Adam Schefter reported Sunday that the Chicago Bears are trading defensive tackle Gervon Dexter to the Atlanta Falcons in exchange for cornerback Clark Phillips III and a fifth-round pick.
The move comes just days after Dexter’s name surfaced in trade rumors, with reports indicating that the Bears were open to moving the former second-round pick.
For a player who started all 17 games for Chicago last season and set career highs with six sacks, Dexter’s departure is a pretty big decision. The Bears clearly decided the return was worth giving up one of their better defensive linemen.
Bears finally move on from Gervon Dexter
The Gervon Dexter trade rumors came out of nowhere earlier this week, but they quickly became one of the more interesting storylines surrounding the Chicago Bears before Week 1…
Jordan Schultz reported Aug. 25 that Chicago had engaged in trade discussions involving Dexter and that there were “multiple scenarios” where a deal could get done.
Now we know what one of those scenarios looked like. The Bears are sending Dexter to Atlanta for Phillips and a fifth-round pick, according to Schefter.
Gervon Dexter started all 17 games last season and finished with 44 tackles, six sacks, six tackles for loss, 11 quarterback hits and two fumble recoveries, but he was also entering the final year of his contract…
Instead of waiting to see what that situation looks like next offseason, Ryan Poles turned Dexter into a cornerback and another draft pick. That part makes sense.
Chicago is betting on its defensive depth
The biggest concern with this trade is obvious: The Chicago Bears just got thinner on the defensive line.
The Bears will now have to lean more heavily on players such as Grady Jarrett, Neville Gallimore, Kentavius Street and Jordan van den Berg. Chicago apparently believes that group can absorb Gervon Dexter’s snaps.
Getting cornerback Clark Phillips III is nice though. Chicago has dealt with injuries to several defensive backs throughout training camp, including Coby Bryant, Kyler Gordon and others. Adding another corner gives Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Dennis Allen another option as they put together the Week 1 defense.
That’s probably the biggest reason this trade happened.
The Bears spent the offseason trying to build a defense capable of supporting Caleb Williams and an offense with playoff expectations. Trading away a 24 year old defensive tackle coming off six sacks creates a hole, but Chicago now has a fifth round pick and another young corner to show for it.
If the DT group holds up, this could end up looking like a smart piece of roster management by Poles. If Chicago struggles to generate pressure or stop the run without Dexter, the decision to move him could look a lot different.
Either way, the Bears have made their choice. Now they have to prove they had enough depth behind Gervon Dexter to make it work.
Bears Pull Off Stunning Gervon Dexter Trade With Falcons