Bucs Gameday

Buccaneers DT Vita Vea Hinted To Play At Lighter Weight For 2024 Season

The Bucs nose tackle seems to have trimmed down a bit before coming back for offseason activities.

River Wells

Jan 15, 2024; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive tackle Vita Vea (50) reacts after
Jan 15, 2024; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive tackle Vita Vea (50) reacts after / Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports
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Vita Vea has always been a mauler for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on the defensive front. It wouldn't be wise to expect that to change, but he could look a little bit different coming into 2024.

Tampa Bay assistant coaches spoke to the media on Tuesday, and co-defensive coordinator and defensive line coach Kacy Rodgers was asked if DT Vita Vea would lose some weight to avoid injuries in the future. And while Rodgers acknowledged that he had, his answer made it seem as if the change could be a bit more than a couple of pounds.

"I'm not gonna let the cat out of the bag, but wait until you see him when he comes back," Rodgers told media. "He looks a lot different."

A big part of what makes Vita Vea such a dominant player is his size, so it's unlikely that he's dropped too many pounds from his previous 350-pound frame. If he can get some more muscle and keep his weight down a tad, though, it could go a long way to preventing some of the injuries that Vea has faced in the past. And the more Vea is on the field, the better Tampa Bay's defense is.

Stick with BucsGameday for more coverage of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers throughout the 2024 offseason.

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River Wells

RIVER WELLS

River Wells is a sports journalist from St. Petersburg, Florida, who has covered the Tampa Bay Buccaneers since 2023. He graduated with a journalism degree from the University of Florida in 2021. You can follow him on Twitter @riverhwells.