While the Philadelphia Eagles were laser-focused on solving what has been ailing them on the offensive side of the ball, they were forced to think about their defensive unit upon the unexpected news of the Za'Darius Smith retirement. Already low on pass-rushing depth, the Eagles now have to find ways to boost their rotation.
With the return of Nakobe Dean giving Vic Fangio headaches in the linebacker rotation, there may be an opportunity for Fangio and Nick Sirianni to shuffle things around that benefits the team and opens up more playing time for Dean.
Nakobe Dean May Benefit from Za'Darius Smith Retirement
Dean returned from his long absence in Week 6 against the Giants, but didn't see any defensive snaps. He was limited to six special teams snaps. Perhaps this was understandable considering the level Zack Baun and Jihaad Campbell have been playing at to start the season. The two talented linebackers have been playing almost every snap and have looked like two of the best players of their position, not leaving many snaps for Dean.
One way to get all three on the field at the same time could be by moving Campbell to the EDGE after Smith's retirement. Eagles reporter for 94WIP.com, Eliot Shorr-Parks shared Campbell's stats in a true pass rush set on X, revealing that the star rookie has six pressures in 23 snaps and a pass rush win rate of 28.6%. Those are excellent numbers, albeit in a small sample. He has also looked very good as a blitzer from the linebacker spot.
There is obviously a risk involved in moving one of your best defenders in coverage from linebacker to pass rush. Campbell has been a star all season, and a significant shift in his role could mess up his momentum. At the same time, Campbell has proven to be effective as a pass rusher during his time in Alabama as well. Per Pro Football Focus, Campbell has lined up 112 times on the defensive line in his final year at Alabama, registering five sacks.
Jimmy Kempski of The Philly Voice has addressed this question a few weeks ago, reporting that Fangio has shut down the idea of using Campbell more as an edge defender. However, that was before Smith retired abruptly, and the Eagles lost two in a row. Philadelphia is in crisis, and changes are coming. Dean may benefit greatly from these changes and carve out a role for himself, starting in Week 7 against the Vikings.