This offseason is just filled with so many tough decisions for general manager Howie Roseman and the Philadelphia Eagles.
There are four key free agents for the Eagles that will be available for teams to sign unless a franchise tag is used, including edge rusher Jaelan Phillips, linebacker Nakobe Dean, safety Reed Blankenship, and tight end Dallas Goedert. Some of those guys, like Goedert, feel like they won't be back, but others are not as easy, with Dean being one of them.
FOX NFL reporter Greg Auman shared his list of the top 100 free agents going into the 2026 offseason, and Dean was ranked 32nd. The price tag Auman presented to Dean, though, will certainly spark a debate.
"Dean, 25, has been limited by injuries throughout four seasons in Philadelphia. His peak was 128 tackles in 2024 in a Super Bowl season for the Eagles, though a knee injury sidelined him for most of the playoffs and through the first month of this season. He can get to the quarterback — seven sacks and 16 tackles for loss in the last two seasons — but his durability is a question mark. The Eagles used a first-round pick on Jihaad Campbell last year, so maybe they've already decided on Dean's future. How much can Dean get as a free agent? There's a wide range of projections, but he's likely in the $8 million a year vicinity."
Is Nakobe Dean worth $8 million per year for Eagles?
Dean missed the first half of the NFL season due to the injury he suffered in the Green Bay Packers Wild Card game in the 2024 season. He ended up playing in 10 games, racking up 55 tackles, seven tackles for loss, six quarterback hits, four sacks, two forced fumbles, and one pass deflection.
What got Dean to break out as a star on defense was his ability to pressure the quarterback on blitzes designed by defensive coordinator Vic Fangio. The Eagles coach had Dean flying all over the field and handled those responsibilities well.
The Campbell factor can't be ignored, as the rookie played increasingly well as the first half of the year rolled on. His ability to pressure the quarterback off the edge and drop back into coverage makes him too hard to sit on the bench.
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Roseman has a history of letting linebackers walk and not re-signing them, with Zack Baun being the exception to the rule. At $8 million per year being projected and Campbell and Jeremiah Trotter Jr. ready for bigger roles, the Eagles might be better off letting Dean land somewhere else.