One of the most pleasant surprises of the Philadelphia Eagles championship season was the outstanding play of linebacker Zack Baun.
Baun had toiled in relative anonymity for four years in New Orleans, mostly playing on special teams.
The story on Baun coming to the Eagles is after newly-signed defensive coordinator Vic Fangio was asked by General Manager Howie Roseman to look at film of Baun to see if he was a fit, perhaps as a backup at one of the linebacker positions, and of course on special teams.
Roseman and Fangio Baun would be a value contract-wise.
Fangio told Roseman to grab the then 27-year-old because he thought he saw something in Baun he could use.
According to spotrac.com Baun, who was drafted in the third round by the Saints out of Wisconsin, signed a rookie contract worth $4,811,188.
\
Opting to look for a new home, Baun looked for the right fit, not for the money right away.
Most media outlets report Baun was signed to a $1.6 million one-year contract with the Birds.
But spotrac.com reported the deal was for one years at $3,500,000. Regardless, it was a value for the Birds.
Baun was asked about a slew of players who signed one-year, make good deals including linebacker Azeez Ojulari, tight end Kylen Granson, long snapper Charley Hughlett, linebacker Patrick Johnson, punt returner Avery Williams, cornerback Adoree' Jackson, tight end Harrison Bryant, linebacker Joshua Uche, fullback/LB Ben VanSumeren and running back A.J. Dillon.
“Yeah, it was what was going through my mind last off season and free agency was solely fit,” Baun said during a video press conference recently. “Very little of it was about money or being about money essentially, but it was all about fit and fit scheme wise and fit team wise.
“[I wanted to be in a place] where you feel comfortable is very key,” He continued. “And I feel like this, this team and this place is very good for that, and guys that want to sign that one year proof prove it deal and do what they can. So, I think, for the guys that we brought in, I think the fit could be really good for them, and I'm excited, really excited.”
Certainly these look at what Baun accomplished last season and looked at his season as a way to reinvent themselves and get a big contract.
After his breakout season, where he was named a Pro Bowler and a first-team All-Pro, finishing fifth in Defensive Player of the Year voting, Baun signed a three-year, $51,000,000 contract with the Eagles, including $34,000,000 guaranteed, and an average annual salary of $17,000,000.
BAUN WAS SILENT ABOUT HIS DESIRE TO STAY AN EAGLE
If you covered the team, you saw how many times, after he had an incredible game, reporters, including myself, would ask Baun about signing an extension.
The 6-foot-3, 225-pounder never budged. He would just say how much he wanted to enjoy the win blah, blah, blah…
At his press conference he revealed he was set on staying.
“Yeah, I mean, I really had, really, really, actually, didn't want to leave,” Baun said.”Just what the what we built here, the culture here, and honestly, now that I'm thinking about I was just a piece of of the puzzle that was put into a great culture already established, the people that work here, the systems in place, just everything I felt here this past year just felt right for me and my family as well.
“So really didn't want to leave, and just appreciated everything we built.”
Baun was asked what it was like dealing with Roseman and Fangio as contract talks heated up.
“Yeah, it's not dealing with, it's more of working with because in this situation,” Baun said. “They knew I wanted to be here, and I knew they wanted me to be here, so it was just working with them to figure something out that made sense for both parties.”
Baun was asked if he felt the expectations for 2025 were changing with his role increasing.
“I just think about what we did in one year with so many new pieces, coaches and players included,” He said. “And I think about my own personal development in that same sense, where if I can move off the ball and play inside linebacker and do what I did for and that was kind of my starting point.
“I'm excited for this team and this defense moving forward, I'm really excited to continue to build on what we did last year.”
Baun was asked that since Brandon Graham had moved on and players like Milton Williams, Josh Sweat, Slay and Gardner-Johnson were also not coming back for various reasons, did he feel he needed to take on a bigger leadership role?
“Now, I feel like that's something I've wanted to do myself, and not just because BG is leaving or other guys are leaving, but because I want to grow it as myself,” Baun said, “as a leader and as a guy on this team that can have a voice and be impactful to the guys on this defense and this team.”
BAUN SAYS HIS ATTITUDE WILL REMAIN THE SAME
Baun said he will remain the same perfectionist he was playing special teams for the Saints and starring for the Birds.
“I look at my highlights sometimes, and it's hard for me and my football mind to look at the highlights but not think about the plays that I missed during that game or after a game,” Baun said. “I'm we won the game by 30 points, and all I can think about is are the two plays that I let up or the three plays I had bad coverage.
“So I'm a perfectionist in that way, and I felt like towards the end of the season, I was playing so confidently that I knew I was going to make a play, and I just couldn't tell you what it was going to be or when or where. But I'm excited to build off that confidence and continue to find myself in this scheme.”
Now that the football world knows what level of player Baun truly is - making first team All Prop makes it hard to hide from that fact – teams will be looking even more for a way to keep him from having the impact he had in 2024.
Offensive coordinators will scheme against him. Baun was asked how he will deal with his new reality.
“I've never really thought about team scheming against me, because it's never really something I've had to worry about in my career,” Baun said with a slight chuckle. “But I'm excited for new challenges.
“I mean, I was playing really well at the beginning of the season, and I think teams had an opportunity to scheme me, but I feel like I can still make plays. I don't know. I'm excited for all the new challenges.”
Is Baun looking at what other teams in the in the NFC East and what they're doing, draft wise and free agent wise”
"I don't really pay attention to too much of what other teams are doing," Baun said . "Honestly, it doesn't really matter what they're doing at the end of the day, it's about us and well we can build and what we could do here."
Rest assured, teams will be looking at what he does. *
Some information in this article is from wikipedia.com, pro-football-reference.com, philadelphiaeagles.com.
Email Al Thompson at al.thompson@footballstories.com
Comments