Latest news with #NakobeDean
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Eagles camp opens with a notable shift on the offensive line
There isn't much of note that can be gauged from a training camp practice in July. The Philadelphia Eagles are in shorts. No one is wearing any pads. Contact is impermissible. That reminds us of something Nakobe Dean said last summer. "These T-shirts and shorts are cute, but we play football in pads". We are joking about some issues here. It is completely understandable why the NFL has its rules regarding these matters. Nothing is more important than player safety, nor should it be. However, this makes it more challenging to assess what we are witnessing. We were informed by defensive coordinator Vic Fangio that Jihaad Campbell wouldn't practice until August. What should we gather from him being on the field for Philadelphia's first training camp practice? Can we collect any information if there are no pads and no contact? Then, there's the offensive line. Brett Toth is one of the players here who has been under Jeff Stoutland for the longest time, but he can't snap the football. Don't look now, but rookie fifth-rounder Drew Kendall is already taking snaps with the second team offense. It was only one practice. There's still so much to iron out, but that is worth noting. He lined up alongside Kendall Lamm, Matt Pryor, and Darian Kinnard. Toth lined up as the left guard with that same unit. We shouldn't be surprised. He's the only other center listed on the Eagles' preseason depth chart, alongside Pro Bowler Cam Jurgens. We'll have to see if he makes any significant contributions. This situation could mean anything—it may not matter at all, or it could have implications. One thing is for sure: it's definitely worth keeping an eye on. This article originally appeared on Eagles Wire: Eagles quietly reshuffle the line on first day of training camp
New York Times
7 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Eagles training camp: Nakobe Dean placed on PUP, Jihaad Campbell returns
PHILADELPHIA — The first day of Eagles training camp was the manifestation of major developments, presumed and unpredicted. General manager Howie Roseman disclosed the first before even beginning his first news conference of the season: Nakobe Dean will begin training camp on the physically unable to perform list. If the Eagles needed more than rhetoric to remind themselves that 2025 will be its own challenge, Dean's official absence supplies something tangible. Advertisement Dean's sidelining isn't a surprise. Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said in OTAs that his starting middle linebacker wouldn't 'be back any time soon' from the torn patellar tendon Dean suffered in the NFC wild-card round. A league source at the time said Dean could miss the start of the 2025 season while recovering. That the Eagles traded up a spot to draft Jihaad Campbell No. 31 overall solidified how the organization felt about its depth at the position entering the title defense. The lingering question was who would fill in for Dean — and for how long? A possible answer emerged Tuesday morning: Campbell practiced fully for the first time in Philadelphia. His return was ahead of schedule. The first-round pick out of Alabama was limited during OTAs while recovering from offseason labrum surgery, and Fangio said at the time that Campbell wouldn't 'hit the practice field' until 'sometime in August.' But there Campbell was, helmet donned, slapping dummies to the turf one arm at a time with a ferocity that suggests his left shoulder is in pristine condition. The benefit of Campbell's availability is evident. The former comparison to Cooper DeJean's timeline no longer applies. DeJean, who debuted as the team's starting nickel cornerback in Week 6 of last season, didn't return from his offseason hamstring injury until Aug. 13. Campbell was officially listed as limited in the team's practice report, but there didn't appear to be any restrictions for a phase that doesn't involve full contact. The rookie linebacker participated with the second-team defense in both seven-on-seven and 11-on-11 drills. The hurdles in the way of Campbell potentially starting in Week 1 aren't so much health-based anymore. Can he learn Fangio's defense? Can he be more effective than Jeremiah Trotter Jr., the second-year linebacker who played opposite Zack Baun with the first-team defense on Tuesday? 'You're gonna see him out there today,' Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said of Campbell. 'It'll be fun to get him out there and start working with him. He looked like he had a great summer — excited to have him out there working.' Advertisement Campbell's 6-foot-3, 235 frame is considerable for a rookie. The strength and quickness that made him a top-10 player on the Eagles draft board set him apart during individual drills. In a drill that featured four standing dummies, Campbell slammed each one to the ground with alternating arms, then swarmed an assistant coach in a simulation of tearing a football loose from a quarterback. He later looked fluid in both coverage and run defense — although this first phase of training camp doesn't feature full pads or full contact. He spent the entirety of seven-on-seven and 11-on-11 drills at off-ball linebacker, but Campbell also worked with Jeremiah Washburn — who coaches the team's edge rushers — during Tuesday's practice. Roseman has resisted putting Campbell's role in a box from the start. The Eagles like Campbell's skills as a pass rusher, and it behooves them to start developing those skills even if Campbell is at first a fill-in for Dean. Even if Campbell eventually starts at off-ball linebacker, his distinct skills warrant a different usage of that position. The Eagles have resisted player comps, but it's not hard to imagine them eventually deploying Campbell in a versatile role in the likes of Micah Parsons and Andrew Van Ginkel. Tuesday was only the first view of what Campbell will become. Fangio disclosed in June his plan to keep DeJean at nickel and experiment shifting him to either cornerback or safety in base packages. DeJean only shifted to cornerback in base during OTAs. On Tuesday, DeJean only shifted to safety in base. It was the first sighting of the former second-round pick in that role. It's too soon to grade his play at the position. He was not challenged in the passing game, and the run game can't be properly evaluated until the Eagles are in full pads and conducting live drills. But Fangio is following through on his plan to keep one of his best defenders on the field at all times. DeJean played plenty in 2024; the Eagles played nickel at the league's third-highest rate last season (80.5 percent), according to TruMedia. It's a trend that will likely continue. But 19.5 percent is too many snaps for Fangio to not feature the defender who broke Super Bowl LIX open with a pick-six against Patrick Mahomes. Fangio has three preseason games to find an appropriate arrangement for DeJean. It's possible Fangio still experiments with DeJean at cornerback, the position he played as a unanimous All-American at Iowa before shifting to the slot in Philadelphia. The DeJean Experiment is now in full swing. Advertisement During OTAs, I wrote about the complications of DeJean's versatility. As I wrote then, the issue isn't what DeJean's secondary position will be. It's what his primary position remains to be and what Fangio's experimentation says about the strength of the rest of the secondary. It's arguable DeJean is the team's second-best cornerback; cornerbacks wouldn't be leaving the field in base packages if he weren't. So, it's noteworthy to monitor the position battle at the vacancy the Eagles created by releasing Darius Slay within a series of cost-cutting moves. Kelee Ringo opened team drills as the first-team cornerback opposite Quinyon Mitchell. He shifted to second-team cornerback during seven-on-sevens behind veteran signee Adoree' Jackson. Ringo had a rough day in coverage. During seven-on-seven drills with the second-team squads, backup quarterback Tanner McKee struck Terrace Marshall deep along the right sideline with Ringo giving chase. Later, in a fourth-and-5 situational drill featuring the first-team units, Jalen Hurts hit A.J. Brown down the left sideline with Ringo grappling for the football. McKee hit Marshall again on a medium-range throw to the sideline against Ringo in a subsequent team drill. One day won't define the position battle at cornerback. But Ringo, a fourth-round pick in 2023 who has the physical tools to become a starter in the NFL, must soon prove himself to be reliable. Mitchell remains dynamic. Hurts challenged the second-year cornerback on his fifth throw of seven-on-seven drills, unfurling a deep ball to Brown along the right sideline. Mitchell dislodged the ball just yards away from the pylon. Mitchell later defended a pass intended for Marshall during team drills at the end of practice. The defense's return to dominance in 2024 can be largely attributed to the secondary's dramatic improvement. The Eagles went from surrendering the league's third-most passes of 15-plus yards in 2023 to the fewest in 2024, per TruMedia. Breaches like those Ringo surrendered on Tuesday are what will lead the unit to regress. Starting defensive tackle Jalen Carter and recently acquired guard Kenyon Green did not practice Tuesday. Carter has a shoulder injury, according to the team; Green, a knee injury. Roseman had said Dean would be the only player not on the field. But it's my understanding that the Eagles are not concerned about Carter's or Green's status. Carter's role on the team is substantial. A runner-up for defensive rookie of the year in 2023, a first-time Pro Bowler in 2024, Carter could establish himself as one of the NFL's best interior defensive linemen in 2025. The Eagles spent the offseason performing maintenance on their budget, partly in preparation for the contract extension they'll be cleared to negotiate with Carter once his third league season ends. Starting center Cam Jurgens returned to practice in a limited capacity on Tuesday. He'd missed OTAs while recovering from a procedure on the back injury that plagued him throughout the postseason. Jurgens fielded a low snap to Hurts during the second set of 11-on-11 drills, but he otherwise operated with apparent ease. Backup Brett Toth gave Jurgens a rest during a later period of 11-on-11 drills, but Jurgens returned the following series. Sydney Brown and second-round pick Drew Mukuba shared first-team snaps at safety opposite Reed Blankenship. Brown was deployed first and appeared to accumulate a majority share. Fangio has been reserved in his previous public assessments of Brown. The seven-time defensive coordinator noted at the time that he hadn't seen much of Brown at safety. Brown started in six games as a rookie under former defensive coordinator Sean Desai, and he missed the subsequent offseason recovering from an ACL injury that would sideline him until Week 7 of the 2024 season. Advertisement Still, it'd be presumptuous to say that Brown being deployed first in Tuesday's practice suggests he's the Week 1 starter. Rookies rarely begin training camp with first-team reps. That the Eagles picked Mukuba with the 64th pick demonstrated both the urgency they felt about the vacancy the C.J. Gardner-Johnson trade created and the value they saw in Mukuba. The Eagles last chose a safety in the second round in 2011, when drafting Jaiquawn Jarrett at No. 54. At the very least, an early depth chart was revealed. Brown is, for now, the first safety out, with Mukuba rotating in. Tristin McCollum, whom Fangio notably included in the mix during OTAs, spent Tuesday with the second-team squad opposite either Brown or Mukuba. Tyler Steen started at right guard: This is no surprise. Steen was the first-team right guard during OTAs. He is the front-runner to start for yet a second summer. It is his best opportunity yet. The second-team offensive line was as follows: LT Kendall Lamm, LG Brett Toth, C Drew Kendall, RG Matt Pryor, RT Darian Kinnard. The third-team offensive line: LT Myles Hinton, LG Laekin Vakalahi, C Kendall, RG Trevor Keegan, RT Cameron Williams. Jordan Davis' stamina was notable: I don't think I saw Davis leave the field once during 11-on-11 drills with the first-team defense. Davis openly discussed his conditioning for the third straight offseason during OTAs. He said all the right things. But that time, he was backed by Fangio's confirmation. Fangio said he thought Davis was 'in the best shape that he's ever been in.' After a summer of further conditioning, Davis' stamina is now notable on the field. As with Carter, Fangio will likely keep Davis on the field as long as his endurance and efficiency allow. He played 37 percent of the defense's snaps during the 2024 regular season, 21 percent during the playoffs. Fangio's previous nose tackles had a higher range, between a 45 and 53 percent snap share. Can Davis reach that bar? Quote of the day, (Jordan Mailata on defending their Super Bowl title): 'We're not defending nothing. I hate hearing that. I think it (equates) to a Super Bowl hangover. And, yeah, I'm not trying to be hungover, man.' (Top photo of Jihaad Campbell, left, and Zack Baun: Kyle Ross / Imagn Images)
CTV News
23-07-2025
- Sport
- CTV News
Sprains, strains and ACL tears: What to know about some of NFL players' most common injuries
Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Nakobe Dean is carted off the field after an injury during the first half of an NFL wild-card playoff football game against the Green Bay Packers on Jan. 12, 2025, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Derik Hamilton) Some of the most important players on NFL teams are those that might not necessarily start the season on the field. Depth is crucial during a rigorous 17-game regular-season schedule that's preceded by a month of training camp practices in hot conditions as players try to make team's 53-man active rosters. Injuries can play as big a role in an NFL team's successes or failures as the best game plans. So being able to navigate injuries and ailments to key players could make all the difference between a team seeing its season sink or making the playoffs. Here's a look at some of the most common injuries suffered by NFL players throughout the season: Achilles tendon tears The Achilles is the longest and strongest tendon in the body and stretches from the heel to the calf. It's a springy band located behind the ankle and just above the heel that helps players push off their feet, jump and accelerate. Due to overuse or excessive force placed on the tendon, it can tear or rupture. Surgery is typically necessary to reconnect the ends, sidelining a player for several months because of the extensive rehabilitation needed. ACL/PCL/MCL/LCL tears The anterior cruciate, posterior cruciate, medial collateral and lateral collateral ligaments are all located in the knee and serve different purposes. The ACL connects the thigh bone to the shin bone in the front of the knee. While a sprain could sideline a player for a few weeks, a tear can end a season. The PCL is located behind the ACL, crisscrossing it to form an 'X' in the center of the knee. The MCL connects the thigh bone to the shin bone on the inner side of the knee, while the LCL connects the thigh bone to the top of the lower leg, or fibula, and is located on the outer side of the knee. Concussions A concussion is a brain injury caused by a hit to the head or a sudden movement that causes the head and brain to shake violently. Symptoms may include headaches, neck pain, nausea, dizziness and feeling sluggish. The NFL has been regularly testing and upgrading helmets for players to help reduce the risk of concussions. Eight position-specific helmets for quarterbacks and linemen were approved by the NFL and the NFL Players Association last year. Several players also have worn Guardian Caps, soft, protective helmet covers that the NFL authorized players to use during games last season in an effort to reduce head injuries. Chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, is a degenerative brain disease that has been linked to concussions and can only be diagnosed posthumously. It can cause memory loss, depression and violent mood swings. Hamstring injuries The hamstring is a group of four muscles that run along the back of the thigh, stretching from the hip to the knee, and they help a person bend their leg at the knee. These injuries vary in severity, and in turn, their timetable in sidelining a player. A mild pull of one of the muscles, commonly referred to as a Grade I injury, can sideline a player for a few days to a couple of weeks and can be a lingering condition if not sufficiently rested and healed. A Grade II hamstring injury involves a partial tear, while a Grade III injury is a complete tear of the hamstring that could require surgery and is likely season-ending. High ankle sprains When a player suffers a high ankle sprain, the ligaments above the ankle — which connect the tibia to the fibula — are affected rather than the ligaments outside the ankle in a low ankle sprain. High ankle sprains take much longer to recover from — six to eight weeks, and sometimes longer — than a classic ankle sprain, which might sideline a player for several days to a couple of weeks. Hip pointers The injury could sideline a player for a week or a couple of months, depending on the severity. A hip pointer is bruising in the pelvis and abdomen area, usually caused by blunt force, such as a hard tackle. The bleeding can affect several other muscles in the area, making it difficult to run or even walk. Lisfranc injuries A serious foot injury that can be career-threatening because of its complexity. A Lisfranc sprain or fracture is an injury in the middle of the foot in which at least one (or sometimes, all) of the small bones (or metatarsals) is broken or the ligaments that support the foot in that area are torn. Even a minor sprain not requiring surgical repair could take six to eight weeks to heal. Meniscus tears The meniscus is a crescent-shaped rubbery disk of cartilage that serves as a shock absorber on the inside and outer edges of the knee. Both help a person balance weight across the knee. When a meniscus is torn, the knee can lock up and swell. A minor tear can be treated with rest, but a severe tear could require surgery that may sideline a player for several weeks or months. Oblique strains An oblique strain involves the muscles on the side of the body between the ribs and pelvis. This type of injury can occur when a player takes a hard hit to the waist area or from overuse or sudden use of the muscles — for instance, a quarterback throwing a pass or a defensive back turning to defend a receiver. Oblique strains are usually treated with rest and could take a few weeks to heal, or could become a lingering issue otherwise. Patellar tendon injuries The patellar tendon allows a person to straighten a leg by acting with the quadriceps. Technically, it's a ligament because it connects the kneecap to the shin bone. Complete tears or ruptures often need to be surgically sewn back together and recovery is typically at least four to six months. Plantar fasciitis An injury that affects the bottom of the foot and can lead to intense heel pain. Plantar fasciitis occurs when the ligament supporting the arch of the foot — the plantar fascia — is strained and worsens when small tears develop in the ligament. The injury can sap players of speed while they deal with it. Rest, icing of the arch and finding new footwear are among typical treatments. It can linger for months. Turf toe An extremely painful injury that can sideline players for months. It occurs when the ligaments under the joint of the big toe are sprained or ruptured as a result of the toe being hyperextended. The injury makes it extremely difficult to push off and cut while running. ___ Dennis Waszak Jr., The Associated Press
USA Today
23-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Sights and sounds from Day 1 of Eagles training camp
We're looking at sights and sounds from Day 1 of the Philadelphia Eagles training camp practices at the NovaCare Complex After months of waiting, the Eagles are back on the practice field as the defending Super Bowl champions look to repeat in Santa Clara, California, in February. Nakobe Dean has been placed on the PUP list, and Jalen Carter is dealing with a shoulder injury. Still, rookie Jihaad Campbell participated in his first live action since getting drafted at No. 31 overall back in April. With all 32 team training camps underway, we're tracking the sights and sounds from Day 1 at the NovaCare Complex.
CBS News
23-07-2025
- Sport
- CBS News
Eagles place Nakobe Dean on PUP list, rookie Jihaad Campbell healthy for start of training camp
Linebacker Nakobe Dean will be the only Philadelphia Eagles player to begin training camp with an injury designation, general manager Howie Roseman announced Wednesday. Dean will begin training camp on the active/physically unable to perform list. The 24-year-old tore his patellar tendon in his knee during the Eagles' wild-card win over the Green Bay Packers in January. "He's doing a great job with his rehab. Can't wait to get him back," Roseman said. "Everybody else will be in on the field." Jihaad Campbell, who became the first linebacker the Eagles drafted in the first round in more than 40 years, is healthy and will participate in practice, Roseman said. The Eagles traded up one spot in April's draft to select Campbell out of the University of Alabama with the 31st overall pick. Campbell, a First-Team All-SEC linebacker with the Crimson Tide, didn't participate in the Eagles' offseason program while recovering from a torn labrum in his shoulder. "You're going to see him out there today," Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni said. "It will be fun to get him out there and start working with him. He looks like he had a great summer, and excited to have him out there working." Sirianni said he's excited about the Birds' linebacker group, which features All-Pro linebacker Zack Baun. Dean had a breakout season in 2024, his third in the NFL, before suffering a knee injury in the playoffs. With Dean on the PUP list, the Eagles will enter training camp figuring out who will get reps next to Baun. Second-year pro Jeremiah Trotter Jr. likely will get an extended look if he can handle the off-ball linebacker position in defensive coordinator Vic Fangio's defense. Campbell being healthy enough to begin camp practicing will factor into the decision. "The linebacker position is Vic's specialty as well," Nick Sirianni said, "and he'll have his hands all over that. Excited to see how these guys develop. That's our job. Howie gets us great players, and you can't be great without great players." The Eagles reported to the NovaCare Complex on Tuesday for training camp. Wednesday was the first day of practice.
