Ryan Poles reveals what gave Bears confidence to make surprising Gervon Dexter trade

The Bears traded Dexter to Atlanta for cornerback Clark Phillips III and a 2027 fifth-round pick, moving on from their 2023 second-round pick before the final year of his rookie contract.

According to Poles, the decision was driven largely by how the interior defensive tackle room developed during training camp, with rookie Jordan van den Berg emerging alongside established veterans Grady Jarrett, Kentavius Street and Neville Gallimore.

"Those young guys started making a push when we got through camp, along with Grady (Jarrett), (Kentavius) Street and Neville (Gallimore)," Poles said. "We felt like the timing made sense for us. Really, it was about the shape in the room and how good those young guys were doing too. We feel really good and confident in our talent level at that position."

Jordan van den Berg's emergence helped change Bears' defensive line

The most significant development was van den Berg. Chicago's sixth-round rookie emerged during training camp, earned opportunities with the first-team, and continued producing during the preseason. His development gave the Bears another viable interior option behind their veteran defensive tackles.

Jarrett remains the veteran leader of the group, while Gallimore and Street offer experienced rotational options. Van den Berg's emergence gave Chicago the young, ascending player it needed to feel better about its depth.

Ultimately, that's what changed the calculation with Dexter.

The Bears had to decide whether keeping him was more valuable than what they could receive in a trade when they believed they already had enough talent at defensive tackle. Poles decided it wasn't.

Bears weren't going to keep Dexter because Ryan Poles drafted him

Perhaps the most revealing part of Poles' explanation was what he said about his own roster-building philosophy.

Dexter was the No. 53 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, making him one of Poles' more significant draft investments. But that didn't earn him immunity.

"I don’t think we’re an organization or I’m a GM that’s going to hold on just because it was a draft pick or a trade you made and now I got to make it work and we’re just going to keep that player here when it’s not working," Poles said. "Like, that will hurt the team."

Poles believes players inside the locker room recognize when personnel decisions are being made based on something other than merit.

"The locker room always knows, so we hold true to that," Poles said. "We want to put the best group together, regardless of how they were acquired."

If Chicago believed its defensive tackle room could move forward without Dexter, and Atlanta was willing to give the Bears Phillips and a fifth-round pick, Poles wasn't going to keep him simply to justify a previous draft decision.

Bailey Black/Chicago Bears

Gervon Dexter trade is a significant bet on Bears' DT room

The Bears are making a big bet on the rest of the defensive line by moving Dexter this close to the start of the 2026 regular season.

And anytime a big bet is made, there's risk involved. Dexter was coming off a six-sack season, and Chicago needs to generate more pressure up front in 2026, not less. But Poles' comments leave little ambiguity about the organization's evaluation.

The Bears looked at the remaining defensive tackles and liked what they saw, deciding Dexter was more valuable as a trade asset than as part of that rotation. Now van den Berg and the veterans Chicago kept have to validate that confidence.