Eagles Fan Favorite Connected to Bills After 4 Seasons

The Philadelphia Eagles are loaded in the linebacker room, even if Nakobe Dean ends up qalking this offseason in free agency.

Dean is one of the more intriguing pending free agents out there this offseason on the defensive side of the ball. He's just 25 years old and when he has been healthy, he has been elite. Dean can get after the quarterback, as shown by setting a new career high of four sacks in 10 games in 2025. He played in 15 games in 2024 and was a key cog in the defense for Philadelphia before getting hurt in the playoffs en route to Super Bowl LIX. In 2023, he only was able to play in five games.

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With the Eagles having Zack Baun and Jihaad Campbell, it would be somewhat surprising to see Dean back in town in 2026. But there are plenty of teams that could use him. For example, Pro Football Focus' Mason Cameron tabbed the Buffalo Bills as the top option for Dean.

The Eagles LB is a pending free agent

Nov 16, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Nakobe Dean (17) reacts against the Detroit Lions during the second half at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

"Nakobe Dean," Cameron wrote. "Best Landing Spot: Buffalo Bills. PFF Free-Agent Ranking: 11. The Bills struggled to fit the run in 2025, ranking 28th in rushing success rate (33.1 percent) allowed. Their linebacking corps was a contributing factor, as the group's 27.3 percent negatively graded run-play rate ranked 30th. With Matt Milano‘s and Shaq Thompson’s contracts set to expire, it would be prudent for Buffalo to explore the 25-year-old former Eagles linebacker. After battling through a patellar tendon injury late in 2024 that cut short a breakout season, Dean returned to the field and continued to perform at a high level.

"The addition would give the Bills a plus run defender they’re in desperate need of, evidenced by Dean’s 96th-percentile run-stop percentage (10.3%) over the past two seasons. Dean would give new defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard a chess piece to amplify his aggressive, blitz-heavy scheme after posting the second-highest PFF pass-rush grade among linebackers since 2024."

Buffalo is among the top contenders in the AFC. If this idea were to come true, it would at least give Dean the chance of making a run with another contender.

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