Nakobe Dean will start at middle linebacker over Devin White, Philadelphia Eagles DC Vic Fangio says
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio didn't dance around questions Wednesday when asked if Devin White will start at linebacker once he returns from an ankle injury.
"No, Nakobe [Dean] is the starter," Fangio said.
Dean, the former Georgia standout who won a national championship with the Bulldogs in 2021 and the Butkus Award (nation's top linebacker) started at MIKE linebacker in Philadelphia's 34-29 victory over the Green Bay Packers last week.
In the win, Dean recorded four tackles, including one for a loss. He played 95.52% of the snaps on defense and got the start alongside veteran Zack Baun, who had a career night and played 100% of the team's defensive snaps.
Even though Dean will start moving forward, White will still have a role in the defense.
"He's still a good player," Fangio said of White. "Tweaked his ankle last week. He's still a part of it and will be a part of it."
The Eagles desperately needed linebacker help in the offseason and signed White to a 1-year, $4 million deal with $3.5 million in guaranteed money, according to Spotrac.com.
White, the former No. 5 overall pick in the 2019 NFL draft, is coming off a down year with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2023 season, during which he was benched and didn't earn a contract extension.
White took many of the reps at one of the starting linebacker spots alongside Baun in training camp, but Fangio said that Dean beat White out for the job.
"I just think from the start of training camp to the end, he won the job," Fangio said.
Dean, a third-round pick in the 2022 NFL draft, dealt with injuries in 2023 that derailed his season after he played mostly special teams as a rookie.
Bryce Huff "improving" at stopping the run
The Eagles handed edge rusher Bryce Huff a massive three-year, $51.1 million contract in free agency to address the team's pass-rushing woes from the 2023 season.
For as much money as the Eagles gave Huff, he had an underwhelming debut in Brazil and recorded one tackle.
Even more glaring, Huff only played 44.78% of the team's snaps on defense, which was slightly less than Brandon Graham and Nolan Smith. Josh Sweat played the most snaps on defense out of the team's edge rusher group at 61.19%.
So what does Huff need to do to play more?
"Just separate himself from the other guys," Fangio said.
During the previous four seasons with the Jets, Huff never played more than 51% of the team's snaps on defense in a season as a part-time player. He also mostly played in obvious passing situations to rush the quarterback, which led many to question the signing because of his inability to play the run.
Fangio brought up in training camp that Huff didn't look like he was ready to play all three downs. On Wednesday, Fangio said he's getting better at it.
"He's improving," Fangio said. "Obviously we all had a play or two, I had a call or two that could have been better. But he's improving in that area."
The slippery field in Brazil might've played a role in Huff's play and a lot can change after Week 1, especially in a new defense. He'll get another chance in Week 2 against the Atlanta Falcons at Lincoln Financial Field to prove he's worth the lofty contract he received in the offseason.
