Where did you hear about BAE? Physioroom still says no return date and they are usually pretty accurate. Hope you are correct though.
Kaboul still not due back till end of December. So Dawson will have the chance to cement his place in the side. The question is do we play Naughton at left back and allow Vertonghen to form a partnership with Dawson or do we play Vert at LB, until BAE returns?
As for the long term pairing at CB I think it depends who complements each others strengths and weaknesses. I think we would all put Vert as our key CB, what are his weaknesses and who out of Dawson, Kaboul and Caulker fills those gaps.
Dawson: Pros- Aerial strength, positioning, defence minded when Vert goes forward. Cons - Lacks pace
Kaboul: Pros - Strong as an ox, fast, similar to vert going forwards, dynamic. Cons - Can switch off, cannot both push forwards.
Caulker: Pros - quite fast, natural ability, reads the game well, lots of potential. Cons - inexperienced, passing