After the Eagles signed Baun as a free agent, NJ Advance Media asked Saints head coach Dennis Allen at the NFL owners meetings where he thought his former player would best fit with his new team.
“Zack’s probably best, we felt like, as an outside backer and an on-the-ball backer,” Allen said. “He’s got some rush ability.”
Allen didn’t rule out the idea that Baun could still play inside as a linebacker, but it was clear the Saints had come to the conclusion that he was more likely to have success as a pass rusher.
“It’s a matter of what you ask him to do,” Allen said. “He did that for us some, but we felt he was a better on-the-ball outside guy.”
That obviously isn’t the conclusion Eagles new defensive coordinator Vic Fangio has come to this offseason. It wasn’t surprising that Baun lined up as an inside backer Wednesday because Fangio made it clear in his first media availability earlier this month that he thought the former Wisconsin star was better suited to play inside.