Vita Vea’s name has been one of the loudest in Buccaneers camp, and not because he’s been a full-speed participant in practice. The Tampa Bay star defensive lineman asked for a trade earlier this offseason after the team couldn’t work out a new contract with him, then showed up to training camp anyway while stopping short of full participation.
That standoff has only gotten more attention as other elite defensive linemen around the league have landed new deals. NFL Network insider Mike Garafolo drew the comparison directly, pointing to the market Vea is watching unfold.
“If you're Vita Vea, you're looking at all the guys who have gotten contract extensions this offseason: Jeffrey Simmons, Quinnen Williams, Jalen Carter, Dexter Lawrence got one as part of that trade, and then you look at the numbers… Vita Vea had 101 pressures and 11.5 sacks… They are comparable to Jeffrey Simmons. They are comparable to Quinnen Williams,” he said, per his account on X, formerly Twitter.
Those kinds of extensions have only sharpened the tension around Vea’s situation, especially after his trade request last month. Tampa Bay, for now, has offered no sign that it plans to honor that request. Still, the door could be cracked open if the right package comes along.
What makes the whole thing more complicated is that Vea still looks like a premium player. Garafolo’s numbers paint the picture: 101 pressures and 11.5 sacks, production that puts him in the same conversation as some of the league’s highest-paid interior defenders. That kind of value tends to draw interest, and it would not be a surprise if another team were willing to pay both the trade price and the extension Vea hasn’t gotten from the Buccaneers.
For now, Tampa Bay moves ahead with its season set to begin September 13 on the road against the Cincinnati Bengals.
In Other News...
Buccaneers QB Depth Suddenly Puts An Unproven Rookie In Spotlight
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Buccaneers Roster Battle Took Center Stage In A Messy First Look
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The quarterback competition drew most of the attention, especially the uneven showings from Connor Bazelak and Jalon Daniels, but they were far from the only players who left an impression. There were a few bright spots mixed in with the rough patches, which is exactly what makes these August games useful for a team trying to separate the fringe contributors from the players who can actually help when the games start to count. [Read more 🡒]
Buccaneers Open Preseason With Pressure On A Few Critical Roster Battles
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Among the names worth tracking are outside linebackers Chris Braswell and Anthony Nelson, who are both in the mix for a limited spot in the pass-rush rotation. Tight end Devin Culp is also trying to carve out a place in a crowded room, and his path looks more difficult than most as the Buccaneers begin trimming the field ahead of the regular season. [Read more 🡒]