The Atlanta Falcons managed to address their biggest defensive roster hole right at the very end of the offseason. Monday's surprising trade for Chicago Bears defensive tackle Gervon Dexter answers a huge question hanging over Jeff Ulbrich's unit and gives them the firepower they need to not get dominated at the line of scrimmage.
Why would the Bears send away such a productive and disruptive young player?Here's Moe Moton at Bleacher Report sharing his theory on what Chicago was thinking going into the deal.
"It's also possible Bears general manager Ryan Poles had no intention of giving Dexter an extension during or after this season. The ascending defensive tackle is in the final year of his rookie deal. Still, it's a surprise to see the Bears part
ways with one of their most productive defensive linemen a year before they had to make a decision on his contract."
Whatever their rationale, the trade gives the Falcons defense a boost where they needed it most. A second-round pick by Chicago in the 2023 NFL Draft, Dexter became a starter in the 2024 season and has been one of the league's top pass-rushing defensive tackles since.
In 32 games as a starter over the last two years, Dexter has posted 11 sacks, 30 quarterback hits and 45 pressures to go with 10 tackles for a loss. For his efforts, he earned a 72.7 pass rushing grade from Pro Football Focus last season, which ranked 20th out of 134 qualifying iDL.
With Dexter in the fold, the last real hole the Falcons should address is at wide receiver - although they will likely wait and see how Jahan Dotson performs as their expected WR2 before deciding to make a move there.
This article originally appeared on Falcons Wire: Falcons' trade with Bears ranked among biggest cut day surprises
