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Buccaneers refuse to trade Vita Vea despite request

8/7/2026

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Summary

Licht Blocks Trade

Buccaneers GM Jason Licht said the team will not trade defensive tackle Vita Vea.
Vea, in the final year of a four-year $71 million extension and owed $18 million cash, requested a trade before camp.
A minor back injury kept Vea out of several camp practices while the Buccaneers handled his situation cautiously.
ESPN analyst Bill Barnwell rated Vea’s trade value as outside a first-round pick.

Summary

Simmons, Carter Reshape

Jeffery Simmons and Jalen Carter each secured contracts exceeding $35 million per year, reshaping the defensive-tackle market this summer.
Vita Vea’s $18 million average salary ranks him 21st among defensive tackles, well below the new top tier.
Analysts say a $24 million salary for Vea in 2026 would put him in the elite interior-lineman tier, although a multi-year deal carries risk because he will be 31.

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Licht Blocks Trade

Buccaneers GM Jason Licht said the team will not trade defensive tackle Vita Vea.
Vea, in the final year of a four-year $71 million extension and owed $18 million cash, requested a trade before camp.
A minor back injury kept Vea out of several camp practices while the Buccaneers handled his situation cautiously.
ESPN analyst Bill Barnwell rated Vea’s trade value as outside a first-round pick.

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