Major breaking news has come about on Monday night as ESPN’s Adam Schefter is reporting that Bucs nose tackle Vita Vea is requesting a trade. This comes just one day before veterans report for training camp on Tuesday, with the first practice taking place on Wednesday.

Vea was in attendance for Bucs mandatory mini-camp back in June, but did not participate. It was considered a “hold in” as he was seeking a new contract, but did not want to get fined for his absence. Vea was in good spirits then as he could be seen smiling and chopping it up with teammates, but clearly the tune has changed with training camp set to start but no new contract to go with it.

Vita Vea Requests Trade From Bucs As Other DTs Get Paid

Vea is on the last year of his contract, where he is set to make around $17.75 million. He is the 19th highest paid interior defensive lineman in the league, which clearly he is more valuable than that. Vea has been crucial to the Bucs’ success over the years, winning a Super Bowl with the team as one of the most dominant defensive linemen in the league.

Bucs DT Vita Vea – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

It didn’t help Tampa Bay either that Titans defensive tackle Jeffrey Simmons inked a three-year, $105.8 million deal in June while the Packers signed Devonte Wyatt to a three-year, $57 million deal last week. Other players are getting paid while Vea enters a season of uncertainty.

Proving Vea’s importance even more last season, Vea had to pick up the slack with Calijah Kancey getting injured in Week 2 and not returning until Week 18. He posted 34 tackles, 4.5 sacks, seven tackles for loss and 13 quarterback hits while playing in all 17 games. And he did it all at the age of 30.

The age is where the problem comes in. Vea will be 32 in early February, just a week before the Super Bowl. As great as Vea has been for Tampa Bay through the years, it’s tough to commit long term to a player at that age playing a position that demands a lot physically. It’s a big risk for the Buccaneers to give that type of money to a player who could see a rapid decline as his age goes up.

From Vea’s perspective, he has more than earned the big pay day to be near the top of the highest paid defensive tackles in the league. It’s likely the last time he’ll get as lucrative of a contract as he’s looking for, and he needs to make it happen if he can.

Bucs DT Vita Vea and Falcons QB Michael Penix Jr. – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

The last time the Bucs dealt with a trade request, it came from starting inside linebacker Devin White, who was also going into a contract year. The team denied this request and White later regretted asking for a trade in the first place. He finished out the season in Tampa Bay but then left in free agency.

This is a different situation with Vea. He is more established and is vitally important to what Tampa Bay does defensively, especially with stopping the run.

Report: Vea Would Like To Go To The West Coast

According to Ted Nguyen of The Athletic, Vea would like to head somewhere in California or for the Las Vegas Raiders. Vea grew up in California and played college football at the University Of Washington, so he has primarily been on the west coast besides coming to Tampa.

Raiders general manager John Spytek was formerly the assistant general manger of the Bucs, so he has a great relationship with Jason Licht and could be interested in Vea considering he knows him well.

Fox Sports’ Greg Auman has since posted a report that conflicts with Nguyen’s, saying Vea’s agent said his client has not made any specific requests as far as where he would want to go. Rather, the request is simply for a trade if he’s not getting an extension beyond this season.

Bucs DTs Vita Vea and Calijah Kancey – Photo by: Jeffrey Jones/PR

If no deal can get done with Vita Vea, it would be a colossal loss to the Bucs defensive line. Calijah Kancey is also very important to this team, but he has an injury history. A’Shawn Robinson is a veteran quick fix, as is Rakeem Nunez-Roches. Tampa Bay does have youth along the line as well with Elijah Roberts going into his second year and DeMonte Capehart being drafted this season.

In a season that is about to begin with moving on from other legends like Mike Evans and Lavonte David, it could be Vea who is next to leave the organization. We’ll see how it all plays out.