Vic Fangio Discusses Eagles Linebacker Plans With Nakobe Dean Injured
PHILADELPHIA – Vic Fangio confirmed what is already known about Nakobe Dean.
“We’re going to miss him a ton,” said the Eagles defensive coordinator about Dean’s knee injury that is expected to sideline him for the reminder of the playoffs and possibly into next season as well.
Neither the DC nor the defense can’t miss him for long, with preparations underway for a Divisional Round playoff game against the Los Angeles Rams at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday at 3 p.m. Dean suffered what is reported to be a torn patellar tendon in Philly's 22-10 win over the Green Bay Packers in the wildcard round.
Fangio said that, because Dean wore the green dot communication device inside his helmet, that duty will now fall on Zack Baun. That’s a minor change, though, compared to figuring out who will take Dean’s spot in the lineup.
It’s been widely assumed that it would be Oren Burks, but Fangio floated the idea that rookie Jeremiah Trotter, Jr. may get some defensive reps, too. Asked if it could be a mix of both Burks and Trotter, Fangio said, “It could be.”
That may be depend on the flow of the game, he added, referencing a game against the Cowboys when Dallas had the ball for a few snaps before a pick-six from C.J. Gardner-Johnson that sent the defense right back onto the field for another several plays for the Cowboys then again when the offense went three-and-out.
“Those two guys are on all special teams, so depending on the flow of the game,” said Fangio. “…we had a bunch of plays right in a row there in a short span (against Dallas), so something like that might be a good time to sub them.”
If Trotter, Jr. has to go into a win-or-go-home game, Fangio won’t hesitate to use him.
“We’re not afraid to put him in there,” he said. “I think Trott’s got a good future, and that future may be now. He’s got good instincts, really likes the game. He’s smart, he’s got a lot of good qualities.”
Burks, though, has the experience. The reserve has been in the league for seven years, and he’s been in the playoffs for six of those. He started in last year’s Super Bowl with the 49ers.
“Oren’s a good athlete, can run, he’s got experience playing,” said Fangio. “Good tackler as we saw on the opening kickoff. We like him, too.”
Still, it will be a challenge after Fangio has had the luxury of trotting out Baun and Dean as his starting linebackers for all but two games, one of them a meaningless regular-season finale when both were given the game off.
“It’s an adjustment,” said the DC. “They haven’t had the amount of reps together that Zack and Nakobe did, so yeah, it’s an adjustment. But we practiced them that way. I kind of have a little rule not to put two backup linebackers together in practice together because that’s not how it’s going to happen in a game. So, they’ve been out there together in practice.”
That’s the mark of a veteran defensive coordinator like Fangio to have that sort of plan in place. We’ll see if it pays off on Sunday.
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