The Chicago Bears are making several changes on the defensive side of the ball under Dennis Allen. That should’ve been expected. His approach as defensive coordinator was always going to differ from Matt Eberflus. There will be more blitzing, man coverage, and dime packages. There would also be new roles for players on the roster. One player who seemed stuck in limbo as the offseason unfolded was Gervon Dexter. He’d put together a strong 2024 as a three-technique with five sacks. However, the arrival of Grady Jarrett meant that spot was no longer available.
Some wondered if he would shift outside to defensive end or serve as Jarrett’s backup. In truth, it’s neither. Allen has a simpler plan in mind. According to Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic, it involves moving Dexter to a position he’s already familiar with.
In Year 3, Gervon Dexter expects to move around the defensive line, but he has mainly been the nose tackle, a position he prefers.
“I don’t know if a lot of people know this, but that’s, like, my true position,” he told The Athletic after practice. “I started out in college; I played at nose. Came here, I started at the nose and then kind of switched to the three(-technique) toward camp my rookie year. One-on-one with the center, personally, that’s a good matchup for me. I like my odds one-on-one with the center. Just being able to physically impose over the center, it’s something I like doing.”
Draft experts felt in 2023 that Dextter had the build of a perfect nose tackle. At 6’6, he had the length to control almost any interior blocker and the power to command double teams. Despite a questionable first step, Eberflus wanted to mold him into more of an interior pass rusher. Allen doesn’t see it the same way.
Gervon Dexter moving to nose tackle is probably for the best.
This is not because he can’t play three-technique. He’s already proven he can. The issue for the Bears is they have no long-term option at nose tackle. Andrew Billings is returning from a torn pectoral, which ended his season last year. He is also 30 years old. The Bears can’t be sure he will be the same force he was before the injury, and even if he is, his time still runs short. Gervon Dexter is much younger and perfectly suited for the role. He also has tons of experience playing it. He is the ideal solution to their problem. Better still, he sounds plenty excited for the switch, almost like he never felt comfortable with what Eberflus asked him to do.
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