Looking at LB

Posted:May 2nd, 2025 |Author:Tommy Lawlor

Years ago I was doing a podcast with Jimmy Bama and we started to talk about linebackers. I joked with Jimmy that someone should make a failed linebackers quilt for the Eagles. It would be a way to remember all the has beens, never wasses and mediocre players that patroled the middle of the Eagles defense for the past decade or so.

Who remembers Eric Wilson? Shaun Bradley would have been a great story since he was from Temple, but he just wasn’t good enough. Was Stephen Tulloch really an Eagle? Nate Gerry was nicknamed Whitesnake. Not so great other than that. The Myles Jack era didn’t pan out as hoped. I could go on, but there’s no reason to depress you.

The good news is that those days are over. Zack Baun was an All-Pro LB last season. Nakobe Dean played at a high level before getting hurt. Oren Burks stepped in and the defense didn’t seem to miss a beat. That was the best LB play in a long time.

Burks left in free agency. Dean isn’t all the way back from his injury yet. But the Eagles still have a good set of LBs.

• Zack Baun

• Nakobe Dean

• Jeremiah Trotter Jr

• Jihaad Campbell

• Smael Mondon

It is amazing how quickly the LB room went from a question mark to an exclamation point. As good as the Eagles LBs were last year, the group could be even better this season. Baun now has a year of experience at the position. He was learning last year, especially early in the season. Baun could eliminate some issues and continue to be a playmaker.

When Dean is healthy, he’ll likely play. He knows the defense and pairs well with Baun. Dean has struggled with injuries so he’s not a long term answer at this point. This is a contract season for him. The Eagles would probably love him to play well, get a good deal and help them with a comp pick in 2027.

Trotter showed some promise last year and could be on the field early on since he’s healthy.

Campbell and Mondon are both rookies. Both of them have played a lot of football. They have the size and athleticism to play in the NFL. Neither of these guys is a project. Campbell needs a bit of time because he’s coming back from shoulder surgery. Mondon will get his chance to compete and fight for playing time.

The good thing about having young LBs from big schools like Georgia, Alabama and Clemson is that the guys are used to having to earn playing time. They understand competition. They understand the value in starting out as a role player. It will be interesting to see how the young guys do this summer.

Vic Fangio has to be thrilled after the uncertainty of last summer. Would Baun be any good at ILB? Could Devin White bounce back? Would Nakobe finally play like the star he was in college? Lots of questions. This year he’s just got to worry about Nakobe and Campbell getting healthy. Campbell should be ready for Training Camp. Nakobe seems likely to spill into the regular season.

Look how awesome he is at just standing. Both feet are on the ground. He’s not slouching. Future star for sure.

*****

I don’t understand why Howie Roseman’s plumber is doing interviews from NovaCare.

That can’t be a draft pick, right?

http://igglesblitz.com/2025/05/looking-at-lb/

"Dean has struggled with injuries so he’s not a long term answer at this point. This is a contract season for him. The Eagles would probably love him to play well, get a good deal and help them with a comp pick in 2027."

This has been 2 consecutive years Dean has had his season ended due to a serious injury. Before that, he had literally no injury history as a football player. As fans, we always seem to predict that the negative things are what we should expect moving forward. In reality, most players experience injuries if they play long enough. Sometimes those are spaced far enough apart that they don't seem like a trend. In Dean's case, he played all through college and his rookie season in the NFL without injuries, but now has experienced them in two consecutive seasons. Of course we should be concerned --- especially with the latest as he likely still has a few months of rehab. But I don't think people should rush to define him as "can't stay healthy." Look at Jordan Hicks for example. He struggled in his 4 seasons in Philadelphia and then we allowed another team to pay him in free agency. He went on to play the next 4 seasons injury free and we struggled to replace him. Look at Derrick Burgess, who lost a couple seasons with us on his first contract, signed with the Raiders as a FA and made 2 pro bowls and 1 all pro team in his next 3 seasons. Look at Landon Dickerson who had 4 injury riddled seasons in college and has remained generally healthy for 4 years as a pro.

My point is, sometimes injuries are just bad luck and sometimes bad luck is strung together over a short period of time.

In Dean's case, he could bounce back this year, finish healthy and sign a 1-year prove it deal to stay here and shoot for a better FA contract in 2027.