The Las Vegas Raiders overhauled their defense as much as any NFL team this past offseason. They will have new starters at every level as first-year defensive coordinator Rob Leonard has installed a multiple defense that looks to be one of the more versatile schemes in football.But could they make another move — a major one at that — before Week 1?As training camps kicked off around the league, The Athletic reported that defensive tackle Vita Vea requested a trade from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Extension talks stalled between the team and Vea, who’s entering the final season of a four-year, $71 million contract.Maxx Crosby is back in Las Vegas with a vengeanceSam WarrenIf Vea, a Bay Area native, is interested in moving back west, the Raiders become an option. It would be logical for the Raiders to have interest in the two-time Pro Bowler. But would it make sense for them to acquire Vea at this point in a rebuild? Here’s what the team’s brass will be weighing.Why the Raiders should acquire VeaRaiders general manager John Spytek won’t need to watch much tape to evaluate Vea’s worth. As the Buccaneers’ director of player personnel, he was responsible for scouting Vea ahead of the franchise selecting him 12th in the 2018 NFL Draft. Spytek was also part of the front office that signed Vea to his current deal in 2022.What Spytek watched up close was one of the league’s most prolific interior game wreckers. Vea is a force against the run; his 48 career tackles for loss are 13th most among interior defensive linemen since he entered the league, per TruMedia. But Vea is more than a traditional gap plugger. According to TruMedia, among defensive tackles, his 35 career sacks are 10th most and his 7.8 percent pressure rate is top-30 since he entered the NFL.Vea’s production hasn’t slowed much since Spytek left to take the Raiders job. His 51 pressures were fifth most at the position in 2025, according to TruMedia, and he posted 4 1/2 sacks on the year. Vea was also a big reason the Buccaneers were a top-five run defense in yards allowed (99.1 per game) and the best run-stuffing team in the league (20.5 percent run stuff rate).Tom Brady and Vita Vea (right) were teammates in Tampa Bay. (Kim Klement / Imagn Images)Spytek knows Vea is talented and durable (just seven missed games total in the past five seasons). There would be no surprises if the Raiders made the move. Even minority owner Tom Brady knows how valuable Vea is, having won a Super Bowl with him.Vea also has a reputation for high character and leadership skills, serving as a defensive captain for the Bucs since 2022. Those are qualities Spytek and head coach Klint Kubiak targeted this offseason. Vea also represents exactly what the Raiders need defensively. The team lacks a true nose tackle to fit into Leonard’s new three-down front, and Las Vegas didn’t add one in the offseason despite having opportunities to do so via free agency and the draft.