On the eve of Tampa Bay’s 2026 coaching camp, defensive sort out Vita Vea escalated his contract dispute with the Bucs by publicly requesting a commerce. The 31-year previous Vea is in search of a contract extension as he enters the ultimate 12 months of the extension he signed in January of 2022. His $17.75 million common wage is now nineteenth amongst all inside defensive linemen and his $18 million money owed is thirteenth at his place group for this 12 months.
By comparability he was fifteenth in snaps, twelfth in pressures, twenty first in stress price, forty sixth in defensive stops and twenty ninth in sacks final 12 months per Professional Soccer Focus. These rankings are nearly all down from the place he was in 2024, exhibiting the true threat concerned with a now-31-year-old defensive sort out. Is Vea at the moment price greater than the wage the Bucs are set to pay him this 12 months?
Sure.
Will he proceed to be price it into 2027 and past? That’s actually unclear.
I’ve maintained, and proceed to consider, this all ends with common supervisor Jason Licht giving Vea a pay elevate for 2026 with out extending him. A revised wage of someplace between $21 and 23 million {dollars}, with potential incentives that might push it increased appears honest.
Nevertheless it received’t fulfill what Vea and his illustration are on the lookout for. Particularly, extra years with assured cash into 2027 and maybe past.
Ought to the scenario proceed to bitter, there shall be no scarcity of suitors trying so as to add Vea to their roster this season. However the worth they’re keen to half with for the Bucs’ massive man is just not the draft haul many may count on.
And with the group having a number of choices at nostril sort out, together with A’Shawn Robinson, Rakeem Nunez-Roches, Elijah Simmons, Jayson Jones and fifth-round draft choose DeMonte Capehart, that place is as stocked because it’s been in current reminiscence, which supplies some insurance coverage in case the Vea scenario takes an surprising downward flip.
Latest Comp Trades Present A Attainable Vita Vea Commerce Gained’t Be A Windfall For The Bucs
Let’s begin with current trades for defensive tackles. The headliner is the Dexter Lawrence commerce from the Giants to the Bengals. Cincinnati gave up the tenth total choose for “Sexy Dexy.” I’m certain if the Bucs obtained an identical supply (though arduous to nail down equal worth taking a look at future draft picks) they’d chew the bullet and transfer Vea. However they received’t get an identical supply.
At age 28, Lawrence is greater than 2.5 years youthful than the 31-year previous Vea. And whereas Vea’s manufacturing on the stats sheet has technically been increased than Lawrence’s of late, most of that comes from how they’re requested to play. Each massive males are known as nostril tackles, however the disparity in how they outline that position is sort of huge.
Bucs DT Vita Vea – Picture by: IMAGN Photographs
In accordance with Sumer Sports activities, Vea ranks seventeenth in snaps at nostril since 2023. Lawrence is No. 1 on the nostril sort out place, and isn’t even shut with 1,085 snaps both heads up or as a shade over that point interval. Lawrence’s 59 pressures from the nostril sort out place additionally dwarf Vea’s 22, though Vea does have the higher stress price from that alignment at 6.57% to five.44%.
Vea racks up extra pressures and sacks as a result of he’s put in a greater place to get these stats, getting a far larger shake on the 3-technique. Add in that Lawrence had two years remaining on his present contract when he was traded versus Vea solely having one and it turns into apparent that Lawrence was the extra precious commerce commodity.
Previous to the Lawrence commerce, the Cowboys despatched defensive sort out Osa Odighizuwa to the 49ers. The value? A 3rd-round choose. Odighizuwa is 3.5 years youthful than Vea and had three years remaining on his contract.
Now, he hasn’t fairly performed as much as his $20 million per 12 months price ticket since inking his present deal, however the 49ers solely owe him $16.75 million this 12 months based on Over the Cap, proper in step with his present worth. Then if his play improves, they’ve two possibility years at $20.5 million every.
What Is Vita Vea’s Commerce Worth?
The place does that depart Vita Vea with Tampa Bay? His manufacturing locations his worth nearer to that of Dexter Lawrence, however between Vea’s age (31) and pending free company, his commerce worth drops significantly.
I’ve Vea’s worth at $24 million per 12 months. With him owed simply $18 million this 12 months there may be $6 million price of surplus worth hooked up to him, for a complete commerce worth of $30 million based on analysis I’ve beforehand achieved attempting to create a standard forex for exactly most of these player-for-pick offers.
That’s equal to the worth of the 78th choose within the draft – a third-round choose.
Bucs DT Vita Vea and Falcons QB Michael Penix Jr. – Picture by: Cliff Welch/PR
If a group falls in love with Vea and looks like he’s the ultimate piece of the puzzle – or there turns into a bidding struggle between a number of groups within the Bucs’ two-time Professional Bowler – I may see an overpay to the tune of an anticipated late second-rounder. However a third-round choose is the almost certainly compensation that Tampa Bay ought to count on.
That can really feel gentle to followers who’ve seen Vea anchor the Bucs protection for eight years and assist win a Tremendous Bowl, along with 4 NFC South division titles. However trades are simply as a lot about salaries and years of group management as they’re about proficient gamers.
