Philadelphia Eagles general manager Howie Roseman sat back on his chair and made some great calls from his office this season with one move standing out from the rest.
Pro Football Focus writer Dalton Wasserman went through each NFC team and named their best offseason decision. Wasserman loved the Eagles' decision to re-sign linebacker Zack Baun to a three-year, $51 million contract.
"Zack Baun rightfully won PFF’s Breakout Player of the Year Award after finishing the 2024 season as the NFL’s highest-graded linebacker. His presence was a huge reason the Eagles boasted the league’s best defense last season.
Re-signing Baun was the right thing for the team to do. He returns to lead the league’s best linebacker unit alongside fellow 2024 breakout star Nakobe Dean and first-round pick Jihaad Campbell. Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio is known for coaching excellent linebackers, and he’ll continue to do so in 2025."
Easy decision for Eagles to make to bring back their most important defensive player
Eagles fans might know that this was a huge deal for Roseman to bring back Baun on a massive contract. In recent years, linebackers like Kyzir White and T.J. Edwards had left the Eagles for free agency after big seasons with Roseman rather wanting to invest in the defensive line. Baun was the exception.
Last year, Baun racked up 151 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, five quarterback hits, five forced fumbles, four pass deflections, 3.5 sacks, one fumble recovery, and one interception in 16 games. He made his first Pro Bowl and All-Pro team while finishing fifth in the voting for Defensive Player of the Year.
Not bad for a guy who had only started 14 of his 62 games with the New Orleans Saints the previous four years.
Baun's story is truly like a Rocky tale told in real life. He went from being what seemed like a career backup in the NFL to one of the best linebackers.
Again, for Roseman to go out of his way to pay Baun over other defensive linemen like Josh Sweat and Milton Williams in the offseason speaks volumes to the type of player and person Baun is. He has become the heartbeat to this defense and the guy that can do a little of everything in Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio's system.
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What will Baun's encore season look like? That's one every Eagles fan is excited to see.