Windy City Gridiron
One veteran, one free agent, and one 2025 NFL Draft pick who should be under-the-radar difference-makers in Chicago this season
It was the joke that overtook Twitter, or X, or whatever you want to call it, on Thursday after Chicago native Robert Francis Prevost became Pope Leo XIV:
“Chicago produced a Pope before the Bears produced a 4,000-yard passer.”
Yes, we are well aware of the Bears’ 75-year quarterback curse, which was not lifted in the 2024 season despite the best efforts of first overall pick Caleb Wiliams. WIlliams’ own rookie yips, and three different offensive coordinators, had a lot to do with that.
The Bears’ conclave of decision-makers did its level best to turn things around this offseason. A new head coach and offensive mastermind in Ben Johnson, a revamped interior offensive line that could credibly be called the new Monsters of the Midway, and the additions of some serious targets for Williams in the draft with receiver Luther Burden III and tight end Colston Loveland… well, things should be humming on that side of the ball as long as Williams can develop in Johnson’s system. We’re taking the over on that one.
The big stories for the Bears have been on offense this offseason, but it’s also worth remembering that the hire of new defensive coordinator Dennis Allen could (and should) bring equally positive results. With his multiple fronts and aggressive coverage concepts, Allen has been one of the best distillers of defense in the NFL for a long time, and with the talent Chicago currently has for him, the hope is for a better finish than the 22nd in Defensive DVOA ranking we saw in 2024.
In the latest iteration of my “Hidden Gems” series, in which I look at one underrated veteran, one underrated free-agent signing, and one underrated draft pick for every team, the Bears’ gems are all on the defensive side of the ball. No white smoke declaring anything in this case, but there’s a lot of talent that will allow Allen to do his thing as he prefers to do it.
The Bears selected the 6’6, 312-pound Dexter with the 54th overall pick in the 2023 draft out of Florida, and Dexter’s subsequent arc has mirrored a lot of young defensive linemen. It takes a minute to get used to the fact that in the NFL, you need more than big and fast to get past the best blockers in the world. Dexter’s four-sack, 29-pressure rookie season was par for the course. He started off slowly, but by the end of the season, he was bringing it with more force. In the last five weeks of the 2023 campaign, Dexter’s four sacks tied him for the league lead among interior defensive linemen with several other players.
Season 2 began very well – particularly in the first five weeks, when Dexter’s five sacks ranked second in the NFL among interior defensive linemen behind only Dexter Lawrence of...
