Why NFL Execs Are Wrong To Believe A Vita Vea Trade To The Bears Is A Bad Idea

Vita Vea is now the hot name on the NFL trade circuit. The Pro Bowl nose tackle asked to be dealt by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, as the organization has dragged its feet getting a contract extension done. This after Vea once again helped their defense thrive stopping the run. He is the unquestioned best interior run defender in football. Unsurprisingly, he feels he should be rewarded for those efforts. Tampa Bay, for their part, has made it pretty clear they have no intentions of trading Vea. However, we’ve heard that sort of messaging before.

This is probably why the Chicago Bears and other teams have contacted them to gauge the defensive tackle’s value. It isn’t surprising they would be interested. The Bears were 27th against the run last season. It was a constant issue. Injuries along the defensive line didn’t help, but none of their defensive tackles were particularly good at stopping it. Vea would change that. However, a couple of NFL executives told Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune that this might not be a wise idea.

“Good player but might be getting near the end,” one assistant general manager texted. “How near the end is what you have to figure out if you’re going for him, and how much are you willing to pay for that?”

“Very good but age is not on his side,” a pro scouting director texted. “Soon to be 32. You’d have to feel good about a couple seasons.”

All discussion of Vea and the impact he could make could be a moot point because the Buccaneers, at least publicly, don’t seem inclined to make his wish come true and trade him. One source said they’ve made that clear to teams that have called.

Price is the sticking point with any Vita Vea trade.

What they say is true. If you look at the history of nose tackles in the NFL, especially ones his size, they don’t last very long in their 30s. Most burn out by around 33 or 34 years old. Vince Wilfork and Casey Hampton, the gold standard of that position in the past 20 years, both made it to 35. That is the best-case scenario for Vea. This means he has three years left. This means the Bears would have to trade a decent draft pick for him and then offer an extension that would be a raise over the $17.75 million he’s currently making.

This presents a problem for the Bears. They only have six picks in the 2027 NFL draft. Not only that, but they’re sitting at under $5 million in salary cap space. They would have to drop down to five picks and also restructure several contracts just to fit Vita Vea on their books. That means general manager Ryan Poles and head coach Ben Johnson must ask themselves an important question.

Is this the kind of move that would put the Bears into the Super Bowl conversation?

It is tough to answer that.

Historically, nose tackles haven’t moved the needle on championship teams all that much. It is all about pass rushers and cover corners. Make life as difficult for the quarterback as possible. Still, if you look at recent history, you’ll often notice that championship teams often correlate with good run defense. Seven of the last 10 Super Bowl winners ranked in the top 10.

The Bears were 5-0 last season when they allowed less than 100 yards on the ground. When put in that context, it becomes easier to see Vea’s appeal. Dennis Allen is one of the most dangerous defensive coordinators in the NFL when you give him 3rd and long situations. Getting into them is the hard part. Stopping the run is key. If the Bears think Vea has at least two more good seasons in him, then perhaps a trade is worth the risk.