Stephen Paea, former Bears defensive tackle, to join Redskins on four-year deal

Stephen Paea, a defensive tackle who spent the previous four seasons with the Chicago Bears, has reportedly agreed to the terms of a contract with the Washington Redskins.

The 6-foot-1, 300-pound Paea was the first player to agree to a contract with the Redskins upon the start of the free agent signing period on Tuesday. According to NFL Network, he signed a four-year contract, though how much money he would be paid was not immediately available.

Paea, 26, started all 16 games last season as a defensive tackle in the Bears’ 4-3 scheme, but lined up as more of a nose tackle during his first two seasons in Chicago. He had 24 tackles and six sacks, both of which were career highs, in 2014 while also forcing two fumbles.

Scouting reports consider Paea much more of a pass-rusher than a run-stopper, which would mesh with the idea coach Jay Gruden began to lay out at the Senior Bowl in January. This season, Gruden said, under new defensive coordinator Joe Barry, the Redskins’ defensive linemen would be asked to shoot the gap and rush the passer more frequently.

Paea was drafted in the second round, with the 53rd overall pick, out of Oregon State in 2011. He earned the Morris Trophy, given to the best defensive lineman in the Pac-12 as judged by opposing offensive linemen, while he was a junior, and was the conference’s defensive player of the year in as a senior.

While CSN Chicago reported on Monday that the Redskins had been negotiating with Paea’s agent, David Dunn, The Washington Post was first to report Tuesday that a contract had been signed.