The Chicago Bears were reportedly one of the teams most interested in adding DeForest Buckner at the trade deadline. However, the Indianapolis Colts reunited him with his old team and traded him to the San Francisco 49ers.
Now that we know the Bears are in pursuit of a big-name defensive tackle, who are some names that they can pivot to in the next couple of weeks?
7 Players to pivot to after miss
Vita Vea, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Bears might have engaged in Vea talks when he demanded a trade this summer. Now that the Bucs have started 2-5, the odds of him getting traded have shifted again. He would be a great addition.
Moro Ojomo, Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles are 2-5, their starting quarterback is out for the year, and their starting right tackle retired. They are in sell-mode. Beyond that, they extended Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter on their defensive line. Ojomo is likely the odd-man out to get paid. The Eagles can cash in now.
Daron Payne, Washington Commanders
Payne is a free agent at the end of the year. The $90M star is a great run defense pressence. With the Commanders sitting at 1-4-1, they could listen to offers on a player they are unlikely to retain.
Grover Stewart, Indianapolis Colts
Stewart is a free agent, just like Quenton Nelson and Buckner. Considering it will cost less to add Stewart than either of them, the odds of Stewart getting traded are high. He is not the impact pass rusher that Buckner is, but he is a great run defender. The Bears could use that.
Zach Seiler, Miami Dolphins
Seiler is signed for the next two years, but the GM who extended him is no longer in the building. Miami is 1-5 and is in rebuild mode. Seiler had back-to-back 10-sack seasons in 2023 and 2024.
A’Shawn Robinson, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Robinson is on a one-year deal, and while he does not bring much pass-rush juice, he is a great run defender. He is also a locker room leader. The Bears could get him from Tampa Bay for a cheaper salary and trade cost than Vea. It would be worth exploring a deal.
Unlikely Option: Jeffrey Simmons
The Titans are 1-6, but Simmons is signed for the next few years and is a potential Defensive Player of the Year candidate. It would cost similar to the Khalil Mack trade to add him.
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