The Chicago Bears’ most unexpected move of the offseason was saved for right before the real action begins. They flipped defensive tackle Gervon Dexter to the Atlanta Falcons for a 5th round pick in 2027 and cornerback Clark Phillips. It was puzzling since Dexter had 6 sacks last year, and the defensive line isn’t exactly a strength right now. Still, it was clear the team had no plans to extend him after this season, so they likely wanted to get something for him before it was too late. Most people have talked about the pick they received, but what about the player?
Phillips was a 4th round pick out of Utah in 2023. Chicago already knows a thing or two about Utah cornerbacks with Jaylon Johnson. The program tends to breed good ones. For whatever reason, Phillips never quite took off in Atlanta, starting just 7 games and finishing with 1 interception. Chicago won’t turn its nose up at cornerback depth as health problems keep surfacing. However, the Bears might have an ulterior motive for this move beyond just adding another body to the position. One pro scout informed Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune.
“I liked him coming out of Utah in 2023 as a nickel,” one pro scout said. “Kind of twitchy and he played downhill with some juice. Willing tackler and competed and had decent speed. He struggled to stay connected downfield, though, and that’s where his length — his arms are less than 30 inches — showed up.”
Clark Phillips might be an option to unseat Kyler Gordon.
It is no secret that the Bears have reached the end of their patience with their current nickel cornerback. Kyler Gordon hasn’t practiced all summer and will now miss the first month of the season with a calf strain. He already missed 14 games last year with similar injuries. Head coach Ben Johnson and even GM Ryan Poles sound skeptical about his status for this season. Some already believe Gordon will be gone once his contract makes it possible next spring. The problem is finding a viable replacement in the slot.
The Bears may think Atlanta may have misused Clark Phillips while he was there. While he made a name for himself as a nickel in Utah, the Falcons opted to use him almost exclusively as a boundary cornerback. In two seasons where he saw action on defense, he logged just 36 snaps in the slot. Ironically, the two games in which he logged the most snaps there saw him deliver 3 pass breakups. It isn’t clear why Atlanta didn’t stick with that, but some believe they should’ve.
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The Bears have certainly given themselves options.
Unlike last season, they have alternatives for the slot job if Gordon can’t play. Lewis handled those duties frequently in Buffalo. Muhammad has been playing there all summer in camp and the preseason. Now, Phillips has a strong background for the position. The Bears are free to let one of them seize the opportunity with Gordon out for weeks to come. With any luck, one of them will ascend and make his return irrelevant. Phillips is only 24. He still has plenty of room to grow and will get the chance to work with Al Harris, one of the best DB coaches in the league.
Losing Dexter removes an element of certainty up front for the Bears. That said, they clearly have great confidence in guys like Jordan Van Den Berg, Neville Gallimore, James Lynch, and Jayden Loving. Adding Phillips now gives them far more flexibility on the back end. He allows Lewis to provide help at safety with Coby Bryant out, while also easing the pressure on Muhammad. It might not be a home run trade compared to others, but the logic behind it is sound.
