The Tampa Bay Buccaneers' offseason has been a whirlwind, with several key players leaving while others deal with conract disputes. Losing LaVonte David to retirement was expected, but it wasn't welcomed. Losing Mike Evans was unexpected and preventable. Baker Mayfield playing on the final year of his contract without an extension is a mistake. Do the Buccaneers know what they are doing?
Forget David and Evans. Jason Licht's offseason has been memorable for all the wrong reasons. His handling of Mayfield's contract has been laughable by any standards. You can't stand in front of the media and call your QB the franchise guy, then leave him without a contract that reflects that. You continue to negotiate it.
Since the Mayfield fiasco, Licht hasn't stopped. Vita Vea wants out; he wants to be traded, and he probably will be. Licht is sending the wrong message to his team. Being the best means nothing.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers' GM may be putting his own future in doubt with off-field decisions
At some point, decisions are made that come back to cost jobs. It's one thing to play hardball, but it's another to lose key players from your roster and still expect to be competitive. Vea is not just a seasoned veteran. He is one of the top defensive tackles in the NFL, but more importantly, he is a veteran that other players look up to. The Buccaneers don't see it that way.
Licht's message to the team this offseason has been a brutal one. He is telling the team that he doesn't care about your reputation with the team. He is telling players that even if you play well, stick around, and become a face of the franchise, you are not guaranteed a spot on the team; you may not be financially taken care of.
It's one thing to go through an offseason where one player doesn't get the check he wants, but this year has seen three of them. If Vea is traded, it will leave a hole that could, and likely will, impact the wins and losses in 2026. Licht says he isn't going to trade him.
In a recent report by NBC Sports, however, Vea's agent said that a trade is practically inevitable.
"I don't see things ending in anything but a trade. "Collin Roberts - Vea's agent
Vea doesn't have the leverage, as he is under contract for one more season, but if he plays without a contract, he will hold the cards against Licht next year. No matter how you look at it, Licht has put himself in a bad position.
Eventually, it will come back on the GM. If Licht can't build a winner, and the top veterans on his roster are disgruntled and leave, Licht's actions will cost him his job. Players talk around the NFL. When a GM becomes viewed as a guy who is not honest with players, free agents tend to go elsewhere, and it will cost more money to entice them to join your team.
Vea may not be the absolute tip of the iceberg, but his situation is causing a lot of stress on the Buccaneers' ship that is heading right toward it.
Add us as a preferred source on Google