The Tampa Bay Buccaneers got trade calls when star defensive tackle Vita Vea held out and demanded a trade in training camp this summer. While the Bucs extended Vea and trade talks died, Dan Graziano of ESPN notes that the Bucs 1-5 start to the season could have talks picking up again soon.
Graziano notes that the Bucs’ hesitation to extend him in the summer could fuel a trade.
“Vea is 31 years old, and he and the team begrudgingly came to a compromise agreement on his contract during training camp,” wrote Graziano. “The Bucs didn’t act as if he was part of their long-term future, and if teams come looking for a big, run-stuffing defensive tackle, Tampa would be silly not to listen.”
For his career, Vea has now made $100M.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Could Trade Defensive Lineman Vita Vea
Graziano adds that the contract extension that Vea signed might make him more enticing on the market, rather than making him less available in the eyes of the Bucs.
“He is on a minimum salary this year and is guaranteed $23 million for 2027, which would rank about 15th in terms of cap numbers for defensive tackles in the league,” added Graziano. “If you need interior D-line help right now and don’t mind paying Vea $23 million next season at age 32, why not call to see what it would take to get him out of Tampa.”
He is on a cheap deal this year, and he is on a reasonable deal for next season. A team could feel better giving up draft capital knowing that they have him beyond the half-season rental.
The Bucs might be firing head coach Todd Bowles after the season, so the defense could end up changing dramatically in the next six months. At the age and status of Vea, the Bucs might be best served making a move now.
Bucs Will Be Sellers at Trade Deadline
Sitting at 1-5, the Bucs are likely to be sellers at the trade deadline. However, they have two games coming up that will decide how interested they are in selling. While their record is poor in respect to the rest of the NFL, the NFC South is wide open.
The Bucs face the Carolina Panthers, who lead the NFC South this week. Then, they face the division rival Atlanta Falcons.
If they win those two games, they would move to 3-5. At best, Atlanta would be 3-5, and Carolina would be 4-3. They would be one game back in the win column and would have the tiebreaker over Carolina.
Of course, if they lost either of those games, they would not have the tiebreaker and would be another game back. It would make it much easier to sell. The Bucs might not be active on the market this week. However, it is looking like a firm decision will come in the next two weeks. We will see if the Bucs can get back into the mix, or if there will be a fire sale two weeks from now.
Buccaneers $100M Star Drawing New Trade Speculation