Yes, that's Coach Payton's words from when he was drafted. No argument there. I won't deny a direct quote. Perhaps if Payton remained the Saints coach, we would have seen that vision play out.
Coach Allen clearly didn't agree after several years of having direct access to Baun. Allen gets bashed unfairly for many things around here. This isn't one of those occasions. That quote is from May of this year. After having Baun in house for years, Allen said, "nah, that guy is a special teamer, OLBer and sometime pash rusher". The Eagles immediately said the same things Payton was saying when he drafted Baun, he can play MLB. Allen said he's an OLB/pass rusher. That's why I'm refuting this idea that he would have ever gotten that shot here because of starters. You can't get the chance to play a position you're not being considered to play.