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Gervon Dexter Trade Looking Worse for Bears With Each Quality Game Former DT Plays

Bears run up against their former defensive tackle, one of the few defensive linemen they were able to succeed with through the draft before trading.
Gene Chamberlain|
Ravens running back Justice Hill tries to get away from Atlanta Falcons defensive tackle Gervon Dexter, the former Bear.
Ravens running back Justice Hill tries to get away from Atlanta Falcons defensive tackle Gervon Dexter, the former Bear. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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Chicago Bears



It's reunion week for Bears defensive tackle Grady Jarrett in more ways than one.

He'll be going back to Atlanta, where he spent the first 10 years of his 12-year career. There will be plenty of former teammates to talk with, including one he played right alongside in Chicago for a season-plus. That, of course, is defensive tackle Gervon Dexter.

The Bears traded the fourth-year defensive tackle there just before the season and Dexter has made the most of being in a different defensive system with an outstanding start and a contract extension. So, for Dexter this becomes a "How do you like me now" week.

“I talked to Gervon when he signed his extension," Jarrett said. "I was super happy for him, happy for his family. Loved my time here with him and excited for him, another young player that’s just going to continue to get better. Got a fresh start in Atlanta, so I couldn’t be happier for him.

"I know the people down there are great people so I’m excited for him. But as far as talking every day we both are getting ready for an opponent this week so we ain’t breaking bread or talking every day. But like I said, I definitely love him as a man, as a former teammate and excited for his future, excited for him and he looks like he’s having fun doing his thing."

Dexter is currently graded the fourth-best defensive tackle in the league out of 133 Pro Football Focus graded. He is seventh as a pass rusher and his old problem of being unable to stop the run seems to have vanished as he is 15th in run defense. With the Bears, Dexter never rose above 25th in the league overall and 39th against the run.

Bears coach Ben Johnson has much more on his mind than Dexter's new team and role, but he couldn't help noticing how he leads Atlanta's defense up front.

“He's a phenomenal football player," Johnson said. "We know that about him. It was one of those things; I think it was a win-win for both sides in terms of him getting a fresh start and going down to a really good style of defense that matches his skill set. He's playing hard. He's getting out of the stack. He's chasing the ball down. Which is really the M.O. of their entire defense."

Johnson didn't exactly go into how this was a win-win for the Bears. It looks like a win for the Falcons and one for Dexter. Perhaps that's how he meant it, although unlikely.

All Bears GM Ryan Poles got for Dexter was a fifth-round pick next spring and cornerback Clark Phillips III. Phillips hasn't played a single down of defense for the Bears and has been on the field for 14 special teams plays. He wasn't active for two of their five games.

Poles used a second-round pick for Dexter, who left with class when he put out a heartfelt message to Chicago fans.

It was a trade easy to second guess because the Bears' other defensive tackles besides Jarrett were Neville Gallimore, James Lynch, Kentavius Street, and rookie Josh van den Berg.

Van den Berg was the player the Bears slated to have a big role as a rookie and he has one tackle in five games, and 82 plays, 59 of the plays coming on defense.

Kentavius Street actually became the starter alongside Jarrett and has seven tackles, a tackle for loss and one-half more sacks than Dexter. Dexter has 13 tackles, two for loss, and half a sack.

Bears couldn't afford Dexter because of other signings

The truth in this one is Dexter wasn't signing with the Bears anyway, because they couldn't afford to keep a player they had spent three years developing. He got four years and $78 million from Atlanta.

Meanwhile, the Bears have Montez Sweat in the middle of a four-year, $98 million deal and the first week in a two-week suspension for a performance enhancing drug violation. He has two sacks. They also are paying cornerback Jaylon Johnson, who is coming off one of the worst games in his career and is in the middle of a four-year, $76 million contract. Then there's Kyler Gordon, who might remain out again this week for the 20th regular-season game out of 23 since he signed a three-year $40 million extension. And now T.J. Edwards is likely to miss Sunday's game with a hamstring injury, his eighth missed game out 23. He signed a two-year $20 million deal this year. And they spent $40 million for safety Coby Bryant and won't get a down from him until December at the earliest.

Regardless of what anyone thinks of Dexter's playing ability, the Bears got virtually nothing back in exchange for unloading him after developing him. Maybe they could have afforded to keep him alongside Grady Jarrett if not those deals they gave players who are sitting around now or playing only sparngly.

It's easy to wonder where Dexter and their defense might be if they'd kept him and not invested so heavily in a handful of players who spent so much time being injured

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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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