The Tampa Bay Buccaneers just made a significant move that could be a precursor of an even bigger transaction in the upcoming NFL free agency period. According to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, the Buccaneers have restructured a part of nose tackle Vita Vea's contract to give the team's financial leg room some more breathing space.
The #Bucs restructured the 2022 base salary of NT Vita Vea, source said, creating $7.64M worth of cap space.
Vea has suited up for only one team so far in his NFL career. He was selected by the Buccaneers in the first round (12th overall) in the 2018 NFL Draft and immediately signed a four-year deal worth $14.8 million. Then just last January, the Buccaneers signed him to a massive four-year extension amounting to $71 million.
The 27-year-old Vea is a crucial component of the Buccaneers' defensive line that arguably had as much contribution to the team's success as Tom Brady during the quarterback's short-but-sweet stint in Tampa Bay. In 2021, the Buccaneers finished the regular season seventh in the league in scoring defense with 20.9 points allowed per game and third in defensive third-down conversion rate.
In four seasons with the Buccaneers, Vea has collected a total of 11.5 sacks while getting a high career grade of 85.2 from Pro Football Focus.
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