Eagles roster outlook: Linebacker
The Philadelphia Eagles’ Super Bowl season is over and the 2025 NFL offseason is officially here. We’re continuing our Eagles roster outlook series by examining the linebacker position. PREVIOUSLY: Quarterback | Running back | Tight end | Wide receiver | Offensive tackle | Offensive guard | Center | Edge rusher | Defensive tackle | Cornerback.
ZACK BAUN
STATS: 939 defensive snaps, 151 tackles, 11 TFLs, 3.5 sacks, 5 forced fumbles, 4 passes defensed, 1 interception, 80.5 passer rating allowed
PLAYOFF STATS: 266 defensive snaps, 33 tackles, 2 TFLs, 0 sacks, 1 forced fumble, 3 passes defensed, 2 interceptions, 61.2 passer rating allowed
REVIEW: No one expected Baun to be as awesome as he was in 2024. Not even Baun himself. But he was excellent from the jump with a big Week 1 performance and he kept it rolling from there. Despite lacking extensive experience in his role, Baun was an elite off-ball linebacker who made impact plays on a weekly basis, including his diving pick in the Super Bowl. He proved capable of contributing in all phases. He was incredibly stout as a run defender. He was able to provide pass rushing juice. He looked as smooth as a defensive back in coverage. Baun was very deserving of his first-team All-Pro honors and he arguably should’ve received more attention for Defensive Player of the Year, where he finished with the fifth-most votes.
OUTLOOK: Baun is currently set to be a free agent next week. The Eagles don’t have a history of spending significant resources at off-ball linebacker but they also don’t have a history of letting elite players walk out the door. Keeping Baun is a no-brainer; BGN’s Jonny Page wrote at length about how he’s the team’s most important defender. Baun’s likely looking at somewhere between $15 million and $19 million per year but he’s worth the investment. He’s going to be 29 this season but it’s not like he has a ton of mileage on him after playing sparingly during his first four NFL seasons. The idea that the Eagles can easily find a new version of Baun is a pretty wild assumption. Reports indicate that the team views signing him prior to free agency as a priority. As it should be. No need to overthink this. Baun was one of the very best players on the team last year and he should be back. If the Eagles let him walk, what do they even have at linebacker? Burks is also set to be a free agent and Dean is going to miss time next season. Pay the man.
MY TAKE: Stay.
NAKOBE DEAN
STATS: 858 defensive snaps, 128 tackles, 9 TFLs, 3 sacks, 1 forced fumble, 4 passes defensed, 1 interception, 80.8 passer rating allowed
PLAYOFF STATS: 23 defensive snaps, 6 tackles, 2 TFLs, 79.2 passer rating allowed
REVIEW: Dean entered training camp seemingly behind Devin White and Baun on the depth chart. Dean had some struggles dropping back into coverage but he looked really good playing downhill. The third-year linebacker ultimately beat out White for a starting role and really ran with the opportunity. Though Baun performed like the Eagles’ top linebacker in 2024, Dean was not far behind him. Unfortunately, Dean suffered a torn patellar tendon in the Eagles’ Wild Card win.
OUTLOOK: Dean’s injury could reportedly cause him to miss a portion of the 2025 season. That’s a really unfortunate development for him with next year being the final year of his rookie deal. Even if Dean gets healthy enough to suit up, it remains to be seen if the injury could impact his performance. The Eagles can’t merely bank on Dean being available for them like he was in 2024.
MY TAKE: Stay.
OREN BURKS
STATS: 147 defensive snaps, 41 tackles, 2 TFLs, 0 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 1 pass defensed, 0 interceptions, 90.4 passer rating allowed
PLAYOFF STATS: 230 defensive snaps, 25 tackles, 3 TFLs, 1 sack, 2 forced fumbles, 1 pass defensed, 0 interceptions, 84.0 passer rating allowed
REVIEW: Burks made his first start with the Eagles when Dean had to miss a game in Week 17. The veteran linebacker then took over as a starter after Dean suffered a season-ending injury in the playoffs. Although he originally struggled with some missed tackles, Burks proved to be a pretty solid fill-in starter. Burks memorably set the tone for a successful postseason when he forced a fumble on the Eagles’ opening kickoff in the Wild Card round.
OUTLOOK: Burks, who turns 30 later this month, is currently set to be a free agent next week. If the Eagles don’t retain Baun, re-signing Burks feels like a must. Even if they do retain Baun, keeping Burks at a reasonable rate seems preferable if possible. Burks could be a solid starter until Dean is ready to play. But maybe Burks gets a better opportunity elsewhere? It’ll be interesting to see what happens with him.
MY TAKE: Stay.
JEREMIAH TROTTER JR.
STATS: 104 defensive snaps, 25 tackles, 1 pass defensed, 75.3 passer rating allowed
PLAYOFF STATS: 6 defensive snaps, 5 tackles, 118.7 passer rating allowed
REVIEW: Trot Jr. mostly played in garbage time as a rookie.
OUTLOOK: If the Eagles re-sign Baun but not Burks, Trot Jr. could challenge for a starting job while Dean is still recovering from injury. If he doesn’t end up as a starter, the Eagles will hope he emerges as a top backup option in addition to helping out on special teams.
MY TAKE: Stay.
BEN VANSUMEREN
STATS: 0 defensive snaps, 213 special teams snaps, 22 offensive snaps, 3 tackles
REVIEW: BVS unexpectedly served as the Eagles’ fullback this season in addition to being a special teams contributor. He suffered a season-ending knee injury in late November and ended up on injured reserve.
OUTLOOK: BVS is an exclusive-rights free agent, which means the Eagles will offer him a one-year minimum contract tender and he’ll sign it because his alternative is no longer playing in the NFL. It remains to be seen if BVS will miss offseason practice time while recovering from his injury. If healthy, he figures to be a solid backup who mainly contributes on special teams. It remains to be seen if the Eagles will utilize a fullback moving forward or if that was more of a Kellen Moore thing.
MY TAKE: Stay.
DALLAS GANT
STATS: 0 defensive snaps, 26 special teams snaps, 1 tackle
REVIEW: The Eagles signed Gant to their practice squad in early November. They temporarily elevated the undrafted rookie for two games.
OUTLOOK: Gant, 24, is fighting an uphill battle to make the Eagles’ 2025 regular season roster. The team will get a look at him in the offseason.
MY TAKE: Go.
DEVIN WHITE
REVIEW: The Eagles signed White to a one-year contract worth up to $4.5 million with $3.5 million guaranteed in March 2024. He was projected to be a starter but he never even played a regular season snap for the Eagles before they released him in early October. White landed on the Houston Texans, where he ended up making one start in seven games.
NFL FREE AGENCY OR TRADES
The Eagles really must retain at least one of Baun and Burks, with the former obviously being the priority. If neither are back, they’ll need to spend real money on at least one new starter.
NFL DRAFT APPROACH
Even if the Eagles re-sign Baun, he turns 29 in December. Dean, meanwhile, has struggled to stay healthy and is entering the final year of his rookie contract.
The Eagles should have an eye on the future of this position. Seems like they could realistically draft a Day 3 linebacker.
