NFL Rumors: Eagles injury luck turns sour with Nakobe Dean out
At the risk of sounding too obvious, one of the biggest keys for any NFL team hoping to make a deep run toward a Super Bowl is staying healthy. And for all the great things Nick Sirianni and the Philadelphia Eagles did last year, that was a massive factor in their success as, per Football Outsiders, they were one of the four healthiest teams in the league in 2022.
The Eagles, however, slid a bit under the radar this offseason in terms of the depth that this roster lost on both sides of the ball. And though the top-end talent remains among the best in the NFL, staying healthy, one could argue, is even more critical for their 2023 success than it was last season.
Though Philadelphia survived a Week 1 scare from the Patriots to move to 1-0, the Eagles didn't make it out of the game unscathed as starting linebacker Nakobe Dean suffered a foot injury. Per Ian Rapoport of NFL Media, the injury is expected to sideline him for "multiple weeks".
The good news for the Eagles is that Dean's injury isn't expected to require surgery and should see him return in some time. The bad news is that linebacker is an area where the club could ill-afford to suffer an injury. Zach Cunningham is the other starter in a non-pass-rush role and Christian Elliss is the likely fill-in for Dean.
By no means is this a death knell for the Eagles season -- far from it. However, it's an early reminder that, should injury luck really take a turn for the worst in Philly, they could be up against it more so than people expect.
NFL Rumors: Vikings O-line solution is obvious and ready to play
That was probably not the start the Minnesota Vikings expected when they saw the Baker Mayfield-led Tampa Bay Buccaneers on their Week 1 schedule. But a myriad of problems for the purple and gold on Sunday led to a shocking upset loss and, of course, the dreaded 0-1 start to the year.
Among many issues for the Vikings was the lack of protection from the interior of the offensive line. Kirk Cousins didn't look like much of a veteran under pressure and duress, but that doesn't excuse entirely the lack of effectiveness the O-line showed in the trenches. And now Minnesota might be looking for help.
As it turns out, help is right there waiting for them too.
After the performance from the offensive line against the Bucs, the Vikings Central account tweeted, "Dalton Risner on the phone tomorrow". In response, the former Broncos second-round pick from 2019 replied quite confidently, "I'm ready".
Risner visited the Vikings as a free agent on Aug. 1 but left training camp without a deal. Now it seems like that might've been a mistake but, with no team having signed him, one that Minnesota can quickly rectify.
For his career, Risner hasn't lived up to the billing overall as a second-round pick, notably looking average in the run game. However, he's been an above-average pass-blocker and, frankly, a more solid option than what we saw in Week 1 against the Bucs. With the mutual interest already seemingly being there, it'd be foolish if the Vikings didn't act quickly to make this move.
NFL Rumors: Tua Tagovailoa MVP buzz matching Patrick Mahomes after Week 1
Naturally, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes came into the 2023 NFL season as the favorite to win NFL MVP. But after his wide receivers let him down time and again in an upset loss to the Lions on Thursday night's Week 1 kickoff, he has company at the top of the odds board.
It's just not the company anyone might've expected.
Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is now tied with Mahomes as the betting favorite to win NFL MVP at +700 on DraftKings.
The polarizing former No. 5 overall pick started Week 1 healthy with the Dolphins after dealing with concussions throughout last season and lit the Chargers secondary on fire in a thrilling 36-34 win. All told, Tua finished the day with ridiculous numbers, going 28-of-45 for 466 yards, three touchdowns and an interception.
When healthy last season and accompanied by the star duo of Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle in this electric Mike McDaniel offense, Tua put up great numbers. Staying on the field was the issue. After working hard this offseason to better protect himself, however, he's seemingly also gotten better on the field as well.
And if he can replicate what he did in Week 1 for 16 more games, then it'd be hard to argue that he wouldn't be deserving of NFL MVP consideration.
