The Atlanta Falcons acquired defensive tackle Gervon Dexter Sr. from the Chicago Bears on Sunday morning for cornerback Clark Phillips III and a fifth-round draft pick, a sensible trade for both sides that gives Atlanta the interior pass rusher they desperately needed heading into a season already compromised by injury and suspension.
The Falcons lost Jalon Walker to a torn ACL in training camp and James Pearce Jr. to an eight-game suspension, the two young edge rushers who were supposed to anchor their defense.
Dexter, 24, fills a different spot but addresses the same urgent need. He is 6-foot-6, 326 pounds, starts at defensive tackle and had 13.5 sacks in 49 career games across two seasons with the Bears.
Falcons GM Ian Cunningham drafted him when he was Chicago's assistant GM in 2023, meaning the reunion comes with existing context about what Dexter is and what he can become.
The Bears' angle: they already signed Neville Gallimore, Kentavius Street and James Lynch this offseason and drafted Jordan van den Berg in the sixth round, a rookie who earned rave reviews in camp. They had depth at the position.
Dexter is on the final year of his rookie deal and a hamstring injury kept him out of Chicago's preseason finale.
The Bears took what they could get, a 24-year-old corner in Phillips III and a pick, and moved on.