Chicago Bears DT Gervon Dexter made 1 major change to his body this offseason

The Bears heavily invested in the offense to aid rookie quarterback Caleb Williams’ progression, and because of that, they weren’t able to distribute more resources to the defensive line this offseason. The Bears’ two-worst roster positions are defensive tackle and defensive end, and it’s arguable which is worse. The Bears’ top four defensive tackles are Andrew Billings, Zacch Pickens, Michael Dwumfour, and Dexter.

Not much depth there for new defensive coordinator Eric Washington to work with.

Dexter started his rookie season slow but played better from December on. He finished the season with 2.5 sacks. One of the knocks on Dexter’s game coming out of college was that he could be slow off the ball, lacked athleticism, and had to rely on power to beat his blocks.

Gervon Dexter is leaner this offseason

Dexter appears to have taken one step that head coach Matt Eberflus preaches for his defenders. During his press conference Thursday, Eberflus said he changed his body before OTAs:

“I noticed the body composition first,” Eberflus said. “[Dexter] was really good. He changed his body in the time he was off. He’s quicker, leaner.”

Eberflus likes his defenders long and lean. Hopefully, Dexter will be more explosive off the ball this season. However, losing his frame could cost him his abilities as a run defender. If he’s a liability outside of passing downs, Dexter might be used even more as a rotational player.

But who is a good option for the Bears to rotate with Dexter?

Related: Bears defender sends message to Caleb Williams after rough practice