The Tampa Bay Buccaneers surely don’t want to trade defensive tackle Vita Vea — he’s arguably their best defensive player.
Vea, however, doesn’t want to play for the Buccaneers. That’s why he’s asking for a trade and, depending on how the market shakes out, the return for the 2-time Pro Bowler might be too great for the Buccaneers to turn down.
The Athletic’s Sam Warren believes 1 team that might be willing to give up a king’s ransom for Vea is the Las Vegas Raiders — convenient for Vea, who would like to head back to his native West Coast.
“Raiders general manager John Spytek won’t need to watch much tape to evaluate Vea’s worth,” Warren wrote on August 1. “As the Buccaneers’ director of player personnel, he was responsible for scouting Vea ahead of the franchise selecting him 12th in the 2018 NFL Draft. Spytek was also part of the front office that signed Vea to his current deal in 2022. What Spytek watched up close was one of the league’s most prolific interior game wreckers. Vea is a force against the run; his 48 career tackles for loss are 13th most among interior defensive linemen since he entered the league … Vea is more than a traditional gap plugger. According to TruMedia, among defensive tackles, his 35 career sacks are 10th most and his 7.8 percent pressure rate is top-30 since he entered the NFL.”
Bucs Opened Training Camp With Shocking Request
According to multiple reports, 2-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Vita Vea requested a trade after negotiations over a contract extension stalled out.
“Bucs DT Vita Vea has requested a trade, but intends to report for training camp with the rest of the team Tuesday,” Fox Sports NFL reporter Greg Auman wrote on his official X account on Monday. “He’s seeking a new deal beyond the upcoming season … (Vea) intends to report for training camp with the rest of the team Tuesday. He’s seeking a new deal beyond the upcoming season.”
Vea is due $17 million in 2026 in the final season of the 4-year, $71 million contract extension he signed in January 2022.
“Vea’s owed $17 million in the final year of his existing deal,” ESPN’s Bill Barnwell wrote on his official X account. “Would imagine something in the ballpark of what Dexter Lawrence is getting from the Bengals ($47 million combined over the next two years) would be the ballpark for Vea.”
Vea, 6-foot-4 and 347 pounds, has spent his entire career with the Buccaneers since he was selected in the 1st round (No. 12 overall) of the 2018 NFL draft, including a heroic postseason performance on the way to winning a Super Bowl following the 2020 season.
“Long-time Bucs DT Vita Vea has requested a trade, sources say,” NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport wrote on his official X account on Tuessday. “Vea had hoped for a long-term contract extension and talks stalled. Now, he wants out.”
ESPN Trade Predictions Might Tell Future for Vea
Barnwell’s annual trade predictions may have undersold Vea after his trade value was labeled “just outside” a 1st-round pick, although there might be a contender out there desperate enough to deal a 1st-rounder.
Barnwell only deemed 1 player on the Tampa Bay roster worth multiple 1st-round picks — NFL All-Pro left offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs — and just 1 more worth a single 1st-round pick in return in 2026 1st-round pick and edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr.
“The Bucs have a lot of good players but very few stars, which is borne out by the trade tiers here,” Barnwell wrote on July 16. “Vea and Winfield are still high-end talents, but Vea is 31 years old and Winfield plays safety, which doesn’t typically translate into significant trade value. Goedeke is one of the league’s better right tackles when healthy, but he has missed most or all of 21 games over his first four seasons.”
Blockbuster Trade Pitch Sends Bucs DT Vita Vea to AFC West