admin
The writing may be on the wall for Nakobe Dean in Philadelphia.
This time of the year means everything. The Philadelphia Eagles are back. There are seemingly nine million podcasts. There is so much information that it can make one’s head spin.
Yet, certain things never get old. They just age like fine wines. Highlights from practice are like the smell of apple pie. They bring smiles to our faces and the urge to carve out a slice.
Great catches and shots of new faces in new jerseys doing just about anything are a nice way to break the internet. Who knew? Seeing Nakobe Dean pulling a sled has the same effect.
As most know, he’s on the PUP (Physically Unable to Perform) list. He suffered a torn patellar tendon in his left knee while tackling Tucker Craft of the Green Bay Packers this past January. He’s been rehabbing, and we all have a lot to talk about.
Might the writing be on the wall for Eagles LB Nakobe Dean this season?
Dean enters his fourth and final year of a rookie deal he signed in 2022. Philadelphia selected him 83rd overall in the third round of that year’s NFL Draft.
Since being named a starter in year two, his past two seasons have ended due to injury. While that has gone on, Philadelphia has discovered four linebackers it loves. It’s a deep room. That may spell trouble for Dean.
The Eagles rolled the dice on Zack Baun last year during free agency. Their gamble paid off. These past two years, they drafted Jeremiah Trotter Jr., Jihaad Campbell, and Smael Mondon.
Yep! That will make a guy show up to the practice field early and hitch himself to a sled. It’s doubtful that Dean will be ready for action in Week 1 against the Dallas Cowboys, which begs two questions:
When might Dean be ready to play? How effective will he be upon his return?
As mentioned, this is a contract season, but much has changed since we last saw Dean playing and healthy. Baun is an All-Pro now. The new guy, Campbell, has been lights out at camp and looks like a star.
We were told Campbell is recovering too, following a shoulder procedure he underwent during the offseason. If that is true, it certainly doesn’t seem to be the case. He survived one of his earlier physical tests. He has also been involved in a few minor disputes.
Campbell got a tad too physical with Dallas Goedert during what was supposed to be a tackle-free practice session. He punched the ball out of the hands of one of the guys wearing the red jerseys, in this case Tanner McKee.
All is forgiven on both counts. Goedert praised him for his aggressive nature, but it’s hard to deny that Campbell’s presence means the Birds may be scribbling on the wall with this Nakobe Dean discussion.
Trotter doesn’t have Baun or Campbell’s frame, but he’s smart and has done reasonably well with what his coaches have asked him to do. Smael Mondon has had a good camp too.
With this being a contract season for Dean, there are a few things that seem relatively obvious. He has proven he can start in this league. That means, when he is given his extension, he’ll expect (and deserve) a starter’s pay level.
As they did with Milton Williams, the Eagles may determine it’s fair to allow him to move on. It wouldn’t be a shocker, given that they will have three guys at the position who are less-expensive options.
#Great #play #Eagles #rookies #puts #Nakobe #Deans #injury #light
