The news that defensive tackle Vita Vea has requested a trade from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers perked up the ears of fanbases around the league, including the Green Bay Packers.
The Packers made additions to their defensive line this offseason, as well as a switch in scheme, with new coordinator Jonathan Gannon bringing in his 3-4 defense after the Packers previously ran a 4-3 under Jeff Hafley.
A 3-4 defense requires more of a true nose tackle than a 4-3, and at this stage it is unclear who is the leading candidate to fill that role for Green Bay in 2026.
On that basis, the idea of trading for a 350-pound defensive tackle like Vea, who has plenty of pelts on the wall in the NFL, at least has some validity, but should the Packers do it? And how likely
is it?
A two-time Pro Bowler, Vea would immediately solve the nose tackle puzzle and no doubt bring value to Gannon’s defense. Whether he is worth giving up draft capital for at this stage is a different question, though.
PFF's grades – which it must be said, are not gospel – indicate the 31-year-old is firmly in the decline phase of his career. His defensive grade peaked back in 2020 at 89.9, falling over the next couple of years before rebounding to 80 in 2023. In the two seasons since, it dropped to 74.9 and then 72.8.
While he is a natural nose tackle body type, which the Packers currently lack, he may not quite be the dominant run stuffer they need, with their current defensive tackles profiling as better pass rushers than run stoppers.
According to PFF, Vea too has been more effective as a pass rusher in recent years, with his run defense grades falling from 67.9 to 65.3 to 62.5 in the last three years, and his missed tackle rate rising from 3.7% to 4.7% to 11.6% to 19.5% since 2022.
Acquiring Vea would also present an issue in nickel, which Green Bay will be running most of the time. One of the defensive tackles has to come off the field, which means removing Vea, Javon Hargrave or Devonte Wyatt, all of whom are handsomely paid and expect to be on the field.
On the flipside, it could be beneficial to have extra depth in the rotation, especially with Hargrave’s advanced age and Wyatt’s lack of experience playing extensive snaps.
Moving to the logistical side of the discussion, any team trading for Vea would essentially be taking on a one-year, $18 million deal, which is not exorbitant for a player who has played the quality of football he has.
Not taking on a long-term commitment would be appealing for a team who wants a boost on the defensive line for just this season. However, it has been speculated that Vea’s trade request is a ploy to get a new contract from the Buccaneers.
It would therefore stand to reason that if he was traded, he would want a new contract from the acquiring team.
The Packers have already committed a lot of cash and cap space this year on various extensions and they still have Tucker Kraft to pay. They could fit Vea under the cap this year, but would probably not want to commit beyond that for a player who turns 32 in February.
Another factor is whether Vea would even want to come to Green Bay, as it has been reported he wants a move to the west coast. He was born in California and played his college ball for the Washington Huskies.
Although Vea does not have a no-trade clause, he could still make things very difficult if the Bucs tried to trade him somewhere he does not want to go. It does not sound like Green Bay would be his ideal destination.
In terms of the cost of a potential trade, Buccaneers site Pewter Report estimated the team could ask for a third-round pick, or even a second-round pick.
That seems like a price the Packers would not want to pay, at least not before they get an extended look at their current defensive tackles during training camp.
If they suffered an injury or got near to the trade deadline and felt they needed a boost, perhaps they could pony up. Even that assumes Vea does not simply have a new contract with Tampa Bay before the season starts, which is probably the most likely outcome despite the trade request.
There is an argument for the Packers to at least call and have a conversation about Vea. However, it does not seem likely he ends up in Green Bay, or that he gets traded at all.
This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: Should Packers trade for Buccaneers nose tackle Vita Vea?
