Sean McVay and the Los Angeles Rams seem confident enough to have a big campaign this season. The Rams already have a loaded roster, but they have emerged as a potential landing spot for defensive tackle Vita Vea, and McVay also weighed in on the speculation.
Sean McVay Opens Up About Vita Vea With Rams Linked to Buccaneers Star
Vea was a hold-in at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ mandatory minicamp due to his contract situation. He has now requested a trade from the Buccaneers after talks on a contract extension have stalled.
The Buccaneers selected Vea with the No. 12 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, and he has since developed into one of the league’s elite interior defenders. The two-time Pro Bowler played all 17 games last season, recording 4.5 sacks, 13 quarterback hits, and 34 total tackles.
Vea’s performance last season earned him a 78.6 score in the PFN DT Impact Metric, placing him No. 25 among defensive tackles in the league. He has totaled 35 sacks in eight NFL seasons, making him a big option for any team looking to boost its defensive front.
In an appearance on “Up & Adams Show” on Monday, host Kay Adams asked McVay whether the team had any interest in acquiring Vea, and the Rams head coach had a blunt take.
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“He’s a stud,” McVay told Adams. “I think that he’s a great player, that’s always been a problem to game plan against. But I think we feel good about our group.”
Vea is entering the final season of his four-year, $71 million contract and is scheduled to earn $17 million this year, although none of that salary is guaranteed. According to The Athletic’s Ted Nguyen, Vea prefers to land with a California-based franchise or the Las Vegas Raiders if he is traded. That would make the Rams, Los Angeles Chargers, San Francisco 49ers, and Raiders his preferred destinations.
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However, McVay seems satisfied with the Rams’ current roster, as Los Angeles already boasts a strong defensive unit, highlighted by Trent McDuffie, Jaylen Watson, and newly acquired Myles Garrett. Garrett’s arrival has heavily boosted the defense as he set the NFL’s single-season sack record with 23 sacks last year with the Cleveland Browns.
The Rams are also monitoring Aaron Donald’s status as the former All-Pro defensive tackle weighs a possible return after unexpectedly retiring in 2024. Since the team acquired Garrett in June, speculation has continued to grow about Donald potentially rejoining the Rams to play alongside him.
“For those of you guys that do know Aaron, he’s very diligent,” McVay said about Donald’s comeback. “Anything that he does, he does all-in. And so he’s going through a very strict, regimented process that was similar to what he did when he played.
“We’ll see how his body’s responding to some of the training and the way that he puts himself through the paces to know what it looks and feels like to be ready to take on what the rigors of an NFL season entail.”
Given McVay’s confidence in the current defensive front and the uncertainty surrounding Donald’s potential comeback, a move for Vea seems unlikely, at least right now. Still, if the Rams were somehow able to add the Pro Bowl defensive tackle, Los Angeles could field one of the NFL’s most dominant defenses.
