In ESPN's Matt Bowen's breakdown of the NFL's top 50 free agents this week, he added the best fit for each highlighted player, with a notable Philadelphia Eagles player making an interesting choice.
With the emergence of Bowen's list, the ESPN writer broke down specifically which team would be the best for his top 50 players. Bowen believes that Eagles free agent Nakobe Dean should find his way to the Minnesota Vikings come March.
"The Vikings have cap issues heading into free agency, but I really like the fit for Dean in coordinator Brian Flores' defense. Dean, who had four sacks with the Eagles in 2025, is the league's best blitzing linebacker, and he would join a system that led the NFL in blitz rate at 46.8%."
Nakobe Dean may not be a best fit for Eagles in 2026
The Eagles drafted Dean's replacement in Jihaad Campbell during the 2025 NFL Draft in the first round. While Campbell put together a strong rookie season, Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio inserted Dean into the starting lineup, putting together 55 tackles, four sacks, and seven tackles for loss during the final year of his rookie contract.
With the Eagles clearly looking to hand over the reins to Campbell, it appears that Dean's time in Philadelphia has come to an end due to the inability to split reps among Campbell, Dean, and Zack Baun. Bowen believes that Dean joining the Vikings would be the best option for him, under the leadership of Minnesota's defensive coordinator Brian Flores.
While Bowen notes the Vikings have cap issues, with Blake Cashman currently penciled in as the starting inside linebacker, Dean could easily upgrade the Minnesota defense if signed. Dean, who is coming off a four-sack season from an interior linebacker position, was graded as one of the NFL's best blitzing linebackers per Bowen. Coupled with the fact that Flores led the NFL in blitz rate with 46.8%, Dean could "pop" much like his teammate Baun did when he changed teams.
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While teams are "stagnant" right now, the unofficial free agent signing period begins at noon on March 9, with the official period beginning on March 11. While the emergence of Campbell may make Dean expendable for the Eagles, it is always possible for the Eagles to franchise tag him and leverage his value for trade capital during the 2026 NFL draft.