Who Should I Start? Nakobe Dean or Nephi Sewell

Saturday, May 24, 11:14 AM

Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Nakobe Dean (knee), who is recovering from the torn left patellar tendon he suffered in the wild-card round of the playoffs last season, has taken up ballet to become lighter and more agile. "There's way more flexibility, of course. Way more mobility," Dean said of the results of his ballet training. "It's definitely something that's helping with my rehab." Last year, Dean and Zack Baun were the Eagles' top two tacklers, with Dean contributing 128 to go with three sacks, two fumble recoveries and an interception. The 24-year-old played a career-high 815 defensive snaps in 2024 in 15 games and was an elite run-stopper for Philly's strong defense. Dean finished as the No. 14 linebacker in IDP fantasy leagues in his third year in the NFL. He is likely to be ready for the start of the 2025 season this fall, but don't be surprised if the Eagles manage hi workload carefully early on.

Wednesday, March 20, 2:43 PM

New Orleans Saints linebacker Nephi Sewell (knee), who tore his ACL in Week 17, is not expected to be ready to go for training camp this summer, according to head coach Dennis Allen. Given the timing of Sewell's injury late last year, nobody should be expecting him to be ready for training camp, let alone the start of the 2024 regular season. The 25-year-old was a depth linebacker for the Saints last year while also contributing on special teams. In the 16 games he appeared in, Sewell didn't make any starts and finished with 15 tackles (11 solo) and one forced fumble. He entered the NFL with the Saints in 2022 as an undrafted free agent after playing college ball at both Nevada and Utah.