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INTRO: The Bucs and Vita Vea created a win-win scenario with Vea’s contract extension, which makes Tampa Bay’s defensive line one of the league’s elite units with his return to action. I’ll reveal why the Bucs balked at a long-term extension for Vea and why the Bucs defensive line might be on par with the Rams – even if Aaron Donald returns from retirement. Plus, I’ve got a hunch that Emeka Egbuka will be back sooner rather than later, and list five things the Buccaneers need to see on Saturday night vs. the Chiefs. Enjoy!

FAB 1. How The Bucs Got Vita Vea Back With A New Deal

Jason Licht was a man of his word.

The Bucs general manager said he had no plans to trade Vita Vea.

And despite other teams calling with trade offers for the two-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle, he didn’t even consider them. Knowing that the team held the leverage over the 31-year old Super Bowl LV champion, Licht didn’t flinch and he didn’t budge.

Vea’s trade request right before the start of training camp caught the team off guard and it was irritating. And annoying.

On the heels of not getting a contract extension done with Baker Mayfield – it was closer to being done than the quarterback indicated in his fiery press conference at the start of camp – a holdout by Vea was the last thing the Bucs needed.

Fresh off an offseason with near 100% participation during the voluntary OTAs, and the drafting a star edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr., vibes were incredibly high at One Buc Place. All of the new free agents – most notably linebacker Alex Anzalone, defensive tackle A’Shawn Robinson and running back Kenneth Gainwell – had not only assimilated into the team well, they instantly brought great energy and leadership to Tampa Bay.

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

With Mayfield unhappy and Vea refusing to practice during his “hold in,” the national media – looking for drama, of course – said the exact opposite.

“Uh, oh – there’s trouble in Tampa Bay. The vibes with the Bucs ARE NOT GOOD.”

Nothing could be further from the truth.

The outsiders in the national media, who often rely on speaking with player agents, don’t always have an accurate read on situations like this. They were too busy forecasting doom and gloom because peace doesn’t sell. War gets the headlines.

However, Pewter Report – who has been at every Bucs practice during camp – and others in the local media saw something completely different in Tampa. Vea was never at war with the Buccaneers. Players at war with their team don’t show up for every practice. And they don’t have smiles on their faces.

Here’s what Pewter Report and the local media saw on a daily basis.

Mayfield, who is in outstanding shape, was at practice – smiling, leading, locked in and throwing a bunch of touchdown passes and hardly any interceptions in preparation for a great contract year.

The rest of the team was full of energy – defense yelling at the offense and vice versa during very competitive, spirited practices. This was a 180-degree shift from the staleness that had set in down the 2-7 stretch a year ago.

As for Vea?

Well, we would mock his “hold in” on the Pewter Report Podcast on a regular basis, showing pics of him laughing and smiling with head coach Todd Bowles and other players, showing how “furious” Vea was over his contract situation and “how bad he wanted out of Tampa” – with great sarcasm, of course.

Bucs DT Vita Vea and head coach Todd Bowles – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Credit Licht for correctly reading the room right off the bat. He knew the trade demand was simply a ploy for a new contract because Vea didn’t have a lot of leverage.

Hold out in 2026 and Vea is still property of the Bucs in 2027 at age 32. Miss the first six games and report for the final 11 to accrue this season, and Vea misses out on millions of dollars in game checks. That would be going backward financially – not good for a guy who wanted a raise.

So Licht sat back and surveyed the situation.

First practice on July 29 – Licht saw Vea out there on the field in Bucs shorts, with a Bucs hat, wearing a Bucs hoodie underneath his No. 50 Bucs jersey. Hell, Vea is even holding a blocking shield and helping new defensive line coach Marcus West during individual drills.

That’s not the sign of a player who wants off a team and out of town.

And even Vea admitted on Thursday that he never wanted to leave Tampa Bay.

“It’s just all part of the business,” Vea said. “I got drafted here. I made Tampa my home. I love it here. The guys on the team are like brothers to me. We look at each other as family. So, I didn’t want to leave that behind and switch teams and get traded. That was never the end goal for me. I always wanted to be here.”

It’s one thing to “hold in” and protest your contract situation. It’s another thing to laugh and chop it up with the head coach and your teammates.

Bucs GM Jason Licht and DT Vita Vea – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Licht knew that Vea ultimately wanted to stay in Tampa Bay. He just wanted a pay raise and a hold in was the only way he could express that without getting fined. Wanting to help the player they ultimately wanted to keep, the team obliged and shrugged off the notion that Vea was holding in, suggesting instead that Vea was dealing with a minor back injury as cover.

It’s amazing how Vea will quickly recover from that back injury to return to practice next week in Jacksonville now that he has a new deal.

Making an average of $17.75 million per year and entering the final season of a five-year contract extension, Vea had become the 17th highest-paid defensive tackle in the league. When he signed the deal in January of 2022 he was among the top 5 highest-paid defensive tackles.

Vea’s one-year, $30 million extension gives him a $6 million pay raise this year to just under $24 million and then adds the 2027 season for an additional $24 million, which is fully guaranteed. At $24 million per year, it ties Vea for 10th among defensive tackles with Carolina’s Derrick Brown, who is 28. The only other defensive tackle over the age of 30 inside the top 10 is Kansas City’s Chris Jones, who is third with an average of $31.75 million per year.

Vea initially wanted a multi-year deal, but Licht and assistant general manager Mike Greenberg held firm and only offered a one-year extension. The Bucs wanted Vea to get on the Lavonte David train of one-year deals and it looks like he has. That’s what the team prefers for players over the age of 30 – the exception being 31-year old Mayfield because he plays quarterback.

After winning the Super Bowl in 2020, the 30-year old David signed a two-year extension. Then he signed three consecutive one-year deals at age 33, 34 and 35. No long-term commitment by the team in case he got injured or his play suddenly fell off a cliff.

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

When Vea turns 32 next year, he’s even more unlikely to want to hold out or hold in. He’ll have even less leverage being a year older. And if Vea plays well in 2027 at age 32, he’ll likely have more trust that the Bucs might do the right thing and pay him well for one more season at age 33 in 2028 – especially after seeing how the team handled David with fair one-year deals in the twilight of his career.

So chalk this up for a win-win on both sides, which is usually the sign of a good deal – when neither side gets everything it wants. The team isn’t thrilled that it had to guarantee the full salary in 2027, but it provides Vea some real financial security this year and next year.

And the Bucs don’t have to worry about dealing with a bunch of dead cap money in future years if the team had to move on from Vea after 2027 had it signed him to a three-year extension, which is what Vea wanted, instead.

Vea got the pay raise he wanted, and the Bucs got their star nose tackle back on the field for Week 1 at Cincinnati.

“It’s just one of those things, you know, they took a chance on me in the draft, and I’ve been here ever since,” Vea said. “I fell in love with Tampa, I fell in love with my teammates. I love the organization, everybody who works here. I walk around every day with a smile on my face, and I feel like it just speaks volumes to everybody who works here and my teammates. They say home is where the heart is and I feel like my heart is in Tampa.”

Bowles is smiling ear to ear and might be the biggest beneficiary in all of this, as he has his game-changing game-wrecker back in the middle of his defense for a very important 2026 season.

FAB 2. Bucs D-Line Might Be The Deepest, Most Dominant Unit In NFL

There were times last year when opposing offenses where driving down the field on Todd Bowles’ defense. After about eight or nine plays in the Tampa heat, the team’s leading sacker, outside linebacker Yaya Diaby, and the defense’s best player, Vita Vea, had to come off the field for a breather.

With defensive tackle Calijah Kancey out for most of the season and 31-year outside linebacker Haason Reddick often injured or ineffective, there were times when opposing quarterbacks had to face Chris Braswell and Anthony Nelson on the edge with rookie defensive tackle Elijah Roberts and undersized veteran nose tackle Greg Gaines inside.

That was hardly a fearsome foursome, and if they were on the field on a third down, a conversion was pretty much guaranteed.

Without Vea and Diaby on the field there was no pass rush last year in Tampa Bay, and it was no wonder that the team’s sack total plummeted from 46 in 2024 to 37 last year. Bowles’ blitzes with inside linebackers, safeties and cornerbacks could only do so much.

Now it is a completely different story in Tampa Bay heading into the 2026 season. Not only did the team bolster the edge rush with the drafting of Rueben Bain Jr. and the free agent addition of Al-Quadin Muhammad, coupled with the return of David Walker off injured reserve, but the defensive tackle depth is the deepest I’ve ever seen in my 31 years of covering this team.

Bucs OLBs Al-Quadin Muhammad and David Walker – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

The defensive line has been nothing short of being a brick wall in training camp – even without Vea. The starting interior offensive line, consisting of center Graham Barton and guards Cody Mauch and Ben Bredeson, has had its hands full with the likes of defensive tackles Kancey, Roberts, A’Shawn Robinson, Rakeem Nunez-Roches, DeMonte Capehart, Jayson Jones and Elijah Simmons. Robinson, Capehart, Jones and Simmons are all 315 pounds or more.

If future Hall of Famer Aaron Donald comes out of retirement to re-join the Rams, it’s hard to suggest that there is a better defensive line than what Los Angeles will field this year. Seattle and Houston are also certainly in the conversation. Donald lining up alongside newly acquired Myles Garrett, Kobie Turner, Braden Fiske and Byron Young with Poona Ford as a top reserve is an elite unit.

But are the Rams as deep as the Bucs defensive line will be this year? Bain, Kancey, Vea and Diaby, who is in a contract year, is a pretty damn good-looking starting unit as a four-man front. Add in A’Shawn Robinson when Bowles is in a 3-4 base defense and that becomes an incredibly stout and deadly starting defensive line.

Bucs DTs Vita Vea and A’Shawn Robinson – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

But the real strength comes in Tampa Bay’s depth. Bowles’ second-string consists of Muhammad and Walker on the edge and Roberts and Nunez-Roches inside as a four-man defensive front in the nickel package. The second unit in a base 3-4 includes Capehart, the team’s promising young, fifth-round pick.

Not only is the starting unit far better and more talented than it was a year ago with the return of Kancey and the addition of Bain, but Bowles’ second-string defense might rival the starting line elsewhere around the league in terms of talent – albeit some of it is unproven at this stage.

With the game of football being a war of attrition, especially in the trenches, having depth that strong is just as important as fielding a stellar starting defensive front.

Advantage, Tampa Bay. It may not be the best, but it’s a top 5 unit for sure due to the talent down the depth chart.

FAB 3. Why The Bucs Didn’t Want To Commit To A Long-Term Deal For Vea

Vita Vea and his agent surveyed the NFL landscape and saw a slew of defensive tackles signing multi-year deals. And at age 31, Vea wanted one last shot at a lucrative, multi-year contract that would come with a healthy raise.

The Bucs gave Vea that healthy raise – not just this year in the form of $6 million more in cash, but also in a fully guaranteed 2027 season making $24 million. That puts him in the top 10 in terms of the league’s highest-paid defensive tackles.

But Vea didn’t get the multi-year deal he was looking for. He got one more year, and that’s as far as Tampa Bay was willing to go.

The Bucs learned a lesson back in 2021 fresh off a Super Bowl LV win when the team gave 29-year old Pro Bowl edge rusher Shaq Barrett a four-year, $72 million deal with $36 million in guaranteed money. Barrett proved to be worth it that year, recording 10 sacks and making the Pro Bowl while helping Tampa Bay set a franchise record with 13 wins.

Bucs OLB Shaq Barrett and NT Vita Vea – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

The next year at age 30, Barrett got off to a very slow start, notching just three sacks in the first eight games before suffering a torn Achilles in Week 8 against the Ravens. Barrett returned for the 2023 season at age 31 but he was a shell of his former self and was released the following offseason after recording just 4.5 sacks in 16 games.

So out of his four years on that contract, Barrett truly lived up to his big payday on just that first season. While Barrett was shining in 2021, Pro Bowl outside linebacker Jason Pierre-Paul hurt his shoulder early in the year and he was essentially done at age 32 and was released after the season.

Ndamukong Suh wasn’t nearly as good at age 34 in 2021 as he was at age 33 in 2020 when he helped the team win Super Bowl LV and he was not re-signed after the 2021 season. After eight games in Philadelphia in 2022, Suh was done and called it quits at age 35.

Bucs Ring of Honor pass rusher Simeon Rice had 14 sacks at age 31 in 2005 and then had just two sacks in eight games in 2006 before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury. When he reported to training camp in July the following season, he failed his team physical and was done in Tampa Bay at age 32. Rice played eight more games between Denver and Indianapolis and notched one sack before retiring at the age of 33.

Bucs OLBs Haason Reddick and Yaya Diaby and DT Vita Vea – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Last year the Bucs were hoping that newly signed edge rusher Haason Reddick’s 2024 season with the Jets – where he notched just one sack after holding out for the first six games looking for a new contract – was an aberration. Reddick had 11 sacks during a Pro Bowl season with the Eagles in 2023 before he was traded to New York.

Instead, Reddick’s play had fallen off a cliff at age 30 with the Jets. And by the time he played 13 games for the Bucs at age 31 and finished with just 2.5 sacks it was clear that he was cooked.

Thirty, 31, 32, 33, 34 – somewhere right around there, is when great defensive linemen lose a step and their production sharply declines. Bucs general manager Jason Licht doesn’t have a crystal ball to know when that will be for Vea.

But Licht does have enough recent experience with Pierre-Paul, Suh, Barrett and Reddick to know that day is coming soon.

FAB 4. Bucs WR Emeka Egbuka Is On The Road To Recovery

Turf toe can be serious, and enough football fans know that. Severe turf toe, which is where toe tissues or ligaments are completely torn, leading to joint instability or dislocation. It’s even been serious enough to end the careers of Hall of Famers Jack Lambert and Jonathan Ogden. And it can be a season-ending injury for players who suffer from grade 3 (severe) symptoms, which include torn ligaments and usually require surgery.

Grade 2 turf toe is a moderate injury where there is a partial tear and moving the toe causes moderate pain and restricted motion. Grade 1 turf toe is where the soft tissue or plantar ligament is stretched, but not torn. A grade 1 condition involves pinpoint tenderness at the base of the toe, slight swelling and some mild bruising.

No, I’m not a doctor. I Googled the info on turf toe, but the previous information was from the esteemed Cleveland Clinic.

Bucs WRs coach Bryan McClendon and WR Emeka Egbuka – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

I have not seen Egbuka’s toe up close nor have any team officials given me any formal diagnosis. But what I saw after Monday’s practice was Egbuka wearing a sneaker on his healthy foot and was wearing a sock and what looked to be a neoprene sandal on his injured foot to give that toe the breathing room and room for flexibility.

Then on Tuesday, Egbuka was wearing sneakers on both feet. I’m taking that as a good sign. That tells me that Egbuka likely had a mild grade 1 turf toe injury or a moderate grade 2 injury that is rapidly healing.

Bucs head coach Todd Bowles said that Egbuka was day-to-day or week-to-week, and the fact that he included the day-to-day part tells me that this isn’t a serious injury. Egbuka won’t play in either of the remaining preseason games but my guess is based on the fact that he’s walking around in regular sneakers rather than any orthopedic footwear is that he should be in play for Week 1 on September 13.

That’s still 24 days from now and a lot of time to heal and to return to practice.

FAB 5. 5 Things The Bucs Need To See vs. The Chiefs

The Bucs will battle the Chiefs in their lone home preseason game on Saturday night at Raymond James Stadium. Here are five things Tampa Bay needs to see in Week 2 of the preseason.

Improved Special Teams Play

The coverage units weren’t good in the preseason opener. The Jets averaged 28.7 yards per kick return and Jamaal Pritchett averaged 15.3 yards per punt return. Meanwhile, the Bucs averaged only 22.3 yards per kick return – mostly due to Kadarius Calloway’s muffed return, which only went for 10 yards. That cost Calloway his job, as he was released on Sunday.

Punter Riley Dixon was inconsistent, and his best punt of the night, which traveled more than 60 yards in New York, was negated due to a penalty. Danny Smith’s unit needs to see some dramatic improvement versus Kansas City.

Run At Will In The First Quarter

Tampa Bay averaged a paltry 2.8 yards per carry vs. New York, as the team ran for just 69 yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries. Granted, the focal point of the game was the passing attack, as offensive coordinator Zac Robinson wanted to see his young quarterbacks, Jalon Daniels and Connor Bazelak, as well as the team’s depth at receiver and tight end.

Bucs RB Bucky Irving – Photo by: USA Today

The starters didn’t play against the Jets, but they will against the Chiefs. The Bucs have been working on their wide zone scheme and Bucky Irving and Kenny Gainwell are expected to play.

The best way to protect Baker Mayfield is to have him handoff, so I would suspect we may see three or four passes from Mayfield but perhaps as many eight to 10 carries for the backs while the starting offensive line is in. Robinson will want to see how well the starters can operate the wide zone running scheme

Stout Run Defense From The Starters

Jets running back Braelon Allen had a 31-yard touchdown run behind the starting offensive line versus the Bucs second-string defense last week. But now the Bucs starting unit – minus Vita Vea – are expected to play on Saturday night against Kenneth Walker and the Chiefs.

Tampa Bay’s defensive line has been a brick wall in training camp, and that includes the joint practices vs. the Jets when it was the starters against starters. Can that dominance continue under the lights and make the Chiefs one dimensional? The Bucs have the talent to have a top 5 run defense this year. Let’s see it. The origin story begins Saturday night.

Keep The Splash Plays Coming On Defense

Todd Bowles’ defense started the preseason with a bang in New York with four sacks and two interceptions, including a pick-six by rookie cornerback Ayden Garnes. Can the starting defense come up with a turnover or a sack before quickly exiting the game? I’m looking at you, Rueben Bain Jr.

Bucs CB Ayden Garnes – Photo by: IMAGN Images via Reuters Connect

And can the second-string defense continue to be opportunistic and set the tone for a takeaway fest this season? The quickest way for a Bucs backup to make the 53-man roster is to make a splash play under the lights in game situations.

Stay Healthy!

The last thing the Bucs need is a serious or season-ending injury during a meaningless exhibition game. The goal is to get the starters in and out – unscathed on Saturday night.

Knock on wood, but aside from some minor dings here and there, the Bucs have been extremely healthy during camp this year. No Jalen McMillan-type injuries on Saturday night, please.

Join Us LIVE On The Pewter Pregame Podcast Saturday At 9:00 a.m.

Check it out on the PewterReportTV YouTube channel before Saturday night’s game, when the Bucs play the Chiefs at Raymond James Stadium. Pewter Report’s Scott Reynolds and Matt Matera will host another Pewter Pregame show featuring all of the latest Bucs news before kickoff, injury updates, and key players to watch.

We will also take questions from Bucs fans during the live show and interact with viewer comments, so be sure to watch it! The Pewter Pregame LIVE stream can be found on PewterReport.com and on Pewter Report’s social media channels on X and Facebook at 9:00 a.m. ET on game day.

Can’t make the LIVE Pewter Pregame show? You can watch the archived show any time before kickoff on the PewterReportTV YouTube channel.

And after the game check out the LIVE Pewter Report Postgame Podcast Saturday night on the PewterReportTV YouTube channel.