Among the best upgrades made in the NFL at any position this offseason was the Las Vegas Raiders going from Devin White and Elandon Roberts to Nakobe Dean and Quay Walker at linebacker. Dean, in particular, came with some injury-related red flags that started popping up in the offseason program.
Dean, inexplicably, missed all of OTAs and mandatory minicamp. Given his extensive injury history, this was worrisome for Raider Nation, as the linebacker corps has promise, but isn't exactly full of proven options behind him. Thankfully, Dean arrived at training camp with a clean bill of health.
But the fanbase also became privy to another Dean development after the first few days of practices: He will play the mike linebacker role and serve as the green dot for Rob Leonard's defense. That is a bold decision, but one that should inspire confidence in Las Vegas fans about Dean's health outlook.
Las Vegas Raiders making Nakobe Dean the green dot bodes well for health concerns
For those who are unfamiliar with what a green dot linebacker is, he is the player who has the headset in his helmet and communicates with the defensive coordinator. Effectively, he is the quarterback of the defense, calling the plays for the unit and the chief orator. Leonard's eyes and ears on the field.
"Command. Confidence," Leonard said of Dean. "[Dean will say], 'Robbie, get out of my huddle. I got it.' I want to get up in there and start up, but that's not reality of how the game's played. Just leadership. It feels good to have that at the mike linebacker."
What made this a decision at all is the fact that Walker served as the green dot for the Green Bay Packers' defense over the last four years. What makes it bold is the fact that Dean has missed 21 games in the last three seasons, and Walker has missed just 10 in four years.
Ideally, your green dot player is a stalwart on the defense, and there is consistency from the communication spot. This is an every-down linebacker who gets the word out to his defensive counterparts on every play of every game, as White did a year ago for Las Vegas.
And while Dean played 92% of the available defensive snaps for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2023, he played just 53% in 2022 and 62% in 2024. Walker, by contrast, has played 82%, 91%, 89% and 95% of the defensive snaps over his four-year career.
Again, this sounds like somewhat of a risky venture. What if Dean goes down with an injury? Then, Walker, who hasn't been practicing as the green dot and doesn't have experience communicating Leonard's defense, has to be the middleman on game day.
To me, however, this should inspire confidence in Raider Nation. Not only does Las Vegas have big plans for Dean to expand his role with the defense, but with its unbelievable medical technology and top-notch strength and nutrition staff, they must not see any glaring issues with Dean.
The marriage of football and all of the other departments at Raiders HQ is paramount and a focal point under John Spytek and Klint Kubiak, and whatever back-and-forth has been had, the team clearly feels good about putting so much on Dean's plate right away.
For a guy who signed a three-year, $36 million deal this offseason, that is a great sign. Dean is one of the best linebackers in the NFL when healthy, and he can provide a unique element in the middle of the Las Vegas defense that the Silver and Black haven't had in years.
But your best ability is availability, and that has constantly been a concern for Dean. The Raiders entrusting him with the green dot, though, should have fans believing that Dean can take a step up in terms of role and responsibility and not miss a beat. And hopefully, not miss a game.
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