Vita Vea Trade Rumors Loop in Chargers Thanks to Derwin James

Chargers fans aren't the only ones who want to see LA trade for Bucs star Vita Vea.

Vita Vea | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Los Angeles Chargers just feel like a team that could make the big splash trade for Vita Vea. 

Sure, the Chargers and general manager Joe Hortiz usually stick to a pretty conservative, even hoarding route when it comes to moves and assets. 

But with Vea, the disgruntled Tampa Bay Buccaneers star, it feels a little different. He’s already suggested he wants to play for a team on the West Coast. And after the mentioned hoarding of cap space and draft assets and everything else for so long, the Chargers certainly have plenty of things to offer the Bucs in a deal. 

Oh, and of course, it doesn't hurt that someone like Chargers superstar Derwin James is more than happy to go public and national with his openness to the idea. 

Vita Vea trade rumors get a Derwin James recruiting note

Derwin James | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

During an appearance on the Up & Adams Show with Kay Adams this week, James fielded a question about the Chargers trading for Vea and responded like most figured he would. 

"You wanna come? Come on man," James told Adams. "I'm all for it. It increases your chances. The more guys you have who can make plays, I'm always for it.”

Easy for James to say. Easy for fans to want, too. The Chargers are in the middle of an all-in season with Mike McDaniel in town for perhaps just one year as Justin Herbert’s offensive coordinator. 

On the defensive depth chart, adding Vea to the line with Teair Tart, with the aim of massively opening things up for edge rushers Khalil Mack, contract-year Tuli Tuipulotu and first-round rookie Akheem Mesidor makes too much sense. The Chargers added Dalvin Tomlinson and rookie draft pick Nick Barrett as nose tackles this offseason, but Vea is just a cut above. 

Vea, 31, wants a new contract while entering the final year of his current four-year deal worth $71 million and is a non-guaranteed $17 million salary this year. Not too much for a guy who still ranked 20th out of 134 defensive linemen graded at Pro Football Focus last year. And not too much for a Chargers team that still has roughly $40 million in free cap space and plenty of trade assets to offer. 

We’ll see if the Buccaneers even bother trading Vea or if this leads to a new contract for him. But the Chargers should be in the conversation for many reasons…and James is clearly happy to put them there, as he should.

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