Throughout the offseason, Chicago Bears fans have been practically begging general manager Ryan Poles to make some kind of move to help the defensive line out.
During free agency, Poles signed three defensive tackles, but they are all backups, so that doesn't necessarily help the Bears out. At edge rusher, Poles did a lot less by not adding a single new edge rusher to the room.
Now, Poles might have a situation where he could help the defensive line out with a single phone call. That's because multiple NFL insiders reported that Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive tackle Vita Vea has requested a trade from his team.
Ryan Poles needs to pounce on acquiring Vita Vea now for the Bears
Vea is a tremendous talent and has been one of the best defensive tackles in the NFL since being a first-round pick in 2018. He has made two Pro Bowls in that time and won a Super Bowl with the Buccaneers.
The issue is that Vea is entering the final year of his contract with the Buccaneers, and he wants a new deal. An agreement has not been signed yet, leading to Vea wanting a trade from Tampa Bay and could possibly sit out of training camp because of it.
This is the opening the Bears needed to call the Buccaneers and see what kind of compensation would be needed to land him in a trade. Vea was just in the Pro Bowl two years ago, so it is going to be a high price to get him, potentially looking at a Day 2 pick to land him and maybe one other pick. Chicago does not have a 2027 sixth-round pick, but they have all their other picks, so there is wiggle room.
Early speculation is that Vea would prefer a California team or the Las Vegas Raiders. The Bears might be able to convince him that Chicago would be perfect for him.
He would instantly be a starter on a defense that could really use him. Gervon Dexter is a great talent, but Grady Jarrett has lost his toughness, so moving him to the backup would be perfect. The Bears are a piece or two away from being Super Bowl contenders, and Vea is that missing piece.
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Vea has been a name on Bears fans' radar for a while now as a potential trade target. Now that it's a reality, the question is: will Poles do the right thing and call about him?
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