In Roob’s Eagles Observations: Could we see Jeremiah Trotter Jr. replace Nakobe Dean?
It’s time for Roob’s 10 Random Eagles Observations, which means we’re going to talk about Nakobe Dean’s future, Josh Sweat’s comeback, and everything you’ve ever wanted to know about Eagles running backs Bosh Pritchard and Clarence Peaks. 1. Replacing Avonte Maddox with Cooper DeJean in the slot provided instant rewards and shown that Vic Fangio will not be bashful about putting the best 11 players on the field.
regardless of how long they have been here. Which leads us to linebackers. Nakobe Dean hasn’t played well. Or, more precisely, he has been wildly inconsistent. He’s been extremely inconsistent, with missed tackles and coverage breakdowns being particularly problematic. For every positive play, we witness a bad one. We all witnessed Dean bite badly on Deshaun Watson’s pump fake on Sunday, and Fangio concurred that Dean struggles when asked to make plays in space: “Some of those, particularly with Deshaun Watson in space, he’s got a long record of guys who have missed him in space. So it’s a tough job. I believe he can improve, such as not biting on the pump fake, among other things. But they are heavy tackles, and it’sIt’s absolutely something he needs to work on.” Dean had a successful training camp and was named the starting middle linebacker over Devin White. But he’s been underwhelming thus far. And I’m curious how close Fangio is to giving Jeremiah Trotter Jr. a look and seeing what the youngster can do. You don’t want to send a young kid out there unless he’s ready, and Trotter’s stature is a worry. But he has the confidence and presence of a veteran, and during camp, he was able to use his instincts to compensate for his 6-foot, 225-pound frame. Usual caveat with Pro Football Focus.
Always take their rankings with a grain of salt. However, out of 86 linebackers who have played at least 100 snaps, he ranks 83rd overall – 80th in coverage, 71st in tackling, and 74th in pass pressure. Dean hasn’t played much football, with only nine career starts. He could get better and more consistent. He is still a youthful, 23-year-old with little experience. But he needs to start improving quickly, or Fangio will probably switch.
2. When one of his players is injured, Jeff Stoutland believes in making one-for-one substitutions. He rarely moves pieces around on the o-line. But, with Jordan Mailata projected to miss multiple weeks with a hamstring issue, I’d consider moving Mekhi Becton to left tackle and Tyler Steen to right guard. Fred Johnson is a great two-way backup tackle, but your top five players should be Becton, Landon Dickerson, Cam Jurgens, Steen, and Lane Johnson.
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