With all the news about Kevin Patullo being removed as offensive coordinator and behind-the-scenes drama reports coming in throughout the week for the Philadelphia Eagles, the team made a move that might interest some.
The Eagles announced that they signed linebacker Jose Ramirez (no, not the baseball player) to a reserve/future contract. Ramirez was a sixth-round pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2023 and 2024 while spending the 2025 year in the Canadian Football League with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. He's played in four career NFL games, with one quarterback pressure and one completion allowed for eight yards.
This is a very telling move as the Eagles work to build some depth at linebacker, but there might be a clear reason for that. The team might be on the verge of losing one of its starters in free agency.
Could Nakobe Dean be on the outs with Jose Ramirez on the team?
When Dean returned from his knee injury, he immediately made an impact on the defense and became one of the unit's most important pieces. In 10 games, he had 55 tackles, seven tackles for loss, six quarterback hits, four sacks, two forced fumbles, and one pass deflection.
The Eagles loved having Dean on the field in the starting lineup as he helped in run support and pressuring the quarterback. Dean was one of the best blitzing linebackers in the NFL.
Traditionally, Eagles general manager Roseman has not valued re-signing linebackers. Zack Baun was the exception last offseason, and that's because he was an All-Pro in 2024, helping the Eagles win the Super Bowl.
Remember, the Eagles drafted Jihaad Campbell in the first round with the idea that if he was good enough, he could replace Dean, and Philly could avoid paying him. Dean has already made it clear to Roseman that he would like to return to the Eagles, but Roseman has not given him any indication of what they plan to do.
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The Eagles are going to do whatever they can to live off of the rookie contracts as they deal with certain contract situations, and while Ramirez might not be the move that causes a decision to be made, it's definitely a sign of what's to come for Dean.