The Atlanta Falcons made one of the biggest trades of roster release day, acquiring fourth-year DT Gervon Dexter away from the Chicago Bears. And given Ian Cunningham was in the war room when Chicago drafted Dexter in Round 2 of the 2023 NFL Draft, Atlanta was always a logical destination.
Ian Cunningham's past ties to Ryan Poles ultimately got this deal done, and the Falcons got a highly-productive player entering a contract year for the low price of a fifth-round pick and cornerback Clark Phillips III--who was on the roster bubble--which somehow won the bidding war for Dexter's services.
And yes, there actually was interest that came from outside Flowery Branch. NFL insider Jordan Schultz reported that Gervon Dexter had a particularly heavy trade market, with teams like the New Orleans Saints and New York Giants also expressing interest--which makes a good deal look better.
The Atlanta Falcons weren't the only team interested in Gervon Dexter
It would be one thing to land a 24-year-old stud defensive tackle who is a perfect fit for Nate Ollie's attack front, but it's even more exciting to know they poached him from a division rival. And in a division as wide open as the NFC South, every little advantage can make a difference later this year.
The last thing the Falcons should have wanted was to see Dexter land with the Aints, especially considering the amount of NFC South-winning buzz they've received this summer. They have improved enough this summer--and this deal would have only made their pass-rush scarier.
The best part is that the Dirty Birds badly needed Gervon Dexter. The defensive tackle room was one of the weakest areas of this roster, and now they have another contributor beyond Zach Harrison, Da'Shawn Hand, Brandon Dorlus, La'Cale London, and Maason Smith to bolster this interior.
Meanwhile, the Saints have Cam Jordan, Davon Godchaux, and John Ridgeway III as their main starters, and landing Dexter would have compensated for the season-ending loss of Bryan Bresee--but instead, they're going to have to play against the man they wanted to acquire twice this season.
The best way to make your division rival regret not paying up is to watch that player unleash fury on them--and his presence will allow the Falcons to deploy their DL more creatively. At 6-foot-6 and 312 pounds, he can play nose tackle and 3-tech, and despite his struggles in run defense, Dexter is a pass-rusher who's presence should elevate this defensive line with James Pearce Jr. suspended.
Gervon Dexter was a genius pickup for a Falcons' team who badly needed pass-rush help. But being able to steal him from the Saints amid all of the hype they've received this summer is making it clear that Ian Cunningham's connections helped Atlanta pick up a much-needed win over their archrivals.
Add us as a preferred source on Google