Credit where credit is due: Zack Baun put in a great performance for his new team, the Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles left Brazil with a win over the Green Bay Packers on Friday night, and Baun’s efforts were a big part of their success. The former New Orleans Saints linebacker finished the night with 15 total tackles, two quarterback hits and two sacks – including a game-winning hit on Malik Willis, who replaced the injured Jordan Love.
And it’s not like Baun was breaking tackles 8 or 9 yards down the field. According to the official NFL Gamebook, Baun averaged 3.0 yards per tackle on his 15 stops. Only two of those tackles ended after the Packers offense had gained 8 or more yards. He had five stops at or behind the line of scrimmage and three more within two yards of it.
He just needed that chance, which he didn’t get in New Orleans. The Saints already had Demario Davis under contract at a linebacker spot, but they decided to recruit Pete Werner a year after trading for Baun. Although Dennis Allen and linebackers coach Michael Hodges are highly regarded, they couldn’t figure out how to get Baun on the field for most of the four years he spent in New Orleans. One-fifth of his 660 defensive snaps with the Saints (142) came in the last six games he played in a Saints uniform. He played nearly twice as many snaps on special teams (1,293).
Even more frustrating, Baun wasn’t used much differently in Vic Fangio’s Eagles defense than he was in Allen’s system. According to statistics from Pro Football Focus, he only lined up at the line of scrimmage 12 times as a pass-rushing outside linebacker. Just like with the Saints, Baun spent the majority of his 67 defensive snaps without the ball as an inside linebacker (47 times). He covered the slot seven times and was asked to cover a receiver wide outside once.
Still, the fact that Baun recorded as many sacks in his first game with the Eagles as he did in 64 games with the Saints (including two playoff games) is embarrassing. It underscores a widespread criticism of the team that extends even beyond Allen’s tenure. The Saints have struggled to recruit, develop and retain their own talent over the years, and Baun is another good example of that, as are Trey Hendrickson, Marcus Williams, Alex Anzalone and Kaden Elliss, to name a few.
Too many draft-day gambles and picks used to chase advantages have come back to haunt them. When Baun signed with the Eagles this spring, Cesar Ruiz was the only member of the team’s 2020 draft class still on the roster. Ruiz and Erik McCoy are also the only draft picks remaining from the 2019 and 2018 draft classes. Of the six players from the 2021 class, Pete Werner is the only member to have signed a new contract; Payton Turner seems unlikely to return next year, and Paulson Adebo could be too expensive on the free-agent market.
So there’s a good chance Baun won’t be the last player drafted by the Saints to find more success elsewhere. But Saints fans will get another good look at him in a few weeks when Baun and the Eagles visit the Caesars Superdome on September 22nd.
