Last month, we wrote that we should keep an eye on the Vita Vea situation with the Tamp Bay Buccaneers.
At that point, the star defensive tackle was unhappy with his contract. We wrote it could escalate and if it did the Las Vegas Raiders could emerge as a possible trade partner. Indeed, it has taken the next step as Vea has reportedly asked for a trade. The Raiders are reportedly among the teams Vea is interested in joining.
Let’s look how things currently stand:
Will he be traded?
It really depends.
The contract dispute between Vea and the Buccaneers is clearly not going well if it has gotten to the point where the popular nine-year star has asked to leave. But there is still plenty of time for things to work out. Thursday, Tampa Bay quarterback Baker Mayfield called for the team to take care of Vea, who is not practicing. The reality is if the Buccaneers offers what he wants in terms of a new contract, he’ll probably accept it and stay. But if things continue to stall, a deal could certainly happen.
Would the Raiders be interested?
There’s a lot of reasons. One, he would be a great fit in the defense and fill a major role at defensive tackle. His presence would give the Raiders a serious front seven. Also, there are ties to Vea in Las Vegas. Raiders’ general manager John Spytek was in Tampa Bay with him for for Vea’s first seven seasons. Also, Raiders’ part owner Tom Brady won a Super Bowl ring with Vea as teammates and has publicly said he is a huge fan of the massive defensive tackle. A Raiders’ pursuit of Vea makes major sense.
What would the cost be?
It would probably take a Day 2 pick and maybe even a player to secure Vea. He is entering the final year of a four-year, $71 million deal. Vea, 31, has a few more good seasons left and he has been reasonably healthy, missing just a total of six games in the past four seasons combined. So, he will be looking for a boost in pay, probably wanting to average $23-25 million a season. So, the cost for the Raiders would be fairly steep in terms of trade and contract compensation.
Who’s the competition?
The Athletic has reported Vea is interested in playing for the three California teams (he’s from the Bay Area) or the Raiders. I could see the 49ers and Chargers having interest and you never know what the Rams are going to do. Plus, other teams around the league will have interest in him as well. So, Vea could go anywhere. So, if the Raiders really want Vea, the competition may be fierce.
What’s the timeline?
This could happen at any time. If the Buccaneers want to figure out a way to keep him, a trade may not happen until around the cut-down date of August 30. But the truth is, this is fluid situation that can change or develop at any time.
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