N/S Zack Baun: Highest Graded off ball LB Baun wins DPOTW award [Eagles Baun Thread] (23 Viewers)

[SonOfNOLA]

I read something on this from the Eagles side since I'm local here. Vic Fangio was quoted as saying that the Saints had Baun pegged as more of a ST and OLB/Pass Rusher, and Fangio saw him more as an ILB. So Fangio moved him to ILB and here we are.

Baun settled into a pass rusher role in 2023 to get him on the field more as the Saints pass rush was struggling. But he was originally backup ILB when Demario was injured. He played the same position here as he does in Philly. He actually played both inside and weak side spots when either Davis or Werner were injured. He didn’t blossom at LB in this defense yet when he filled in.

 

[SonOfNOLA]

All blame can’t be put on coaches or the Saints when Baun didn’t emerge ahead of 3 LBs in 3 of his 4 Saints seasons. He should’ve been the 3rd LB by 2022.
Elliss, a former 7th rounder, stepped up into major LB snaps before Baun did. Apparently coaching worked for Elliss to thrive in combined off ball/blitzing snaps in a contract year, but not Baun?

There’s the obvious pass rush to off ball conversion for Baun. But since it’s known that he’s was in a conversion development, blame can’t keep being placed on coaches about strengths since he was still developing as a linebacker. Baun just wasn’t ready in his LB development to be a starter yet. It’s easy to blame the Saints while watching him succeed as a LB elsewhere but failed coaching isn’t accurate.
Baun wasn’t ready to step up ahead of Alexander, Werner and Elliss in the Saints defense.

 

[Saint-CJ]

It has everything to do with the fact that Baun was not as good as DD until maybe this year.

Should have replaced DD with Baun, we didn’t is another example of how we got old and Expy.

 

[solarbear88]

Unbelievable. As bad as we needed linebackers.......

More unbelievable is that we draft one nearly every single year yet we had to sign two this offseason. Implies that there is something odd about what we are asking them to do that we draft so many and have so little to show for it.

Someone had the numbers and it was 15 LB vs 12 OL since 2010 or something like that.

 

[livefromDC]

I read something on this from the Eagles side since I'm local here. Vic Fangio was quoted as saying that the Saints had Baun pegged as more of a ST and OLB/Pass Rusher, and Fangio saw him more as an ILB. So Fangio moved him to ILB and here we are.

Well that's because that's the truth of it. Lot of revisionist history going on here to cover up playing Baun out of position.

 

[meily]

Baun is not a full time NFL pass rusher in 3-4 or as DE.
He’s playing as a traditional stand up LB in Philly.
Traditional LB is Baun’s strengths in the NFL.

Baun never outplayed Davis, Werner, Alexander, and Elliss as a LB when he was a Saint. He would have Willie Gay’s role if he re-signed, which would’ve been significantly more LB snaps than Baun had in the past. Willie Gay was an established multi year starting LB on SB defenses, more established than Baun before this season.

It’s unfortunate that Baun didn’t get a chance to show that he can thrive as a starting LB1 or LB2 with the Saints. It wasn’t happening here with #56 and #20 still at the top of the LB depth chart. They established themselves as starting LBs more than Baun did.
Baun chose to take a full time starting LB job somewhere else as a FA.

That was not my point, you draft guys who were productive doing one thing ..the thing that got them noticed only to convert them to something they do not do well, picking these players has fan alike thinking of a 3-4 defense or some type of versatile 4-2-5 defense where they would be edge rushers and we did it in back to back drafts....Ellis first then Baun, you'd think it was intentional..

 

[Domeination]

Dennis Allen. He doesn't try to fit his defense around the player's skill set. He wants to change the player to fit his defense. It's why we've seen so many square peg, round hole player's on defense. Player X did this in college, but the Saints are playing them here instead.

But they were all drafted when Allen was DC, so why draft players that don’t fit his system? This is a total organizational failure.

 

[TruSaint]

DA continually fielded top 10 if not top 5 defenses
Let’s not be blinded with DA hate that we lose perspective
(Similarly Sean was a good/great coach, but not a perfect one)

As to personnel, this kind of thing can happen often
Someone auditions for your garage band and plays a great guitar solo
But you already have a lead guitar so you make the new guy a rhythm guitarist
You hire them on talent but find you just can’t make it work
Doesn’t mean the original idea was wrong

Mehhhh, during that time the Saints defense wa so crazy stacked with talent you could have had me out there calling man D every play and they would have been top 5. DA sucks as a coach.

 

[guidomerkinsrules]

Mehhhh, during that time the Saints defense wa so crazy stacked with talent you could have had me out there calling man D every play and they would have been top 5. DA sucks as a coach.

Talent helps coaching?!
Dude I think you broke the code
Snark aside I don’t get the DA had talent therefore he’s a bad coach logic??

 

[2009ring]

Baun named NFC Defensive player of the week

 

[TribuneUK]

Rob Ninkovich
Marcus Williams
Vonn Bell
Malcolm Jenkins

Three of those were starters here before they left. So actually, you've got Ninkovich. That's it

 

[TribuneUK]

/End Thread.

It doesn't matter. No one's actually reading the thread, they're just rushing to post the same incorrect observations/accusations.

 

[guidomerkinsrules]

It doesn't matter. No one's actually reading the thread, they're just rushing to post the same incorrect observations/accusations.

Evergreen post

 

[MikeyF]

It was a horrible decision to let him leave via FA...
More than the injury bug biting DD just can't run like he use too...

This is why you let aging Vets walk and play for some one else the last couple of years of their careers...

Former Saints draft pick spreading his wings with the Eagles

Zack Baun is spreading his wings with the Eagles. It’s hard to call the NFC Defensive Player of the Week a draft bust when the Saints didn’t know how to use him:

saintswire.usatoday.com

 

[2009ring]

Three of those were starters here before they left. So actually, you've got Ninkovich. That's it

Anzalone
CJGJ