Eagles Experience Bittersweet Feeling In Linebacker Room

Ready or not, Jihaad Campbell is coming.  OK, so it won’t be until training camp starts in late July, as he rehabs his shoulders, but he will be the man this year. The other man, Nakobe Dean, is long gone, and it’s sinking in now as the Eagles take field during OTAs.

“I’m not gonna sit here and act like he died,” said longtime friend Jordan Davis. “We can see him whenever we want to, but not having I think hits us hard because we played with him for so long and we had that experience, now leaning into a new year and not having him behind us is a bittersweet feeling. We know he’s out there working. He’s in Vegas, doing his thing, being the same Nakobe we know he is.”

Ah, that Dean was a leader in every sense of the word for the Eagles, and one of the defense’s most talented defenders. Except, you always had to add the words, “when healthy.”

That was the curse of Dean. He had a trouble staying on the field. The blessing was that when he was on the field, wow.

Campbell was ready last year, showing that he is very capable of being the man, like Dean.

Zach Baun told a story about Campbell from last year, Week 1 of the linebacker’s rookie season.

“We had an install meeting, and if you've never been, obviously you guys haven't been in an install meeting with Vic, but it's intense,” said Baun. “It's a lot of information all at one time. And Jihaad hadn't had that, yet. He was sitting right next to me. I was watching him and glimpsing at him take notes and in a notebook, chicken scratch with a pencil.”

Right after the meeting, Baun there are individual meetings.

Baun said to Campbell, “Jihaad, let me see your notes and take a look.” I'm like, 'Yeah, go upstairs…get yourself an iPad, a pen, and this is how we're going to do it.’ And just teaching small things like that, I think are really influential to him and his growth and development. And you saw growth throughout the season. So, I'm really excited for him this upcoming season.”

Campbell started his first eight games as a rookie, while Dean rehabbed his latest injury. He made 80 tackles and a game-changing interception in a win over the Buccaneers in Tampa.

No Leadership Fears Without Nakobe Dean