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By Rowan Fisher-Shotton
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In a shocking turn of events, Tampa Bay Buccaneers two-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Vita Vea — the interior wrecking ball who helped the Bucs win a Super Bowl in 2021 — has requested a trade.
Vea reportedly wants out of Tampa after stalled negotiations on a contract extension. He's currently in the last year of the four-year, $71 million deal signed in 2022, and had been pushing for an extension all offseason.
A California native, Vea has already been linked to several West Coast teams, notably the San Francisco 49ers, Los Angeles Chargers, and Los Angeles Rams. But shortly after the news broke, Rams head coach Sean McVay essentially shut down any idea of trading for him.
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"He's a stud. I think that he is a great player that's always been a problem to game plan against, but I think we feel good about our group right now," McVay said on the "Up & Adams" show.
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Now, these are just words. They don't mean much, especially because showing your cards on interest would only give away leverage in a potential trade. But it's pretty obvious the Rams are going all-in for a Super Bowl.
The team made one of the biggest trades in NFL history earlier in the offseason, acquiring two-time Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett, who just broke the league record with 23 sacks across 17 games.
They've got a 38-year-old quarterback in Matthew Stafford and a looming contract extension for All-Pro receiver Puka Nacua, which will likely reset the market at the position.
Their Super Bowl window is wide open, and it wouldn't be at all shocking if the Rams decided Vea was the finishing piece. They've also been linked to potentially bringing back Aaron Donald, so they're at least open to bringing in an all-world defensive tackle.
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Vea is 31 years old and coming off a down year with the Bucs, producing just 34 combined tackles, seven tackles for loss, 13 quarterback hits, 4.5 sacks, and one fumble recovery across 17 games.
But he's now had five straight seasons with four or more sacks, and his 70.2 overall PFF grade still ranked 20th among tackles last year. He also posted 51 total pressures, the seventh most in the NFL.
Adding that to what the Rams already have in Garrett, Kobie Turner, Byron Young, Braden Fiske, Omar Speights, and Nate Landman gives LA a legitimately terrifying front seven.
The biggest question is what the Rams would be willing to give up in a trade — and whether they could offer Vea the long-term deal he's seeking.
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