Tampa Bay Buccaneers DT Vita Vea looking to join West Coast NFL teams after trade request
· Yahoo Sports
Vita Vea’s failed contract extension talks led to the defensive tackle demanding a trade from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
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Vea had a strong season with the Buccaneers, averaging 2.0 tackles per game. He looked set for a contract extension with the Tampa Bay side before talks fell apart.
Now, after demanding a trade from the team, Vea is eyeing a homecoming, as he wants to move out west and represent teams close to his home.
Photo by Kevin Sabitus/Getty ImagesVita Vea open to joining California NFL teams or Las Vegas Raiders via trade
According to NFL analyst Ted Nguyen, Vita Vea is reportedly looking to play close to home, as he prefers to join a team on the West Coast.
In particular, Vea would like to be traded to a team based in California, his home state, or the Las Vegas Raiders before the season begins.
This gives Vea four possible destinations – the Los Angeles Chargers, Los Angeles Rams, San Francisco 49ers, and the aforementioned Raiders.
While the Raiders don’t play in California, Las Vegas’ proximity to California, along with the Raiders’ storied history in Oakland, presumably played a role in getting the team onto his preferred destinations list.
It will be interesting to see whether the Buccs cave to his demand, given that he only has one year left on his contract, and could become a free agent next year.
Vita Vea could use contract leverage to get trade to preferred destination
Nguyen mentioned that Vea does not have a no-trade clause, meaning that he cannot veto a trade to a team that he doesn’t want to join.
However, him being in the final year of his contract gives him some leverage, as he can inform teams that he doesn’t want to join that he will not be re-signing with them if they trade for him.
Teams are unlikely to give up the players and draft capital needed to land Vea on what would effectively be a one-year rental.
It will be interesting to see how the Buccaneers respond to his trade demand and whether he gets his wish to return home to California.
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