Eagles Free Agent Profile: Nakobe Dean’s offseason decision could open the door for young player to succeed
The young linebacker will leave quite the role to fill if he joins a new team during free agency.
The Philadelphia Eagles are ready to get back to their winning ways. They’ve revamped their offensive staff, but free agency on both sides of the ball will play a hand in how they can perform next season.
Linebacker Nakobe Dean is an intriguing candidate for a contract extension, but he could have plenty of suitors once free agency opens later this offseason. Let’s take a look at what he showed with Philadelphia and the biggest reason he may not be in line for a long-term deal yet, regardless of his landing spot.
Nakobe Dean Free Agent Profile
Position: Linebacker
Age for 2027 Season: 25
Incoming NFL Year: 5th
Previous AAV: $1.4 million
2025 Snap %: 38%
Dean struggled with injuries during his rookie deal with Philadelphia. When availability is one of the most important aspects to earning a contract extension, Dean’s bad luck with staying on the field seems like it could hold him back from reaching his true value in a new deal.
The linebacker’s most productive season came in 2024, when he played in 74% of the team’s snaps. After his first two years in the pros totaled just four starts, that campaign seemed like a huge step in the right direction. 2025 was less nice to the young defender, though. He started just eight matchups this past season for the Eagles.
“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.” — FOX Sports
Prediction
I think that Philly looks elsewhere at the LB position. Jihaad Campbell was a 2025 first-round pick by the Eagles and could step into a larger role next season. It doesn’t make a ton of sense to me to pay another potential starting linebacker, outside of former All-Pro Zack Baun.
Instead, Vic Fangio’s unit can open the door for Campbell to prove that he is the player Philadelphia expected to get on day one of last year’s draft. The former Alabama Crimson Tide standout is still incredibly young, as he will be just 22 during next season for the Eagles.
For Dean, I think he joins a different team on a two or three-year deal, possibly even with an option after the first season. It could be specified as a sort of “prove it” type of situation for the athlete who certainly has the ceiling to make a huge impact in the league – but has to stay healthy enough to do so.
The Eagles may allow another team to take that sort of chance.
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