The Eagles have agreed to a three-year contract with LB Zack Baun that will make him one of the league's highest-paid players at the position, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. Baun gets $51 million total, with $34 million of that guaranteed and another $1.5 million available in incentives. The $17 million annual average trails only Baltimore's Roquan Smith, San Francisco's Fred Warner, and Chicago's Tremaine Edmunds among non-edge LBs. The move also marks a change for the Eagles, who have traditionally skimped on LB contracts under GM Howie Roseman. They let T.J. Edwards walk for big money in Chicago after his breakout across 2021 and 2022 (on his rookie contract). Baun arrived in Philly on a one-year, $3.5 million deal last offseason. The last "big money" LBs for the Eagles were Mychal Kendricks and Nigel Bradham back in 2019.
Eagles LB Nakobe Dean left Sunday's win over the Packers with a left knee injury. NFL Network reports that it's a torn patellar tendon, which not only ends Dean's season but will challenge his readiness for 2025.
The Eagles on Friday announced these defensive starters as doubtful for "coach's decision": LB Zack Baun, DT Jalen Carter, LB Nakobe Dean, and CB Darius Slay. That's an obvious signal those players won't play at all Sunday against the Giants. We likely won't know about the rest of the starters until Sunday. Avoiding Philly defenders in your Week 18 IDP lineups as much as possible seems like a good idea.
Eagles LB Devin White will not travel with the team for Friday's game against the Packers in Brazil. That marked a downgrade in his status after Philly listed White as a limited participant Tuesday. White's inactive status should leave Nakobe Dean and Zack Baun as the LB starters against Green Bay.
The Eagles started Devin White and Zack Baun as their off-ball LBs in Friday night's preseason opener against the Ravens. That's especially noteworthy because LB Nakobe Dean entered the game after them. That seems a pretty clear signal Dean isn't close to retaining his starting job from last year. White and Baun both joined Philly as free agents this offseason. Baun joined the Saints as a third-round pick back in 2020 but never found his way into the lineup. He reached a 50% snap share just three times across four seasons in New Orleans.
The Eagles selected CB Quinyon Mitchell in the first round of the NFL Draft. Mitchell posted limited tackle totals across four years at Toledo (three in the starting lineup). He defensed 37 passes over his final two seasons, though. And NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah said Mitchell was “the best corner at the Senior Bowl, and it wasn’t close.” Corners carry little value in most fantasy formats, and you shouldn’t get too excited about Mitchell in your IDP rookie draft. Landing in Philly at least gives Mitchell a shot to make an impact soon. The Eagles return both starting outside corners from last year but played poorly in the secondary and are getting old at both spots.
Eagles LB Nicholas Morrow (abdomen) is inactive for today's game against the Giants. That leaves Philly down its top two LBs, with Zach Cunningham already ruled out. Expect Shaquille Leonard to lead the position in playing time. Undrafted rookie Ben VanSumeren looks like the next guy up. He has yet to play a snap on defense this season, though, so shouldn't be in anyone's IDP plans. Leonard makes for a solid LB3-level play.
The Eagles have agreed to a one-year deal with LB Shaquille Leonard. That gives the veteran LB a strong opportunity to reach the starting lineup. Philly already has LB Nakobe Dean (foot) on IR and missed LB Zach Cunningham (hamstring) in Sunday's loss to the 49ers. That left Nicholas Morrow as the position's only full-timer and Christian Elliss next at 75% snap share. We'd guess that opportunity was a key to Leonard choosing the Eagles, and we'll watch for word on his immediate role. Of course, Leonard hit the open market in part because his performance -- and fantasy production -- lagged well short of past seasons in Indianapolis. So don't get too excited about the veteran in your IDP league. But he's OK to pick up in deeper formats.
Eagles S Reed Blankenship (ribs) put in a full practice Wednesday for the first time since suffering his injury in Week 6. Blankenship missed the whole week of practice leading up to the Sunday night game against the Dolphins that he missed. But he appears to be in line for a Week 8 return. Expect Blankenship to start next to new teammate Kevin Byard.
The Athletic's Dianna Russini reports that the Titans are trading S Kevin Byard to the Eagles for fifth- and sixth-round picks in 2024 and S Terrell Edmunds. Byard clearly upgrades the secondary for a defense that ranks just 17th in DVOA against the pass so far this season. Byard is working on a career-low Pro Football Focus coverage grade at the moment but finished the past two seasons ranked eighth and first among safeties in that category. Moving to Philly shouldn't alter Byard's IDP outlook. We'll see whether Edmunds steps right into Byard's vacated role in Tennessee. The Titans certainly look thin enough at safety for that to be the case. Just be careful about counting on it right away for fantasy purposes.
The Eagles have ruled S Reed Blankenship (ribs) out for Sunday's game against the Dolphins. That means Philly will miss both starting safeties, with Justin Evans already on IR. Undrafted rookie Mekhi Garner stepped in for Blankenship last week, but rookie Sydney Brown will reportedly start in his place against Miami. The whole situation looks tough for a defense about to face Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. Brown and Terrell Edmunds -- the other starter -- both make for iffy IDP options.
Eagles LB Nakobe Dean finished the week with a full Friday practice and looks ready to return from the foot injury that has kept him out since Week 1. The team still must officially activate him before 4 p.m. ET Saturday, but that seems likely. It's not yet clear whether Nicholas Morrow or Zach Cunningham will leave the lineup for Dean's return. But practice video showed Dean and Cunningham working together during the week. Cunningham was the starter next to Dean to open the season. You'll find Dean highest among Eagles LBs in our Week 6 rankings, though still projected cautiously for his first game back.
ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that the Eagles might miss DT Jalen Carter and CB Darius Slay for Sunday's matchup with the Jets. Carter sprained an ankle in practice this week, while Slay is dealing with an ankle injury. We'll watch for official game statuses on both players later today. It doesn't sound like either injury is overly serious. And neither is a high-level IDP, though there's upside to the Zach Wilson matchup.
The Eagles are opening the 21-day practice window on LB Nakobe Dean this week. Dean spent the past four games on IR after suffering a foot injury in Week 1. We'll see how soon he's ready to return to game action, but it's obviously positive that he's ready to practice at his earliest eligibility. Dean opened the season wearing the green helmet dot and calling plays in the defensive huddle. We'd bet on the second-year LB returning to that full-time role as soon as he's physically ready. We'll see what that means for the playing time of LBs Nicholas Morrow and Zach Cunningham. Morrow began the year on the practice squad, with Cunningham starting alongside Dean. But Morrow has performed well in Dean's absence, grading out better than Cunningham in every category, according to Pro Football Focus. Cunningham previously played his way out of starting opportunities in Houston and Tennessee. Dean is worth grabbing this week on waivers if stashing him makes sense in your IDP league.
Eagles slot CB Avonte Maddox will have surgery this week for the pectoral muscle he tore in Thursday night's win over the Vikings. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports that Maddox is out "indefinitely" and could miss the rest of the season. That's usually the case for pectoral tears. Philly -- which is also dealing with injuries to starting CB James Bradberry (concussion) and S Reed Blankenship (ribs) -- turned to undrafted rookie Mario Goodrich after Maddox left. The Eagles have allowed each of their first two opponents to exceed 350 yards passing and could remain a favorable passing matchup.
NFL Network's Mike Garafolo showed Eagles LB Nicholas Morrow wearing the green helmet dot during warmups for tonight's game against the Vikings. That indicates he'll take over play-calling duties in the defensive huddle, vacated with Nakobe Dean's injury. That matters because it points to Morrow likely staying on the field most among LBs. We've knocked Christian Elliss -- who wore the dot last Sunday after Dean left -- out of the LB rankings and installed Morrow in LB4 range. Morrow was just elevated from the practice squad earlier this week, when Dean landed on IR.
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