The San Francisco 49ers are 4-0 and one of the hottest teams in the NFL with legitimate aspirations to win a Super Bowl this season.
Former 49ers cornerback Richard Sherman likes what he’s seeing out of the team and wants general manager John Lynch to go all in — by acquiring Vita Vea from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
“If I’m John Lynch, I’m calling the Buccaneers and saying, ‘He was disgruntled before, and you guys weren’t sellers; you’re 0-4 right now, you sellers or not? What’s the price?” Sherman said. “If the price isn’t above a third-round pick, then I think you gotta make the move, even if it’s for just a one-season rental.”
Sherman, 38, spent most of his career terrorizing 49ers receivers as one of the best cornerbacks in football for the Seattle Seahawks. He then spent a portion of his career playing for San Francisco and helped them reach a Super Bowl during the 2019-2020 season.
Like Sherman said, Vea spent most of the offseason seeking a trade due to stalled contract negotiations, and the 49ers were willing to partner with Tampa Bay to get the deal done.
In July, football analyst Ted Nguyen reported that Vea, a Bay Area native, wanted to come back home to the West Coast and listed the 49ers, Chargers, Rams and Raiders among his preferred destinations.
During the final week of the preseason, Vea and the Buccaneers agreed to a one-year, $30 million contract extension, which left him saying, “I want to be a Buc for life.”
But with Tampa Bay’s 0-4 start to the season, and quarterback Baker Mayfield sidelined for at least the next two weeks after dislocating his thumb in a Week 3 loss to the Vikings, the Buccaneers could look to revisit Vea’s future.
For San Francisco, the decision to bring in a former Super Bowl champion and two-time Pro Bowl nose tackle should be a no-brainer, as they’re already a Top 10 team against the run — despite dealing with multiple injuries on their defensive line, including former NFL Defensive Player of the Year, Nick Bosa.
The 49ers defense held opponents to an average of 99.8 yards per game and would significantly improve at the spot by bringing in Vea.
