Bucs Defensive Tackle Comments on Offensive Line Newcomers

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers nose tackle is excited about what he is seeing from the newcomers on the offensive line.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive tackle Vita Vea (50) celebrates a sack of Tennessee Titans quarterback Will Levis (8) during their game at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla., Sunday, Nov. 12, 2023. / Denny Simmons / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are gearing up to face their first opponent other than themselves this weekend when they head to Cincinnati to face off against the Bengals in Week 1 of preseason.

We are just getting into the thick of things with having full pads on in Tampa Bay, which means we are just now truly getting a feel for how the trenches are looking. Both lines, offensive and defensive, have had their moments thus far into camp, continuing to prepare the other side for the level of play they will see once the season does indeed get kicked off.

With both sides of the ball bringing out the best in one another, Bucs star nose tackle Vita Vea spoke on some of the new additions on the offensive line he has been going against, praising them for the strides they have since coming into the organization.

"It's always good going against new people. I think, the people that have been here, they kind of know your moves and stuff, so you only have a short time to work your go-to moves on them before they pick it up," Vea said. "It's like a back-and-forth, like how they say iron sharpens iron. That's basically how it is. They figure us out, we figure them out, and we go from there.

"I think Graham has been showing big strides and is taking big steps as a young guy – especially as an O-lineman and being the center for the most part… Bredeson is also, being the leader that he is, coming in and picking everything up and hitting it in stride."

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Getting some fresh blood to go against is always welcome, and it seems like Vea is getting some different looks with the new guys coming in. Vea was also extremely complimentary to both newcomers in free agent acquisition Ben Bredeson and rookie first-round draft pick Graham Barton.

Bredeson came in to battle Sua Opeta for the chance to start at left guard along the offensive line. Unfortunately, Opeta suffered a season-ending injury, paving the way for Bredeson to focus on improving rather than the battle itself. For Barton, he is still learning to grasp all the minute details it takes to be an NFL center, but it's great to hear that he has stepped up from a veteran who he will have to face everyday in practice.

The trenches were a bit up-and-down for the Buccaneers in 2023, so they will be relying on a slimmed-down Vea and the newcomers in Barton and Bredeson as they look to improve in those areas where they lacked better production a season ago.

READ MORE: Buccaneers Drop First Depth Chart of 2024

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