What Is Bucs NT Vita Vea’s Trade Value?

Recent Comp Trades Show A Possible Vita Vea Trade Won’t Be A Windfall For The Bucs

Let’s start with recent trades for defensive tackles. The headliner is the Dexter Lawrence trade from the Giants to the Bengals. Cincinnati gave up the 10th overall pick for “Sexy Dexy.” I’m sure if the Bucs received a similar offer (although hard to nail down equivalent value looking at future draft picks) they would bite the bullet and move Vea. But they won’t get a similar offer.

At age 28, Lawrence is more than 2.5 years younger than the 31-year old Vea. And while Vea’s production on the stats sheet has technically been higher than Lawrence’s of late, most of that comes from how they are asked to play. Both big men are referred to as nose tackles, but the disparity in how they define that role is quite vast.

According to Sumer Sports, Vea ranks 17th in snaps at nose since 2023. Lawrence is No. 1 at the nose tackle position, and isn’t even close with 1,085 snaps either heads up or as a shade over that time period. Lawrence’s 59 pressures from the nose tackle position also dwarf Vea’s 22, although Vea does have the better pressure rate from that alignment at 6.57% to 5.44%.

Vea racks up more pressures and sacks because he is put in a better position to get those stats, getting a far greater shake at the 3-technique. Add in that Lawrence had two years remaining on his current contract when he was traded versus Vea only having one and it becomes obvious that Lawrence was the more valuable trade commodity.

Prior to the Lawrence trade, the Cowboys sent defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa to the 49ers. The price? A third-round pick. Odighizuwa is 3.5 years younger than Vea and had three years remaining on his contract.

Now, he hasn’t quite played up to his $20 million per year price tag since inking his current deal, but the 49ers only owe him $16.75 million this year according to Over the Cap, right in line with his current value. Then if his play improves, they have two option years at $20.5 million each.

What Is Vita Vea’s Trade Value?

Where does that leave Vita Vea with Tampa Bay? His production places his value closer to that of Dexter Lawrence, but between Vea’s age (31) and pending free agency, his trade value drops considerably.

I have Vea’s value at $24 million per year. With him owed just $18 million this year there is $6 million worth of surplus value attached to him, for a total trade value of $30 million according to research I have previously done trying to create a common currency for precisely these types of player-for-pick deals.

That’s equivalent to the value of the 78th pick in the draft – a third-round pick.

If a team falls in love with Vea and feels like he is the final piece of the puzzle – or there becomes a bidding war between multiple teams interested in the Bucs’ two-time Pro Bowler – I could see an overpay to the tune of an expected late second-rounder. But a third-round pick is the most likely compensation that Tampa Bay should expect.

That will feel light to fans who have seen Vea anchor the Bucs defense for eight years and help win a Super Bowl, in addition to four NFC South division titles. But trades are just as much about salaries and years of team control as they are about talented players.