The Philadelphia Eagles were content with letting Nakobe Dean go as a free agent this offseason, though it wasn't a situation where they didn't want him back under any circumstances.
Howie Roseman wasn't going to break the bank for him, but there was interest in a return if Dean's camp was willing to lower its financial expectations. Of course, they didn't, and Dean ended up signing a three-year, $36 million deal with the Las Vegas Raiders.
That's the price of business, and Philadelphia may end up paying an even greater price this offseason beyond just losing Dean. Their replacement plan is seemingly about to miss the offseason due to an injury that was revealed this week.
Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio shared as much on Wednesday night during a conversation with NBC Sports Philadelphia's John Clark regarding Jihaad Campbell.
"You know, he is dealing with a shoulder injury," Fangio stated. "He’s going to miss probably most of the offseason. So, we’re going to have to cram it into him in training camp and hopefully we have enough work to get that done for him."
Campbell's Injury Makes Losing Dean to Raiders a Tougher Pill to Swallow
Fangio was hopeful that Campbell could be back in time for training camp in July. Campbell's injury is reportedly connected to the torn labrum he suffered during his time at the University of Alabama. Given that Campbell had surgery, it's clear that, though not a tear, this latest injury is something significant.
If Fangio is purposefully withholding information about Campbell's injury, and it was a re-torn labrum, he likely won't be back until September. That puts undue pressure on Jeremiah Trotter Jr. and Smael Mondon Jr. to produce this offseason, providing the team a "Plan C" in case of emergency.
Yes, it's a business. Still, the cruel irony cannot be lost on Roseman that the Birds likely balked at Dean's price tag because of a 2023 foot injury and a 2024 patellar tendon tear, only to have his understudy reinjured by an ailment that's long haunted his pro career.
Dean's departure may or may not be the biggest regret in the City of Brotherly Love right now. It all depends on what the team does next, through free agency or the draft, to account for his exit and Campbell's indefinite absence.
At the very least, the two situations prove just how hard it is to keep a football team at the top. Injuries can, and always do, throw wrenches into plans. Making the adjustments to those bumps in the road is just as important as the planned-out moves themselves.
Believing one player's injury could be your undoing, only for the player you chose instead to have an injury be the real threat, continues what's been a snake-bitten run for the Eagles since winning Super Bowl LIX.