Bucs NT Vea Hungry For Another Shot At Rams

Bucs nostril sort out Vita Vea had a outstanding ending to his fourth season in Tampa Bay final 12 months. Not solely did Vea end with a career-high 4 sacks and his first Professional Bowl berth, however the staff additionally rewarded him with a brand new contract extension. Vea’s new deal runs by 2026 and is value a mean of $17.75 million per 12 months, in response to OverTheCap.com.

Every part ended properly for Vea final 12 months — besides the Bucs’ 30-27 playoff loss to the Rams. That defeat ended Tampa Bay’s hopes of repeating as Tremendous Bowl champions.

“I feel there’s a lot to study from the final two years, particularly us being a younger group,” Vea mentioned. “We had an actual younger group once we received the Tremendous Bowl and I feel final 12 months, we had some good expertise shedding within the playoffs – as bizarre because it sounds. I feel it makes you extra hungry when that occurs. I feel there’s a lot to study from that – shedding and never being there [after] profitable the 12 months earlier than. It’s simply taking these little steps to get higher on daily basis.”

Vea Wants To Shed Some Weight

Whereas Vea could also be hungrier, he does must shed a couple of kilos earlier than the season. Though his precise weight isn’t recognized proper now, one staff supply instructed Pewter Report he seems to be lighter than he did in OTAs final 12 months.

Head coach Todd Bowles didn’t appear too involved about Vea’s weight on Tuesday.

“Properly, we haven’t weighed him but,” Bowles mentioned. “Clearly, it’s voluntary – we don’t go weighing all people proper now. Proper now, I’m simply joyful he’s right here. He’s right here, he’s working and he all the time finally ends up the place we wish him to be come coaching camp time.”

Vea is listed at 347 kilos on the Bucs’ roster, which was his weight on the NFL Scouting Mix again in 2018. Who is aware of what he truly weighs now, or what his in-season weight often is?

“I feel you already know we all the time try to be higher,” Vea mentioned. “I feel I’m joyful the place I’m at proper now. Clearly, we don’t gotta be able to play at this time. We’ve received a very long time. So, it’s simply someday at a time proper now.”

Vea Exhibiting Up To OTAs To Lead

Wearing a t-shirt, a sweatshirt and a jersey, Vea possible dropped a couple of kilos on the primary day of OTA follow. For Vea, it was essential to be at the beginning of OTAs from a management standpoint, regardless of attendance being optionally available.

“On day one, it’s simply a type of issues that, you already know, are available in and be collectively as a gaggle,” Vea mentioned. “ we’ve got an actual younger group. We’ve received a pair younger guys that we received to get collectively on the sector and off the sector. And get that comraderie going.”

A type of new, younger gamers is rookie defensive sort out Logan Corridor, who made a positive first impression on Vea.

“He’s good,” Vea mentioned. “That is our first day in. He confirmed some actually good hustle – particularly within the movie room, watching a few of his movie. He’s good, [a] good younger athletic man. So, [I’m] anticipating so much from him this 12 months.

“He’s very explosive. He’s massive, however an athletic-type of participant. You all the time love that in a D-lineman.”

With the Bucs drafting Corridor to apparently substitute defensive sort out Ndamukong Suh, who’s 35, the staff is in search of Vea to develop into a pacesetter. That comes with the territory of creating the Professional Bowl and incomes a profitable contract. Vea is making his finest effort to step up in Suh’s absence.

“Yeah, I don’t know, it feels form of bizarre,” Vea mentioned. “I wish to mess around so much. [I] assume I’ve simply received to chop that down a little bit bit, and attempt to step into that chief function and attempt to take management.

“[I] really feel fairly snug with it. I feel we’ve received another guys in our group who’re older than me who additionally play that place. And I don’t assume it’s all on me. I feel as a collective group, I feel we do job of working collectively of taking that management function when there must be management. I feel that’s the most effective factor about it as a result of all of us name one another out about our B.S. So, it really works out for us.”

Loss To Rams Made The Bucs Hungrier

The Bucs will want Vea to assist lead the staff previous the Rams within the NFC. Los Angeles has overwhelmed Tampa Bay thrice during the last two years. This 12 months, the 2 groups will sq. off at Raymond James Stadium as soon as once more in Week 9. Vea mentioned that the most recent loss to the Rams clearly stung.

“Yeah it did, it harm a little bit bit,” Vea mentioned. “I feel anyone in that scenario would harm. I feel it was studying level for all of us. And it was robust to recover from. It was robust to look at another playoff sport.”

The street to the Tremendous Bowl could undergo the Rams once more within the NFC. Vea mentioned he and his teammates have an excellent better starvation now after watching Los Angeles win Tremendous Bowl LVI.

“There’s all the time a better starvation,” Vea mentioned. “I feel each staff is available in yearly anticipating to win. I feel that’s the explanation why we play is to win. If not, you shouldn’t be enjoying in any respect.”