Five trade fits for Vita Vea: Which NFL teams could land the talented defensive tackle?
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- Vita Vea formally requested a trade from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday, with contract talks having gone "nowhere" per a source; his $18 million 2026 salary is considered below market for a two-time Pro Bowler who still commands double-teams.
- Baker Mayfield is ready to play out the final year of his Buccaneers deal before potentially hitting free agency, signaling a team coming off a disappointing 2025 looking to reset its books and get younger.
- Only Vita Vea and Cincinnati's Dexter Lawrence II have recorded at least 60 pressures from the nose tackle spot over the past three seasons, with Vea's 65.6% double-team rate ranking ninth among all NFL players.
- Lawrence was traded from the New York Giants to Cincinnati for the 10th overall pick in April, then earned a one-year, $28 million extension from the Bengals — establishing a clear salary benchmark for the 31-year-old Vea.
- The Las Vegas Raiders (~$14M cap space), New England Patriots (~$35M), Los Angeles Chargers ($40M+), Carolina Panthers (~$8M) and San Francisco 49ers (~$71M) all run 3-4 fronts where Vea would fit, though the Raiders and Panthers face tight financial constraints.
- The 49ers finished last in the NFL with just 20 sacks last season and already traded a third-rounder to Dallas for Osa Odighizuwa in March to address the same need, while the Panthers recently lost second-year edge rusher Nic Scourton to a knee injury.
- League executives consulted doubt Tampa Bay would actually deal Vea since trades aren't the franchise's style, though sentiment toward intradivision deals is slowly changing if the value is right.
Why it matters: Vea, 31, has 11.5 sacks over the past two seasons and a 65.6% double-team rate that ranks ninth in the NFL — exactly the interior disruptor contenders chase. With the Buccaneers potentially resetting around Baker Mayfield's looming free agency, teams like the 49ers (~$71M cap space) could land a Pro Bowl nose tackle, but Tampa Bay historically refuses to move stars and may simply pay up instead.
