Time and time again, the Chicago Bears' front office ignored every potential opportunity to improve their defensive line. Fortunately for them, they might still have a chance to make a huge splash before Week 1.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers star defensive tackle Vita Vea wants a trade and a new deal. The Bucs aren't necessarily obliged to trade him, but he can make life tough for them if they keep him in town against their will.
Considering that, Josh Crysler of Buccaneers' site The Pewter Plank, put together several potential trade packages the team would likely consider for their star lineman. In that article, he argued the Bears could get him for Gervon Dexter, Cole Kmet, and a sixth-round draft pick, and that's a no-brainer.
The Chicago Bears must be all-in on Vita Vea
"The Buccaneers would have to give this trade offer some serious consideration. Gervon Dexter Sr. is only 25 years old, and has recorded 11 sacks through his first two NFL seasons, giving Tampa Bay a young interior defender with pass rush upside to help replace some of Vea’s impact," wrote Crysler. "Tight end also remains a bit of a question mark in Tampa Bay with a lack of proven depth behind Cade Otton. If Tampa Bay could acquire both Dexter and Kmet while adding a Day 3 draft pick in the process, they’d have a difficult choice turning down that offer for Vea."
Vea is an elite interior defender. However, he's much more than a one-trick pony and a run specialist, as he's also excellent at keeping the quarterback on his toes. He's piled up 17.0 sacks in the past three years, nearly as many as Grady Jarrett (5.5) and Gervon Dexter (13.5) combined during that span.
Of course, his contract situation is a concern. He's currently making $22 million in AAV, and he might be looking at at least $25 million per year on his new deal. The Bears would have to sign him right away to lower the cap hit on his first season, and they'll have to spend big bucks on a 31-year-old. which isn't what teams usually do.
That said, this team desperately needs help on the defensive line. Defensive coordinator Dennis Allen went against him twice a year for years when he was with the New Orleans Saints, so he knows firsthand how much of a disruptive presence he can provide in the interior of the line.
Ben Johnson already said it: the Bears are the No. 1 candidate for regression. They relied on Caleb Williams' heroics and epic late-game comebacks way too many times, and that formula isn't sustainable over time.
They already have a stacked offense with more playmakers than they can feed, but their defense... Not so much. They already know what's wrong and how to fix it, and their reluctance to even try will be their downfall.
If this is truly the price to pay for a player of Vita's caliber, this shouldn't even be a debate. They have to get it done.
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