The Chargers have the kind of setup that makes a splashy Vita Vea trade feel more real than most. Los Angeles has spent plenty of time playing the patient game under general manager Joe Hortiz, but this is also a team sitting on cap space and draft capital, which is exactly the sort of ammo that can turn a rumor into a deal.
Vea, the disgruntled Tampa Bay Buccaneers star, has already made it clear he’d like to play on the West Coast. He’s also entering the final year of his current four-year, $71 million contract, and he carries a non-guaranteed $17 million salary this season. For a player who still ranked 20th out of 134 defensive linemen in Pro Football Focus grading last year, that price tag is not exactly out of reach for a team with roughly $40 million in free cap space.
And then there’s Derwin James, who didn’t exactly hide his interest when asked about the possibility on the Up & Adams Show with Kay Adams this week.
"You wanna come? Come on man," James told Adams.
"I'm all for it. It increases your chances.
The more guys you have who can make plays, I'm always for it.”
That kind of public encouragement only adds fuel to the idea. The Chargers are in what looks like an all-in season with Mike McDaniel in town for perhaps just one year as Justin Herbert’s offensive coordinator, and Vea would fit the defensive picture neatly. Pairing him with Teair Tart would give the Chargers another force inside and, in theory, help create more room for edge rushers Khalil Mack, contract-year Tuli Tuipulotu and first-round rookie Akheem Mesidor.
Los Angeles already added Dalvin Tomlinson and rookie draft pick Nick Barrett as nose tackles this offseason, but Vea is a different level of player. The question now is whether Tampa Bay actually moves him or simply works out a new contract. Either way, the Chargers have enough reason to stay in the mix, and James has made sure everyone knows he’d welcome it.
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New Bucs Defender Sends Strong Message About Tampa Bays Toughness
The Buccaneers latest defensive additions come with a familiar feel, even if the fit is still taking shape. Tampa Bay has brought in linebacker Christian Rozeboom and defensive tackle A'Shawn Robinson, a pair that has already crossed paths with the Rams and Panthers and now gets another chance to line up together. For a defense that wants more size, experience and edge, Robinson brings the kind of veteran presence that can change the tone of a front seven, while Rozeboom has built a reputation as a steady tackler who keeps showing up around the ball.
What makes the move interesting for Tampa Bay is not just the reunion, but the profile of the players involved. Robinson arrives with a decade of NFL seasoning and a track record that includes a championship run in Los Angeles, while Rozeboom has grown into a reliable piece in Carolina and gives the Bucs another physical body in the middle of the defense. If Tampa Bay is going to be tougher to handle this season, it will need more than talent, and these two additions suggest the front office is leaning into that identity. [Read more 🡒]
Bucs Camp Just Opened With Tension Around Two Core Stars
Training camp has barely gotten underway in Tampa Bay, and already the Buccaneers are dealing with the kind of offseason noise that can hang over a team if it lingers too long. Quarterback Baker Mayfield and defensive tackle Vita Vea are both in the final year of their contracts, leaving two of the rosters most important players tied to questions about the future as the focus should be on getting ready for the season.
Head coach Todd Bowles has tried to keep the message simple, noting that contract disputes are part of the NFL and that the team has to stay locked in on football. Even so, this is not the kind of backdrop the Bucs wanted as camp opens, especially with two core pieces still working through uncertainty while the rest of the roster tries to build momentum. [Read more 🡒]