Unlike past offseasons, Jerry Jones seemingly isn't messing around, as he's alreadyrestructured the contracts of Dak Prescott, Tyler Smith, and CeeDee Lamb. With free agency set to begin on Monday, the Dallas Cowboys are now positioned to be big spenders.
Speaking of, Eagles linebacker Nakobe Dean has been linked to the Cowboys, whose new DC Christian Parker was with Dean in Philadelphia for the last two seasons. Dean is a logical target for Dallas, which is in dire need of a linebacker.
Sheil Kapadia of The Ringer went on Sportsradio 94WIP in Philadelphia, and said that Dean is as good as gone in Philly. Not only that, but Kapadia thinks the Cowboys are going to be in on the former Georgia star.
"I would be shocked if (Nakobe Dean) were to return. I think you're saying bye to Nakobe Dean...I think the Dallas Cowboys might look at Nakobe Dean and say, we've got the former Eagles defensive backs coach, and he's a great guy to come in and lead our defense."
The Dallas Cowboys don't have any excuse not to pursue Nakobe Dean
Kapadia sounding shocked to see Dean return to the Eagles was all Cowboys fans needed to hear. Thanks to Parker's history with Philadelphia, Dallas had already been mentioned as a potential landing spot for Dean.
Dean is a tackling machine who racked up 128 total tackles in 2024. He's also one of the best blitzing linebackers in the NFL, as he racked up four sacks last season to go with a 92.3 pass-rush grade that ranked third at the position, per Pro Football Focus.
Simply put, Dean would be the upgrade the Cowboys need after a horrendous year from Kenneth Murray, who made some of the worst reads of any linebacker in football.
On the other side of the coin, Dean has had trouble staying healthy, as he's played just 47 of a possible 68 regular-season games since he was drafted in 2022. If he can put those concerns behind him, he can wear the green dot in Parker's defense.
Parker did a splendid job developing young talent both in Philly and Denver before arriving in Dallas. All you need to see is the resumes of Eagles cornerbacks Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean, who were first-team All-Pros last year beneath Parker's coaching.
It's exciting to think about what Dean could become under Parker. The Cowboys obviously shouldn't set their sights solely on the former third-round pick, but he'd be a quality addition. With the Eagles seemingly bracing for his departure, Dallas has every reason to be involved.