The Philadelphia Eagles' season is officially over. As such, GM Howie Roseman must start planning what's to come. The foundation is set, and this team should go back to Super Bowl contention as early as next season.
For that to happen, however, they will have to retain some of their most prominent free agents, such as Nakobe Dean. That will be easier said than done, given that there's only so much money to spread around. That being said, Roseman has always been a master at going around the cap. And, according to Eagles insider John Clark of NBC Sports Philadelphia, keeping Dean in town might be one of his top offseason priorities.
Eagles Want to Keep Homegrown Players in Philly
"Howie Roseman says there are players they can’t lose. Players they have drafted and are homegrown. And he says you have to make sacrifices to keep those players," Clark wrote on X.
While he didn't mention Dean specifically, he certainly fits that bill. He's been with the Eagles since he entered the league, and he was one of the most valuable pieces of Vic Fangio's defense this season. So, even though he acknowledged that he didn't know what was going to happen in free agency, it sounds like the Eagles don't intend to let him walk.
The former third-round pick missed the first stretch of the season with an injury, but he picked things right up as soon as he was cleared to play. Of course, he couldn't get 128 tackles as he did in his breakout season last year, but his numbers were still fairly decent.
Dean finished the campaign with 55 total tackles (30 solo), seven tackles for loss, six QB hits, 4.0 sacks, two forced fumbles, and one pass defensed. He accomplished that while playing in just 10 games with eight starts.
The Eagles already have a suitable replacement in place in Jihaad Campbell, who showed glimpses of greatness as a rookie before being demoted once Dean got back to full strength. There's also a case to be made for letting him go, since they've already spent big bucks to re-sign Zack Baun and also need to keep Jaelan Phillips in town.
That being said, there's something special about building a contender through the NFL draft and keeping the guys in town for the long run. And while Howie Roseman rarely makes any moves based on emotion alone, it seems like he's determined to keep Dean and other homegrown players in town.