Buccaneers' Vita Vea: Drops weight for third downs

Coach Todd Bowles said Tuesday that Vea has dropped weight this offseason in the interest of playing increased snaps, including third downs, Scott Smith of the Buccaneers' official site reports.

Vea is coming off a career 2023 campaign, with a new high of 43 tackles (28 solo), while his 5.5 sacks fell just one short of tying a career-best mark. An ability to pressure opposing quarterbacks provides Vea with more IDP value than the usual defensive tackle, so if he can keep racking up sacks despite dropping weight, the addition of third-down reps could provide a significant boost to the 29-year-old's fantasy prospects.