, 2022 at 6:51 pm
I hate dying him on the bench in critical times. The end of the WFT game comes to mind and the divisional round. Win or go home and they don’t let him feast out there makes NO SENSE. I’d love to hear the reason why they limit him as they do.
January 31st, 2022 at 7:13 pm
Amazing that a part time player gets so many props.
January 31st, 2022 at 7:17 pm
Will Says:
January 31st, 2022 at 6:51 pm
I hate dying him on the bench in critical times.
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He’s on the sideline because he weighs 350lbs and is out breath. If you want him to play more, then you should want him to drop some weight. He’s a very good player when he’s out there, but if you only play 45% of defensive snaps because you’re too fat, well there’s an easy solution for that. Personally, I think if he dropped down to like 320lbs, it wouldn’t negatively affect his play at all, and he’d be able to play more downs.
Also, I said 350lbs, I think it’s pretty obvious that he’s heavier than when he first got here, probably more like 370lb, so getting to 320lb would shave 50lbs — I just don’t see him suddenly not being able to stop the run because he dropped 50lbs of blubber, and if I’m wrong, the great thing is that it’s pretty easy to pack on the pounds.
January 31st, 2022 at 7:28 pm
We are fortunate to have the quality of men in our locker room that we do. JL should be congratulated, but the pic of V V was one of his best, and we can’t say enough about the quality of his character, as well as his Game! Go BUCS!