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As speech strategies go, asking for a waste and acquisition nan time earlier training campy opens is nan NFL balanced of reaching for nan atomic codes earlier deciding to type them in. But that's precisely what Tampa Bay Buccaneers chemoreceptor tackle Vita Vea has done.
The two-time Pro Bowl subordinate has grown truthful disappointment pinch statement discussions this offseason that he's decided he doesn't spot a early pinch nan team, and has asked to beryllium traded, a convention root confirmed to Fox News Digital.
That doesn't mean a waste and acquisition will happen. Vea is nether statement for nan 2026 play and is scheduled to dress up to $18 cardinal if he tin play each 17 games successful nan last twelvemonth of his existent contract.
Atlanta Falcons backmost Kirk Cousins (18) scrambles distant from Tampa Bay Buccaneers protect tackle Vita Vea (50) during nan first half of an NFL shot crippled Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024, successful Atlanta. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
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The Bucs aren't simply going to clasp a occurrence waste to debar nan waste and acquisition talk distraction, per a source.
Vea wants much money and points to nan truth he is presently nan 19th-highest-paid interior protect lineman successful nan league. And he believes he is overmuch amended than nan 19th-best protect lineman successful nan league.
Vea is, for each intents and purposes, nan structural centerpiece of nan Tampa Bay defense. He is arguably nan team's champion tally defender and, arsenic each NFL protect coordinators often note, if a defense cannot extremity nan tally it is incapable to do overmuch of thing else.
Vea provides a uncommon operation of size, powerfulness to activity to power nan mediate of nan statement from his chemoreceptor tackle spot. At 6-foot-4 and 347 pounds, Vea has anchored against double-teams for overmuch of his caller years.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers protect tackle Vita Vea sacks Dallas Cowboys backmost Dak Prescott (4) during nan first half of an NFL wild-card shot game, Monday, Jan. 16, 2023, successful Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
Despite this attention, he is capable to clog interior rushing lanes and forestall violative linemen from climbing cleanly to nan 2nd level of Tampa Bay’s defense. Since becoming a full-time starter successful 2019, he has helped nan Buccaneers found 1 of nan NFL’s astir consistently productive tally defenses.
From 2019 done astir of nan 2024 season, Tampa Bay classed first successful nan NFL successful rushing yards allowed per crippled astatine 94.1, first successful yards allowed per transportation astatine 4.0 and vanished successful nan apical 5 against nan tally successful 5 of six seasons, including No. 1 finishes successful 2019 and 2020.
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Vea played only 5 games successful 2020 owed to a fractured ankle, but he's proven durable ever since. He has started 78 games successful nan past 5 seasons.
Vea’s individual accumulation shows he is much than a accepted space-eating chemoreceptor tackle but he group a profession precocious pinch 7 sacks successful 2024, past added 4.5 sacks, 7 tackles for nonaccomplishment and 13 backmost hits successful 2025.
His 2024 pass-rush accumulation made Tampa Bay 1 of only 3 teams that play pinch 2 protect tackles signaling astatine slightest 7 sacks, arsenic Vea and Calijah Kancey some reached that mark.
TAMPA, FLORIDA - OCTOBER 24: Vita Vea #50 of nan Tampa Bay Buccaneers celebrates aft beating nan Chicago Bears 38-3 successful nan crippled astatine Raymond James Stadium connected October 24, 2021 successful Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
Vea was selected to nan Pro Bowl pursuing nan 2021 and 2024 seasons, earned a spot connected nan NFL Players Association’s Top 100 database entering 2025 and was a cardinal personnel of Tampa Bay’s Super Bowl LV title team.
This waste and acquisition petition creates issues for nan Bucs.
It's imaginable Vea, who reported but did not return portion successful nan teams mandatory minicamp and missed nan remainder of nan offseason program, mightiness determine to simply clasp successful to commencement training campy – that is to say, he shows up but doesn't practice.
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No coach likes that. No squad wants that.
The Buccaneers are already managing nan high-stakes statement negotiations pinch backmost Baker Mayfield arsenic their apical statement issue. So dealing pinch a very ample prima defender who has publically fto it beryllium known he wants retired is not awesome for nan team.
Armando Salguero is OutKick's Senior NFL Writer.
