Dean To Start, After All
Devin White's Injury Puts Nakobe Dean Under Spotlight; Quinyon Mitchell Ready For Rookie Debut
The day has arrived.
The one that finally puts to bed the preseason storylines from OTAs, mandatory minicamp and training camp. The one that pivots to the dawn of a new season for the Philadelphia Eagles.
And even though the season opener is being played nearly 5,000 miles away, at Corinthians Arena in São Paulo, Brazil, the intrigue and excitement in and around Philadelphia is palpable.
It’s a season brimming with optimism for the Eagles, who in addition to upgraded personnel, will unveil a pair of new coordinators in offensive coordinator Kellen Moore and defensive coordinator Vic Fangio.
Head coach Nick Sirianni returns for his fourth season, albeit in a modified role, instead fixating on the 30,000-foot view as CEO head coach. Much hinges on this season, for all parties involved.
And they’ll face a stiff test out of the gate against the Green Bay Packers.
In housekeeping news, the Eagles waived WR Joseph Ngata from injured reserve with an injury settlement. Ngata, who spent the entire 2023 season on the Eagles’ practice squad, was known for his unrelenting work ethic, which garnered respect from teammates.
Every morning – typically a scorcher – before training camp, Ngata was routinely the first player on the field, fielding passes from the JUGS machine. He was also among the last players to leave the field.
Let’s get to some news, notes and my musings as the season-opener draws near:
Dean’s Time
The Eagles will be without LB Devin White (ankle) and CB Isaiah Rodgers (hand). It’s worth noting that White didn’t make the trip.
While free-agent addition Zack Baun opened with the first-team defense for the vast majority of training camp, and appeared to have the inside track to start, the White injury creates an opportunity for third-year LB Nakobe Dean to make his fifth career start. Dean, by the way, was far and away the Eagles’ best linebacker the final two weeks of training camp, and it wasn’t particularly close.
While Dean, who excelled surging downhill and ID’ing the run, struggled in coverage early in camp – specifically against RB Kenny Gainwell in the open practice at Lincoln Financial Field – the Georgia product ultimately rounded into form in the days that followed, showcasing more fluidity in space and flying around with more confidence.
Against a Packers team that thrives on play action, Dean will surely be challenged, especially for someone who hasn’t logged a ton of defensive snaps through two seasons.
For those curious, after 16 training camp practices and the preseason, here’s how I ranked the linebacking performances: Dean, Baun, White/Jeremiah Trotter Jr.
Sirianni on Thursday was effusive in his praise for Dean:
“Nakobe has definitely shined throughout camp with his leadership, his playmaking ability, his tackling,” Sirianni said. “I’m really excited for Nakobe’s opportunity [Friday]. He’s a really good player. He’s battled some injuries throughout, but we’ve sure as heck been excited about him from the moment he stepped into this building. Look forward to an opportunity that he gets tomorrow to play in the season opener.”
Without White, the linebacking unit as a collective largely lacks experience in a critical spot, but don’t forget about veteran LB Oren Burks, who boasts 91 games of experience and forced the team to carry six off-ball linebackers on the 53-man roster. Perhaps something to file away.
Rookie Spotlight
As for the Rodgers injury and what it means, the veteran cornerback on Wednesday was listed as a limited participant, suggesting the hand injury shouldn’t keep him out of the lineup long. But viewing his absence through the lens of Friday evening and the ensuing ripple effect, expect rookie CB Quinyon Mitchell to remain on the field for nearly every play.
When in base, look for Mitchell on the outside opposite veteran Darius Slay.
Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio believes Mitchell is prepared for a full-time role.
“He’s just played well,” said Fangio earlier this week. “He’s done a good job picking up his responsibilities, done a good job playing, and he will be out there.”
When the Eagles pivot to nickel, expect Mitchell to kick inside, bringing in second-year cornerback Kelee Ringo to replace him on the outside.
In terms of matchups, the Eagles having a bigger body on the perimeter in Ringo – who can challenge the catch-point and narrow throwing windows – should serve them well against a Green Bay receiving corps that has some size and wide-ranging catch radius.
Elevation Conversation
* Seven practice squad players made the trip to São Paulo, per the Philadelphia Inquirer: WR Parris Campbell, RB Tyrion Davis-Price, OL Jack Driscoll, OL Nick Gates, QB Will Grier, TE E.J. Jenkins and S Andre’ Sam.
Of the players who made the trip, Gates and Jenkins make the most sense as elevations.
Gates, 28, can play all three interior positions, the most notable being center, as the Eagles are without a backup on the 53-man roster.
Jenkins, 25, would serve as the Eagles’ third tight end and also offers special teams versatility. Having a third tight end up and available affords offensive coordinator Kellen Moore formational optionality. This would be Jenkins’ first NFL game if bumped to the active roster.
Fourth-year tight end Jack Stoll, who has appeared in 50 games (26 starts), sustained an undisclosed injury some point after arriving in Philadelphia last week and didn’t make the trip. He was a bystander at practice earlier in the week.
But there are cases to be made for two other candidates: Campbell and Sam.
For Campbell, an elevation would be of sound logic, though solely dependent on just how much of the playbook newly acquired Jahan Dotson has absorbed.
While Dotson may not have fully mastered the new language, he should have enough down to get through the game.
The team also has an unknown variable in rookie WR Johnny Wilson, who missed the final two weeks of the summer recovering from a concussion. How much will he realistically be able to handle? With question marks hovering over two of the five wide receivers on the 53, Campbell could make sense.
As for Sam, the rookie free agent safety, his pathway to elevation is a tad more complex and hinges on how the Eagles gameplan around the reshuffled backend.
Other Notes
* It’s evident second-round rookie CB Cooper DeJean needs more seasoning before he’s ready to contribute defensively, so it still wouldn’t be unfathomable if he didn’t dress.
Should the Eagles plan for veteran Avonte Maddox — who repped almost exclusively at safety throughout the summer — to moonlight more at nickelback, that would leave the Eagles with only C.J. Gardner-Johnson, Reed Blankenship and Tristin McCollum at safety. Sam not only gives you another body at the position, but can also help on special teams.
* The Eagles might not have much in the way of continuity, especially when compared to that of the Green Bay Packers, but the visiting Packers do have a new defensive coordinator in former Boston College head coach Jeff Hafley.
Hafley’s philosophy and tendencies remain a mystery, but I would expect a pressure-based approach to start, particularly up the middle to challenge an Eagles interior that starts a newly minted center and right guard in Cam Jurgens and Mekhi Becton, respectively.
Given the way last season ended for Philadelphia, coupled with the new faces at center and right guard and the developing communication between Jurgens and quarterback Jalen Hurts, expect the Packers to send pressure until the Eagles prove they can block it up. Keep an eye on Packers defensive tackle Kenny Clark, who should give Jurgens and Becton all they can handle.
* Flipping things over to the other side of the ball, the game within the game could be along the interior of the trenches, where Eagles second-year defensive tackle Jalen Carter will battle against either third-year right guard Sean Rhyan, who has appeared in all of 13 games (no starts) or rookie right guard Jordan Morgan, a converted collegiate left tackle.
Morgan, the No. 25 pick in April’s draft, sat out the preseason with a shoulder injury and will now see his first game action at a new position against Carter. Carter, who boasts All-Pro upside, has been a menace inside, providing a consistent push up front, knifing into the backfield and commanding double teams.
While I fully anticipate the Packers scheming around the perceived vulnerability, the interior pressure could thwart the offensive plans. This is a critical advantage that favors the Eagles.
* The arrival of Dotson shouldn’t preclude the team from carving out a handful of snaps to wide receiver/punt returner Britain Covey, who dazzled this summer as a pass-catcher. Of the players in contention vying for the third receiver role – pre-Dotson – Covey emerged from the pack due to his razor-sharp route-running and dependability. He’s also earned the trust of Hurts, which counts for something.
Though I’m hardly suggesting Covey eats into Dotson’s snap share, his short-area quickness and slipperiness in confined space adds a different dimension. Covey can also affect a given play without being ball-centric.
“You can’t just leave me,” Covey said last month. “You gotta be a threat in some way without needing the ball in your hand. And so, when you have that good of players as your ball-centric guys, you gotta have the other guys affect the game in some way.”
* In the wake of the departure of CB and special teams ace Josh Jobe and S Sydney Brown (PUP) on the mend, look for S Tristin McCollum to occupy the other gunner role opposite Ringo. McCollum last season logged 59 third phase snaps through three regular season games, adding another 23 in the wild card loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The 25-year-old is expected to undertake a prominent role as a core special teamer.
– Andrew DiCecco (@AndrewDiCecco) is a Staff Reporter/Content Producer for InsideTheBirds.com.
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