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Bear Digest

Chalk Up Another Weak Ryan Poles Trade After Giving Away Gervon Dexter

The same Bears GM who gave everyone Chase Claypool has given away a second-round defensive tackle and line depth for a fifth and a special teams player.
Gene Chamberlain|
Ryan Poles just deprived coach Ben Johnson and defensive line coach Dennis Allen of needed defensive line depth.
Ryan Poles just deprived coach Ben Johnson and defensive line coach Dennis Allen of needed defensive line depth. | Chicago Bears On SI Photo: Chicago Bears video

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Chicago Bears

Acquiring Clark Phillips III in the trade for Gervon Dexter should not be construed as a solution to any Bears personnel shortages in the secondary.

GM Ryan Poles not only failed to solve their edge rusher need, but now has depleted their depth at defensive tackle.

To be sure, Phillips looks more like a throw-in. A fourth-round pick in 2023 from Jaylon Johnson's school, Utah, Phillips never became a dependable starting cornerback. His lack of size is a detriment to playing on the outside and he has not been used as a slot cornerback.

The 5-foot-9, 185-pounder with 4.51-second 40 speed has been on the outside for 673 snaps in his two-plus seasons but has not really played much elsewhere. He lined up 107 snaps in the box in special coverage situations, but is regarded as a good coverage player on special teams.

A triceps injury ended Phillips' 2025 season early, so he has only two real seasons to assess. His 80 snaps this preseason produced a so-so PFF grade of 59.8.

So little for a second-round pick

Getting back only a fifth-rounder and a player who might have been cut by Atlanta in exchange for a second-round defensive tackle who the Bears never really developed properly does not look good on the surface for Poles. So, in trading with his old buddy and former assistant Bears GM Ian Cunningham, Phillips was tossed in to even things out a bit and it really doesn't help.

Then again, perhaps the trade was made with Matt Ryan and not Cunningham because the league considers Ryan the man running the Falcons' personnel show.

Dexter has tremendous physical ability and at 6-foot-6, 326 pounds he is potentially a monster, but his pad level was a constant source of problems for the Bears on defense when they had to stop the run.

Dexter would make an ideal 5-technique in the mold of Akiem Hicks in the old Bears defensive scheme under Vic Fangio. He's quick enough for that position and powerful enough if the assignment for a play is occupying blockers. What was asked of him by this Bears defensive staff is to engage, then pull off and get to the ball carrier. He had to get the pad level low to do this and repeatedly experienced problems with this.

Perhaps with better coaching or a different scheme, he'll wind up living up to the potential Cunningham sees in him.

For the Bears, this is not a win and the best they can come away with is calling it a draw. Even that's a stretch. A Day 3 pick in return and a player who might not even have made the Falcons' roster is not much to receive. Scott Kennedy of Atlanta Falcons On SI had put Phillips in the Falcons' bubble but had him making the roster as a backup.

The Bears have plenty of backup level or bubble level defensive backs. If Phillips had been a slot cornerback, they could have used him as a replacement for Kyler Gordon. He's not. And he doesn't know their scheme as he arrives for the start of the NFL season.

Surplus of defensive line mediocrity

The trade does let the Bears keep one defensive tackle they would have cut, and perhaps it's James Lynch after he had a strong preseason.

This move was made is based on the assumption Jordan van den Berg is going to eventually tear up the NFL at defensive tackle and that's a big leap of faith to make for a sixth-round rookie. Poles is probably overestimating van den Berg's rookie impact a bit.

Fly the "L" flag for Poles for this trade. It's going to wind up right there with the Chase Claypool trade for Poles once Dexter's potential is uncovered by Atlanta.

Poles got little out of it for a player who has immense untapped talent. The only way the Bears come out of this saving some face is if van den Berg truly is the beast Ben Johnson says, Grady Jarrett is 100% healthy from the outset, and Neville Gallimore is everything they hoped when they signed him as a Colts free agent.

All Poles has done is weaken the defensive line depth for one of the NFL's weaker fronts.

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.

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