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Losing Defensive Linemen Is No Time for Bears to Trade Gervon Dexter

The second set of rumors this year about a Gervon Dexter trade smacks of player-agent creativity because the Bears are ill equipped to handle this now.
Gene Chamberlain|
Gervon Dexter leaving in a trade might help the Bears in terms of the future if they receive a draft pick, but it's giving up on 2026.
Gervon Dexter leaving in a trade might help the Bears in terms of the future if they receive a draft pick, but it's giving up on 2026. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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Chicago Bears

Injuries have hit the Bears in a variety of ways on defense and the worst easily was at safety with Coby Bryant.

When you spend over $13 million a year to bring in a player, it hurts to lose them. Likewise for the mystifying injury or set of injuries Kyler Gordon has had over the past two years. He was paid about the same amount to be the slot cornerback.

Nevertheless, one other injury is currently the most troubling for the Bears. It's already known what happened with Bryant and he could miss the season, or almost all of it. Also, Gordon's situation isn't clear but at least they think he is rehabbing with an intent to return at some point in the season.

The worst thing that could happen to the Bears besides those is an injury to Austin Booker. Their defensive end hasn't been on the field since before the game with the Bengals.

Look to Thursday morning's practice in Nashville to hear more about it because it's when coach Ben Johnson is set to hold his next press conference.

A serious Booker injury would be devastating because he went out last year in the final preseason game with a knee injury on a special teams play and they didn't get him back until half the season had ended. This defensive line could not stand to lose Booker's pass-rushing presence.

At this point, they know they'll have Dayo Odeyingbo back and possibly even starting. He took over the starting spot when Booker went out, and hasn't looked terrible considering he's coming off an Achilles tendon tear. But at his best, Odeyingbo's strength is defending the run. He's not close to being the pass rusher Booker became late last season.

Their next-best option rushing off the edge supposedly would be Marcus Davenport. Thursday's practice marks the 10th day since Davenport signed and no one has seen him practice yet. He's "ramping up," and considering his injury history it better be a long and thorough ramping period. Davenport does know the defensive scheme, but if he doesn't really get involved in practice until the final two weeks before the regular season begins then how much could they really expect from him?

Then comes the defensive tackle rumor about Gervon Dexter as a subject of trade talks. Just because they were reported to be in talks doesn't mean they initiated them. Someone may have simply inquired. Or maybe it's the creation of agent Drew Rosenhaus, because Dexter doesn't have a contract extension for next year.

Sometimes agents will float things to try and initiate a more fluid situation for their client. Schultz was reporting this at the time of the NFL combine but nothing came of it and there were even reports denying its validity.

The thing is, whether it makes sense now depends on your view of the Bears defensive line. Apparently Bears coach Ben Johnson thinks a great deal of it, especially the tackle position.

“I think our interior defensive line is better than the outside world gives them credit for," Johnson said. "And I know some guys might be rookies, they might be free agents that people don't know about as much, but the way they've gone about their business, I've been really impressed with.”

Among that group was Dexter.

“He's a big guy and he does a great job taking care of his body and being available," Johnson said of Dexter. "I don't think he's missed a game in his career yet. He's done a great job. And we've challenged him to do some technique things a little bit different this year. And when he does it, it's a beautiful thing because he is strong, he is a big man, and he's willing to run guys down sideline to sideline. I think that's what's awesome.

"The consistency level is what we're still trying to get on a day-in, day-out, a play-in, play-out perspective. But when he does it right, does it the way that we're looking for, it's a pretty thing.”

Dexter had six sacks last year and only Montez Sweat had more on the team. The previous year he had five and only Sweat's 5 1/2 was more. He even managed to increase his tackles for loss from four to six last year despite having his pad level too high at times. He is the most physically imposing of the Bears' defensive linemen, as well.

So, if Gervon Dexter is part of a group of defensive linemen who have impressed Johnson this much, why is the team so willing to get rid of him?

It can't all be because sixth-round pick Jordan van den Berg is a "beast." He was a sixth-round pick for a reason. Grady Jarrett suddenly has lost 10 years and is in his prime? Neville Gallimore was a free agent the Bears signed with a cap hit of $4 million this year and $6 million next year, not $14 million or $16 million. Kentavius Street was on the street. He was a practice squad player who didn't get a contract elsewhere.

This doesn't sound like the interior of the Fearsome Foursome reincarnated.

And now Booker's injury calls into question how much their edge rush will be able to accomplish.

Yet, we're supposed to believe they are trading away Dexter? Are they supposed to tackle backs and rush the passer with their imagination?

File this trade idea away where the last trade of Dexter rumor came from because one of the league's weakest defensive lines doesn't get stronger by removing one of its most potentially productive parts. It's probably the produce of an agent who wants contract talks to take a turn.

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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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