With contract negotiations stalled and a trade request made, Adam Schefter warns that Tampa Bay’s defensive anchor remains "dug in" and could be traded later this summer.
The contract standoff between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and star defensive tackle Vita Vea doesn't appear like it will be over anytime soon.
It is also becoming more likely that the situation will not have a happy ending, at least not for the Bucs.
Vea requested a trade at the onset of training camp. He has been trying to secure a new deal before playing the upcoming season under the final year of a four-year contract worth $17.75 million/year, but nothing has materialized. Vea staged a "hold-in" during the team's mandatory minicamp in June and has not been practicing during training camp due to a "back tweak," possibly from sitting on a wallet that was too light.
While the team has maintained it has no plans to trade Vea, the lack of progress or resolution on the matter may demand the Bucs to re-evaluate their stance at some point down the road.
At least that is what NFL insider Adam Schefter believes. Schefter made an appearance on the Pat McAfee Show and said he thinks the Bucs trading Vea this summer is "certainly a possibility."
Vea Is "Dug In" And Serious About Trade
When Vea staged his hold-in at minicamp, it was reported that there wasn't any tension being created between the two sides. Even when Vea made his trade request at the beginning of camp, it was said he was "just making noise," and there was a belief that the situation would work itself out.
Only about a week later, the situation is becoming more dire, at least in Schefter's eyes. When asked if he thought it was "more likely than not" that Vea gets traded, Schefter acknowledged the possibility.
"I think that that's certainly a possibility...The Buccaneers want to keep him, and they say they're not interested in trading him, and that's the way a lot of teams talk about a lot of players that they value and want to keep. But the fact of the matter is, Vita Vea is very unhappy."
Schefter went on to say he doesn't see the situation improving anytime soon, and even though the Bucs don't want to trade him, they may have to change their stance.
"I think this could evolve to where, later in the summer, it wouldn't surprise me if their stance changes if Vita continues to be dug in, and I think he will be dug in."
DT Market Has Exploded
Vea has had to watch from the sidelines as the DT market has exploded around the NFL. Jeffery Simmons reset the market by signing a new deal with the Tennessee Titans that pays him more than $35 million/year. Dexter Lawrence was traded from the New York Giants to the Cincinnati Bengals for the 10th overall pick in the draft. Cincy then added a year to Lawrence's contract at $28 million.
If that weren't enough to make Vea feel underpaid, the Philadelphia Eagles gave their own star DT, Jalen Carter, a four-year, $152 million extension on July 28. The defensive tackle had been reset again.
Seeing his colleagues sign such lucrative extensions only strengthened Vea's stance. Vea has been one of the best DTs in the league for years, but is now only the 19th-highest paid.
Unfortunately for Vea, who is 31, Simmons (29), Lawrence (28), and Carter (25) are all younger. Tampa is unsure whether it wants to commit huge money to a player who may start to decline sooner rather than later. Though Vea has shown no signs of slowing down, the wear and tear on his body from years of absorbing double-teams could begin to take its toll.
Final Thoughts
Schefter thinks that Vea is "dug in" in his position and will not play without either a trade or a new contract.
The question is whether the Bucs are equally as dug in as Vea is, and whether either side is willing to blink. The team is in a tough spot, as Vea is still productive enough to be worth a big-money contract but old enough that an extension could soon become regrettable,
If the two sides can't make any progress, Tampa may have its hand forced before the season starts. The team is already dealing with uncertainty about quarterback Baker Mayfield's future with the club after failing to reach an agreement on a new contract.
Schefter believes this situation will drag on deep into the summer, and the longer it goes unresolved, the higher the possibility Vea ends up traded.
That would be a shame, as he is the heart and soul of Tampa's defense, and is still playing at a high level.
The Bucs will need Vea if they have any shot at going on a playoff run this season.
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