Vita Vea And Team Glazer Loot
July 29th, 2026
“Ed, you’ve read the numbers. What do you think?”
So will Vita Vea get his wish and have Ndamukong Suh’s his demands met and be shipped out of town? One former NFL suit has doubts.
Former Bears scouting director Greg Gabriel took to Twitter yesterday morning to sort of beat the rush of Bears fans nagging him about trading for Vea. He gives low odds the Bucs move Vea, saying in recent years the old, pricey veterans who demand a trade “few” are actually traded.
Gabriel typed “few.” He did not type “none.”
The salary-focused website Spotrac.com also twittered what may be the reason Vea may not be moved by Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht. Per Spotrac, the Bucs would have to eat a salary cap hit of some $6.5 million over the next two seasons if they unload Vea.
Spotrac believes Vea’s annual market value is $28 million. He’ll earn about $18 million this season.
So yeah, unless Licht has an extension that knocks Vea’s socks off, Joe has a hunch Vea will finish out this season, the last of his current contract.
Went into more detail on the Baker Mayfield – Vita Vea situations for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
I will be at Training Camp tomorrow when the players take the field for the first time. pic.twitter.com/9WWwjmer0U
— Evan Closky (@ECloskyWTSP) July 29, 2026
July 29th, 2026 at 12:51 am
I tend to agree. This is likely an agent using standard negotiating tactics for a player who has very little leverage. I put vita getting traded at sub 20%. My gut says he really doesn’t even want to leave.
July 29th, 2026 at 1:02 am
Spotrac believes Vea’s annual market value is $28 million. He’ll earn about $18 million this season.
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Capflation is real, that sounds a little high, I’d think it’s more inf the $24-26M range, but $18M is a bargain in today’s world for a top defensive lineman, since that’s a very premium position.
Again, the Bucs should get a deal done – or trade him. What they shouldn’t do is let it drag out as the value of Vita will only decrease as teams, right now, can get a full season starting out of him and will pay a bit more for that.
Also, while it’s unlikely, I would not flat out discount the idea that Bucs could get a first out of one of those win-now teams. I think they’d have to put like a 3rd or 4th with it, but if two of those 6 teams allegedly wanting Vita get in a bidding war, and they really think Vita sures up their defense, they might go all in. And don’t forget that the Cowboys exist, they could just jump in to jump in – although we’d have to wait until 2028 to get their 1st, which I’m fine with.
July 29th, 2026 at 1:45 am
Give him an extra incentive for this season to keep him motivated- 2 million per sack-
If that’s possible
July 29th, 2026 at 4:03 am
Closky does his homework, that is for sure. By the way, 10 Tampa Bay’s Courtney Robinson (standing next to Evan) is pretty buff.
July 29th, 2026 at 5:17 am
$28 Million?
One or two teams overpay, and that is supposed to set the market which is crazy with a salary cap. It’s crazy.
Vea seems to me to be harder to replace than Baker.
4 years with 2 years guaranteed beginning @ $22 M per year with incentives to hit $25 M year with each year’s salary and incentives going up in proportion to each year’s salary cap increase.
Otherwise, let him play his best this year trying to persuade someone to write him a big check next year.
July 29th, 2026 at 5:23 am
With no state income tax, $25 M to hit incentives May mean more take home than $28 M elsewhere.
July 29th, 2026 at 5:35 am
There are only 2 defensive linemen making over $24 million! Rounding off the top 10 ranges from $21.5 million to $24.5 million. Vea ranks 20th so he’s really not that far off from the market value. I don’t get where they say he’s worth $28 million.
July 29th, 2026 at 5:39 am
It’s time for stories on the field. This contract BS is just that. Play ball!
July 29th, 2026 at 6:44 am
Brady took less money than most top tier Quarterbacks so the team could have more money to spend on other players to get us to the Superbowl. Apparently thinking like that runs very thin in the NFL.
July 29th, 2026 at 7:20 am
Is Vita worth that much in a 4-3, or just as a nose guard in a 3-4?
July 29th, 2026 at 7:27 am
He is on the downside of his career. How can anybody turn down 18 million a year with a straight face? Part of pro sports that’s gotten old to me. The money part. Everybody’s greedy.
July 29th, 2026 at 8:18 am
Nobody is trading a 1st round pick for Vea.
Bucs are basically giving up on this season if they trade a dominant NT away.
Vea will get a raise and be with Bucs this year at least and probably 1-2 more years.
July 29th, 2026 at 5:07 pm
Alanbucsfan Says:
July 29th, 2026 at 8:18 am
Nobody is trading a 1st round pick for Vea.
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People act like Jerry Jones doesn’t exist, and the Bengals didn’t just trade a high 1st rounder for a guy who is more or less about the same value as Vita – although Vita is a couple of years older. Again, I said PERHAPS, and the Bucs would need to package it with a 3rd or 4th rounder probably. But if I’m the Bills – I’m giving up at least a 2nd and getting a deal done – and if someone else, like say Chicago, also really wants him and is already saying they’ll give up a 2nd, now you got a bidding war, and that’s when the value MIGHT go up.
Again, just throwing it out there, I don’t expect it, but perhaps if everything breaks for the Bucs, that could happen.
But I would think the Bucs should be able to get a late 2nd out of Vita if they trade him. And, like I’ve said for over a month, what they should do instead is extend him.