This past week, news came out that the Chicago Bears were entertaining offers for defensive tackle Gervon Dexter. It came as a surprise. After all, the man is only 24 years old and was coming off his best season with 6 sacks. This was a clear indication that the team probably didn’t plan to bring him back next year. Dexter is in the last season of his rookie contract. There were also indications that defensive coordinator Dennis Allen didn’t feel he was the best fit for his system. Sure enough, the big moment came the morning after the team’s preseason finale in Tennessee.
The Bears are sending Dexter to the Atlanta Falcons in exchange for a 5th round pick in 2027 and cornerback Clark Phillips. This trade makes sense from Atlanta’s perspective. They have significant defensive line needs in the middle. Dexter helps alleviate that. Falcons GM Ian Cunningham was in Chicago when they selected him in the 2nd round in 2023. He knows exactly the type of player Dexter is. As for the Bears? This move is a clear indication that they feel very strongly about their other options at the position.
Gervon Dexter was always on borrowed time.
Allen’s history has always shown that he prefers defensive tackles who are quick and explosive. Think Sheldon Rankins. That has never been Dexter’s game. His explosiveness and get-off were always sore spots of discussion for fans. He overcame those issues with his size, length, and power. Once the Bears made a series of moves at defensive tackle this offseason, things got interesting. Yet the true pivot point was unquestionably the rise of 6th round pick Jordan Van Den Berg. The rookie has been tearing up training camp and the preseason for the past month, looking like the ideal player Allen wants.
Couple this with the quality play of Neville Gallimore, James Lynch, and even undrafted free agent Jayden Loving, and you start to see why the Bears felt they could justify letting Gervon Dexter go. So what of the return? Remember, the Bears only had six picks heading into next year’s 2027 draft. They lost a 5th rounder to the Patriots in exchange for center Garrett Bradbury. They have now gotten that pick back. As for Clark Phillips? He is a former 4th round pick in 2023 out of Utah who played two seasons for the team before being relegated to special teams. He allowed a 94.2 passer rating with one interception and five pass breakups.
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Phillips has untapped potential.
He’s only 24 years old and was one of the Falcons’ best defenders in the preseason, allowing just one catch on six targets. Coming out of college, scouts saw him as a football junkie. He was a student of the game with great instincts for takeaways and the toughness to play a physical style of football. It is pretty clear why the Bears like him. More than anything, he gives them some badly needed depth. Cornerback has been hit by injuries frequently this summer, a problem that has persisted since last year. Phillips should allow rookie Malik Muhammad to focus on nickel corner full-time, with Kyler Gordon showing no signs of returning.
The man to trust here is Al Harris. Chicago’s defensive backs coach is one of the best in the NFL. We saw what he could do with untapped potential last year with Nahshon Wright. Perhaps Phillips is another project for him. There is no getting around the reality, though. Trading Dexter is a tremendous risk. It is a huge bet on Van Den Berg and Gallimore being able to fill the gap he leaves behind. The defensive line was already a question mark. One can only hope Allen knows what he’s doing.
