The Minnesota Vikings‘ needs at running back are dominating conversations around the team’s trade prospects because they could result in a deal for Jonathan Taylor of the Indianapolis Colts or Saquon Barkley of the Philadelphia Eagles. However, there is perhaps a better chance the Vikings make a trade for reinforcements in the trenches.
Minnesota probably has a better interior defensive line right now than any other team in the NFC North. However, the Chicago Bears just shipped two first-round picks and a fourth-round selection to the Tennessee Titans in return for Jeffery Simmons, the top-rated defensive tackle in the NFL, and a fifth-round pick.
The Vikings can go pound-for-pound with the Bears, perhaps their greatest threat in the division, by making an offer to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for $30 million defensive tackle Vita Vea.
Vita Vea Has Been Elite Pass, Run Defender for Years
Vea, a two-time Pro Bowler, is 31 and under contract through next season. He has been among the very best run-stuffers in the league since the early 2020s and also boasts 83 QB hits and 36 sacks over the course of his nine-year professional career.
Daniel Popper of The Athletic on October 21 named Vea among the best players in the league who might also find themselves on the trade block ahead of the November 10 deadline.
Vea requested a trade from the Bucs in July. In August, the two sides agreed on a one-year, $30 million extension that got Vea back on the field for the start of the regular season. The Bucs, though, have struggled.
Quarterback Baker Mayfield has missed time with a thumb injury. The offense, with and without Mayfield, has been a limiting factor. Time could be running out for coach Todd Bowles.
Vea is a very powerful interior player who demands attention as a run defender and pass-rusher. He is due $23 million guaranteed in 2027, so an acquiring team would be looking at a future commitment. The Bucs, meanwhile, would take on $19.6 million in dead money in 2027.
Buccaneers May Not Be Sellers if They Win in Week 8
That the Bucs might not end up sellers ahead of the trade deadline is a bigger concern than Vea’s age or his moderate step back in play over the first seven weeks of this season as compared to previous years.
Tampa Bay rolled the Carolina Panthers 43-13 to earn its second win of the season, and second victory in the past three games, in Week 7. The success moved the Buccaneers to 2-5, as Mayfield returned to the lineup last Sunday.
Mayfield didn’t play particularly well, as he is dealing with a recently dislocated right thumb and wore a heavy glove with a plate in it to keep the digit on his throwing hand immobile. As such, the QB was just 7-of-11 passing for 64 yards and one TD.
That said, things should only get better for Mayfield from a health perspective, assuming he can avoid further direct injury to his thumb. Tampa Bay hosts a divisional game against the Atlanta Falcons (3-4) on Sunday and can effectively move into second place in the NFC South with a victory.
A win would position the Bucs at 3-5, the same record as Atlanta, with the tiebreak over the Falcons. Meanwhile, the Panthers are 3-4 after losing at Green Bay on Thursday night, and Tampa Bay is 1-0 against Carolina this season as well.
As such, it might even require back-to-back losses over the next two weeks for the Buccaneers to sell ahead of the deadline. They also play the Bears in Chicago on November 8.
Vikings $30 Million Trade Pitch Counters Bears’ Jeffery Simmons Deal