Eagles' Butkus Award Winner 'Outta Sight, Outta Mind' For Now

PHILADELPHIA – The metal plate was removed, and the boot came off Nakobe Dean’s surgically repaired foot in February. Now, it’s about getting back to 100 percent.

The Eagles third-year linebacker said in mid-April he felt good. The team’s training staff is waiting until Dean feels better than good.

He watched from the sideline during the first week of OTAs as Devin White and Zack Baun got first-team reps during seven-on-seven drills. Mixing in with the second team was Oren Burks, Brandon Smith, Ben VanSumeren while rookie Jeremiah Trotter, Jr., ran consistently with the third team.

The second week of OTAs begins this week, so we will see how Dean’s recovery is going.

“The mental side is always hard but we talk about having a dawg mentality all the time and I feel it starts with being mentally strong,” he said of his recovery. “I’m optimistic, so I’m always real about my situation gut always optimistic. I just have to continue to work and everything else will take care of itself.”

Nov 3, 2022; Houston, Texas, USA; Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Nakobe Dean (17) looks on the field prior to the game against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports | Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports

When Dean is fully healthy, what will await him remains to be seen. Will he be a starter or be cast in a reserve role?

Opportunity knocked last year when he was penned in to be the Will linebacker. He was healthy for just five games. Opportunity doesn’t always knock twice in the NFL, especially for players drafted in the third round.

But Dean isn’t your average third-round pick. He won the Butkus Award at the University of Georgia in 2022, so he will be given plenty of opportunity to show he can start, despite the competition in place.

“I think they're off to a good start,” said defensive coordinator Vic Fangio of the LB room. “We've got Baun here who's played a little bit of inside linebacker in New Orleans. He really didn't play a whole lot of defense there, but he was inside some, more outside. We think he can play inside, and I have not seen anything so far that says otherwise.”

General manager Howie Roseman said he and the team still believe in Dean, as they should.

“I heard about it,” said Dean. “Big ups to the upstairs. I love those guys, the head coach, (Nick) Sirianni, everybody.”

That said, Dean understands the challenge and process of reclaiming his starter’s job.

“I know I’ve been out of sight out of mind because of the injury but I’m here now,” he said.

He is indeed here, but to be fully here, he needs to get healthy to get back on the field and compete.

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