Nakobe Dean Should Win The 2nd Inside Linebacker Job

Linebacker has been an issue for the Eagles more often than not. In 2022 they actually had a solid group between TJ Edwards and Kyzir White. But last year, and most years before 2022, it was a bit of a mess. Eagles fans have suffered though players like Nicholas Morrow and Nate Gerry being starting linebackers on this team.

Will 2024 be different? Well signing Devin White is a start. He is not the perfect player, but we at least know he is an elite athlete, and has a high ceiling. But who will be the 2nd inside linebacker is still a mystery. It is coming down to Nakobe Dean vs Zack Baun, and we have no clear answer about who will win the job.

In the end, it should be Nakobe Dean lining up next to Devin White in week 1. Here is why.

Last season, Dean was anointed the Eagles main inside linebacker before the season started. They gave him the coveted green dot. The season did not go his way though. He was injured early, and seemingly never recovered. He came back for a few weeks in the middle of the season, but he struggled, and then went back on the IR.

We still don't know if he can play. He was a hell of a player at Georgia, but 2 years into his time in Philly we have no clue if he is an NFL linebacker.

This year he started camp down on the depth chart. They have given Baun the bulk of the 1st team snaps, and in the latest-season game Baun came out of the game with the starters, with Dean playing the bulk of the game.

But in the joint practice, which we know they value, the tables were turned. It was Dean playing with the 1st team. So which one should we read into? Maybe the answer is that they don't even know yet. Tim McManus joined The Best Show Ever last week and talked about how he doesn't think it is a settled decision yet.

When the Eagles signed Baun, we assumed it was depth at Edge Rusher. He barley saw the field with the Saints in that role. Suddenly though, the Eagles were talking about him as an inside linebacker. He continued to be talked about as a serious contender for that job into camp, where he got 1st string snaps. he has not lost the job, but he also has not done enough to earn it yet.

It makes way more sense to go with the guy who not only has more upside, but also a higher floor. We know Dean knows how to play linebacker. Whether or not he has the physical traits to do so at this level remains to be seen. But at the College level, he was a great inside linebacker. And we know he is a smart player, and a hell of a leader.

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Dean makes more sense. One because he is actually a linebacker. He knows how to play linebacker. He knows how to blitz from the inside. he knows how to read the run. He knows how to run a defense from the field, and has the making of a great field general. And he knows how to play with Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis, and Nolan Smith.

It was a good move to make Dean earn it this year after being anointed in 2023. But with him looking the part in the preseason games, and in practice, it should eventually be him on the field in week 1.

We are just a few weeks away now from real Football that matters. Each team has 1 more preseason game, then an off week, and then we finally get real games. As the Super Bowl winner, the Chiefs kick things off on Thursday, September 5th against the Chiefs. But the next night, the Eagles will play the first-ever game in Brazil to open their own season against the Packers.

It is hard to get a read on what to expect from them this season. Their roster, or at least the offensive roster, is great on paper. But it was pretty damn good on paper last season too, and we all know how that went.

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Have the issues that caused them to utterly collapse in 2023 gone? Will not having the expectations coming off that Super Bowl loss make things less tense for them? Will the changes on defense, including a new coordinator, fix the problems on that side of the ball?

We may not know that for a while. The Eagles started 10-1 last season before falling to pieces. But even in those first 11 games, something felt off. The offense wasn't humming the way it did in 2022, and you could see the deficiencies on the defense. Before they started that losing streak, there were people already sounding the alarm bells. Once one Jenga block fell, the whole tower came crumbling down.

But it is a new season, with two new Coordinators, and new faces on the roster. Do all those changes have people around the NFL feeling better about this team? Let's take a look around the NFL Media to see what they are saying heading into the season, with our first Eagles Power rankings Roundup of this season.

The Sirianni thing will follow them all season long. many people wanted him fired. Some of those people might be in the building. But he came back, albiet with a lot less power. Is he capable of holding this team together when they hit a snag? The way things collapsed at the first sign of trouble was concerning. Bad weeks will happen. The important thing is to not let it spiral. This team folded into itself last year, and that does not reflect well on the leadership. How they handle their first sign of adversity will tell us a lot about whether this team has fixed their problems.

The offense is the biggest reason for optimism. The talent around Hurts is as good as it gets. Kellen Moore is a proven OC. And Hurts has looked tremendous in Camp. Anything less than being a top 5 Offense, would be a disappointment.

This has been a topic of conversation. Will all the changes lead to an adjustment period? Will Hurts and company pick up the new offense right away? I do think we need to have some patience. Not to allow major issues, but if things don't look perfect in week 1, it should not be a reason to panic.

Yeah on paper, this team should be great. But there are question marks. Especially on defense. The ceiling could be high, but there are few proven guys. they are relying on young unproven corners, unproven edge rushers, and unproven DTs. But if things work out, this team could be great.