Now that NFL combine week is underway, Ian Cunningham and the Atlanta Falcons are dealing with a flurry of chaos. Between trade and free agency speculations, player meetings, and the on-field portion in Indianapolis, Cunnningham has a lot to take in in his first combine as a general manager.
The 40-year-old is in a good spot inheriting this Falcons' roster, but there is still some work that needs to be done. Whether it be via trade or free agency, there are still some major needs to fill, and interior defensive line is at the top at the list, but luckily, Cunningham's old boss Ryan Poles came through.
In one of the biggest surprises of the combine thus far, NFL insider Jordan Schultz reported that the Chicago Bears have received calls on star defensive tackle Gervon Dexter, which means there could be momentum bubbling for a high profile trade between Poles and his former protege in Chicago.
Schultz' report also revealed that NFL teams are not very enamored with the depth of the DT class in both free agency and the 2026 NFL Draft, so Dexter could be one of the best IDL's available if they truly consider trading him. And if they do, the Dirty Birds make way too much sense as a landing spot.
Ian Cunningham's Ryan Poles connection is coming in handy as Bears make another player Atlanta could use available for trade
The 2023 second-round pick out of Florida is a really good player. He started all 17 games for the Bears in 2025, where he logged a career-high six sacks, while his six tackles for loss marked another career best. He also has 42 career hits, so Dexter is a guy who knows how to get to the quarterback.
The Falcons struggled mightily in defending the run in 2025, but they had a strong rotation of defensive tackles in tow. Brandon Dorlus was the big breakout, but Zach Harrison (before his season ended early) and Ruke Orhorhoro also took big steps in the right direction for Jeff Ulbrich's defense.
Harrison could be a surprise trade candidate, while Orhorhoro is far from a finished product. Additionally, Atlanta is at serious risk of losing David Onyemata in free agency, so trading for Dexter makes sense as long as the price tag isn't extraordinarily expensive, especially because of the friendship between Poles and Cunningham.
However, acquiring the 24-year-old comes with some serious risks. Dexter is entering a contract year, so unless the Falcons are planning on awarding him with a lucrative long-term deal, he may not be worth parting with the Day 2 draft capital it would to acquire him for just one season of his services.
Cunningham has been vocal in his love for draft picks, and since Atlanta only has five in 2026, parting with another high-profile one would be a mistake. Not having a first-round pick is bad enough, but a world where the Falcons only make one pick in the first two days would be even worse.
The Bears are also reportedly fielding offers for DJ Moore and Tyson Bagent, so Cunningham could end up making more than just one phone call to his old friend and former boss.
So for as much as Dexter would help the Falcons' fill a massive need, the question Cunningham has to consider is if the reward outweighs the risk.