The Philadelphia Eagles are switching it up defensively a bit. With Nakobe Dean moving on in a deal with the Las Vegas Raiders, but according to Dean himself, he’s not worried about the Eagles replacing him with a high level player.
In fact, he believes his replacement in Philadelphia is more than ready to do what’s needed and compete instantly.
Dean, who became a fan favorite during his time in Philadelphia, spoke about his experience with the team and the connection he built with the city. He had nothing but great things to say about the city.
“I appreciate all the ups, all the downs, the cheers, the boos,” Dean said about Eagles fans, per NBC Sports' Rob Kuester. “I appreciate every single thing. Me coming in and instilling myself into the community, how I was accepted with open arms. Philly is forever a home for me, for sure.”
Jihaad Campbell will be his replacement, and Dean had nothing but praise for him.
“Jihaad can be great,” Dean said. “You’re talking about somebody who was probably on track to win Defensive Rookie of the Year. But that’s what you expected. And he’s close to home, so it’s his team too. He had a lot of expectations definitely being a first round pick and everything. And I feel like now that he’ll have that role to be hisself and to play the ball that he needs to play, the sky is the limit for him.
“You’re talking about a guy who’s got the size, the ability to do everything on the field from the linebacker position, from covering, to blitzing, to stopping the run. He’s a three-down linebacker. He can do it all. He’s going to be great for sure, and he’s got a crazy work ethic.”
Campbell, already viewed as a high-upside talent, now has an opportunity to establish himself as a key piece of the defense. The move also made a lot of sense for the Eagles, as Dean just became too expensive. Sadly, this is something Philadelphia has had to deal with a lot in recent years, as some guys price themselves out.