Nov 3, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Nakobe Dean (17) in a game against the Jacksonville Jaguars during the third quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images Bill Streicher
A huge part of the Eagles' success last season was that they had pretty good injury luck. Brandon Graham tore his left triceps in late November, but outside of him, nobody crucial suffered any season-ending injuries in the regular season.
Come playoff time, that changed when Nakobe Dean suffered a torn left patellar tendon in the Wild Card Round versus the Green Bay Packers.
The injury can take six months to a year to recover from, so it wasn't much of a surprise when Howie Roseman, alongside Nick Sirianni, told local media at a Training Camp press conference that Dean will start the season on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) List.
Roseman revealed that the Eagles have full participation in Training Camp and Dean is the only injury. First-round pick Jihaad Campbell, who underwent shoulder surgery in March, is healthy and participated in practice Wednesday.
Dean's absence means someone will have to step up in his place. Oren Burks played well enough in the playoffs last season, but signed with the Cincinnati Bengals in free agency. That leaves Jeremiah Trotter Jr. and Campbell as the main candidates to play alongside Zack Baun, with Dean injured.
"I'm excited about that entire room," Sirianni said of the Eagles' linebackers. "It'll be fun to get out there and compete. And that's what it is, competition, competing every day. That's what the season is, it's a great preparation for the season when you're competing your butt off to get ready to play each game and during each game.
"Obviously, the linebacker position is Vic (Fangio's) speciality as well, and excited to see how these guys develop. And that's our job. Howie gets us great players and you can't be great without great players, that's for sure. But our job is to develop them to become even better players through fundamentals, through their awareness of the offense and the defense, through their situational football awareness. And that's what this time is for."
A lot of eyes will be on Campbell. He's the first linebacker the Eagles have selected in the first round since Jerry Robinson in 1979. It's long been a position the Eagles have somewhat neglected in the draft. That changed with Campbell.
Some saw the linebacker as a mid-first-round talent coming out of Alabama, but he fell due to concerns about his shoulder.
At the end of the first round, Roseman traded up one spot to get Campbell. The Eagles could've taken an edge rusher or defensive tackle to cushion the blow of losing Josh Sweat and Milton Williams, but Roseman went with Campbell.
During rookie camp in May, he didn't practice, but suited up Monday. According to 94WIP's Eliot Shorr-Parks, Campbell took reps with the second-team defense, while Trotter Jr. was with the first team.
"He looked like he had a great summer and (we're) excited to have him out there and working," Sirianni said, when asked about Campbell.
Wednesday is the first time Campbell is practicing since December, when he was with Alabama, so it makes sense if the Eagles don't thrust him in with the first-team right away. PHLY's Zach Berman reported that Campbell will have his snaps managed as he gets back up to full speed.
Throughout Training Camp, he'll have the chance to learn under Baun, whose breakout season last year was a revelation. Baun was top five in Defensive Player of the Year voting and was rewarded with a three-year, $51 million contract in March.
If the season started today, Trotter Jr. would probably start alongside Baun, but there's still well over a month until the Eagles face the Dallas Cowboys at Lincoln Financial Field.
Over the course of Training Camp, Campbell's role could become more apparent. For now, it's a positive for the Eagles that he's back on the field and a step in the right direction.
