Through six weeks of the regular season, the San Francisco 49ers are undefeated with a 6-0 record. They are legit Super Bowl contenders, but the injury bug has hit them hard, and they should look to make some moves.
With Mike Evans expected to be sidelined for a little while, he joins the long list of receivers who will be inactive. They could look for some reinforcements in that area.
Yet, Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive tackle Vita Vea is a name who should have the attention of everyone in the Bay. ESPN's Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano dropped an article discussing potential trade candidates, and Vea was brought up.
And even though Gracen Halton has been fantastic as a rookie, along with Osa Odighizuwa on the interior, the Niners shouldn't turn away from possibly adding Vea.
49ers could give Vita Vea an escape from Buccaneers
The Bucs are 1-5 and appear to be on their way to a losing season. Vea would love to play for a contender at this stage of his career, as most vets would. During the offseason, when he reportedly requested a trade, it was said that he would want to go to a California team, per Ted Nguyen of The Athletic.
Vea, age 31, is a true run stuffer along the interior. He was looking for an extension before the season, and the Bucs gave him a band-aid, one-year, $30 million extension. He's now on the books for next season, with a base salary of $23 million in 2027.
That's a very reasonable number for defensive tackles and ranks 15th among them, currently. For a player like Vea, who is a two-time Pro Bowler and Super Bowl champ, it has to be a discussion. Vea is a force up the middle who forces teams to put two blockers on him.
Vita Vea's impact was would be felt quickly on 49ers defense
That automatically frees up other defensive linemen to have more 1-on-1 opportunities, which leads to more unblocked defenders in the run game and better pass-rush chances for his teammates. All the best teams in the league know how vital it is to stop the run.
Limiting that part of an opposing team's offense puts the defense in more advantageous positions. The 49ers have already been sold in this department, as they rank seventh in the NFL in rushing defense (90.2) and are tied for fourth in yards per carry (3.6).
Implementing Vea into this mix would only make them better in that area and immediately free things up for other linemen and linebackers at the second level.
If the 49ers did trade for Vea, it likely wouldn't cost anything more than a fourth-rounder, but maybe a package of two fifth-rounders (one in 2027 and 2028) could get the deal done. At the same time, San Francisco would have to find a way to keep Halton heavily involved.
Sebastian Valdez would be someone, in this case, who would be one of the losers of the deal. He's third among defensive tackles in snaps (116), playing in at least 37 percent of the snaps. Not to take anything away from him, Vea is a better player.
The 49ers know their team is older, so their championship window may not be open as long. That's why making a move for someone like Vea may be enticing.
San Francisco is playing at a top-notch level, so why not go all in and get one of the best run stuffers in the league?
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