With the defense struggling to pressure quarterbacks and stop the run, a blockbuster trade for a disgruntled Tampa Bay superstar could provide the missing veteran muscle.
The Chicago Bears were by no means a complete defense last year.
Aside from their league-leading 33 takeaways in the regular season, there were plenty of problems.
The injuries to Kyler Gordon and Jaylon Johnson revealed a major weakness in the secondary. Without either of them in the lineup for most of the season, the Bears allowed the 11th-most passing yards per game (239.2) in the NFL.
The rush defense was worse than that. Chicago allowed the sixth-most rushing yards (134.5) per game.
The Bears also struggled to keep teams out of the end zone. The Bears ranked 10th in points allowed per game (24.4).
Then, there was the pass rush. The franchise has done little to nothing to address it. Chicago had just 35 sacks as a team, which ranked 22nd last season.
Once Dayo Odeyingbo went down with his Achilles tear, it showed just how little depth there was outside of Montez Sweat. Sweat contributed 10 sacks; the next highest was six from Gervon Dexter.
Austin Booker had 4.5 sacks, who was followed by cornerback C.J. Gardner-Johnson with three.
What if there was a player who could potentially fix two problems on the defensive line? There is, and he just requested a trade.
News broke on Monday that Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive tackle Vita Vea had requested a trade. Bears fans immediately started clamoring for General Manager Ryan Poles to get a deal done.
Vea has proven he can plug gaps on rush defense and sack opposing quarterbacks. In 2024, he had a career-high seven sacks along with 42 total tackles and 10 TFLs.
NFL.com's Kevin Patra listed all the teams he believed were trade destinations for Vea, and had the Bears featured.
"Chicago spent the offseason mostly ignoring its need up front," Patra said. "While the Bears did add a couple of rotational defensive tackles, they're counting heavily on a Grady Jarrett bounce-back season. Swinging for Vea would fill the hole. The veteran's ability to stuff the run is exactly what a soft Bears middle needs, and the attention he'd take on passing downs would help open up one-on-ones. Ryan Poles hasn't been shy about taking gambles in the past. After not doing enough to upgrade the D-line throughout the spring, he could fix the problem in one big move."
The Bears were expecting more from veteran defensive tackle Grady Jarrett last year. He played in 14 games with four starts, recording 39 total tackles, 1.5 sacks and one TFL.
It could really benefit the Bears if they add another veteran to the interior of the defensive line. Vea could elevate the level of that position group by a lot.
The Bears have yet to make a splash on the defensive line this offseason. They weren't able to land Maxx Crosby, but Vea could fix more problems than just the pass rush.
Vea may be a player that the Bears can't afford to pass up on.
