There was an advanced statistics breakdown on the Eagles in the Philadelphia Inquirer. Since most of the talk has been about Nakobe Dean and Reed Blankenship (Phillips will almost certainly be resigned), here is that analysis:
Nakobe Dean:
"Has Dean played his last game with the Eagles? And, to that end, can
Jihaad Campbell replace Dean’s production?
Because Dean was pretty productive in 2025 after he worked his way back onto the field after surgery to repair a patellar tendon injury, which he suffered in the wild-card round a year ago.
This is what the Eagles could be asking Campbell to replace should Dean not return: Dean’s
catch percentage allowed of just 58.3% on targets ranked third among all NFL linebackers who played at least 200 snaps in coverage, according to Next Gen. And Dean was even better as a blitzer: He led all linebackers with a
40.7% pressure rate on his 27 pass rushes and got home for four sacks."
Reed Blankenship:
"Blankenship has been a leader on the defense for the last few seasons, but he’s now a free agent and it’s fair to wonder if he’ll be back next season.
Blankenship has been solid against the run, but he’s not great in pass coverage when he’s targeted. After a 2024 season in which he ranked fifth-worst among safeties with at least 500 coverage snaps with an 81.3% completion percentage allowed, Blankenship had the
eighth-worst passer rating allowed (116.8) in 2025, according to Pro Football Focus.
It’s unclear what Blankenship’s market will look like in free agency, but it’s a position the Eagles could probably stand to upgrade."
If I were the Cowboys (and Parker), I'd want Dean. He's really smart and was the on-field signal caller (and here's the rub) when he was healthy. I'd pass on Blankenship although he's a bit of an upgrade over the terrible Dallas safeties.
