N/S Zack Baun: Top Graded LB / DPOTW [Why Baun Isn’t Still a Saint Thread] (29 Viewers)

[whodatbe]

Since Demario is getting up there in age. Would it make sense to sign Baun to a long term deal? He only signed a 1 year deal with the 3.5 Million dollar deal with the Eagles. Would be great to have a study middle linebacker for the next 5 years and Baun could be the guy for us. Him and Werner next to each other would be good.

He isn't coming back. Look at the state of our franchise compared to Philly. Come back to a project or stay with a team that is consider a contender. Also add our salary cap situation, to the equation. Personally, the little money we will create for ourselves this off season, I would spend on a diff position.

 

[SAINT BIGAL]

Time to let go. Baun no longer plays for the Saints and isn’t coming back. I couldn’t care less about him at this point. I’ve moved on from him and the season as well.

 

[St. Geezy]

Since Demario is getting up there in age. Would it make sense to sign Baun to a long term deal? He only signed a 1 year deal with the 3.5 Million dollar deal with the Eagles. Would be great to have a sturdy middle linebacker for the next 5 years and Baun could be the guy for us. Him and Werner next to each other would be good.

If I am Zack Baun, I am in no way fiddling with this.

You have found your system, your coaching staff, your on-field supporting cast, and your environment formula for success; don't be one of the many that take it for granted and tinker with it looking for greener pastures.

 

[Day1]

Baun got let out of jail when the Saints let him walk.

 

[SonOfNOLA]

Baun got let out of jail when the Saints let him walk.

It sort of seemed like depth chart prison for Baun. He was buried behind 3 starting LBs for 3 years.

Kwon and Anzalone were LB2 and LB3 in 2020.
Then Kwon and Werner in 2021. Elliss emerged as a starting LB in 2022. But Baun was training for 3 years to become the good offball LB that he is now. He apparently wasn’t at his 2024 version’s level in ‘20-‘22.

Baun didn’t emerge when the Saints needed a young long term LB2 in 2021-2022. Werner did.
Werner locked up LB2 by Baun’s contract year in ‘23.

If Payton didn’t draft Werner in 2021, Baun could’ve been starting next to Davis by 2022. Nothing can be done about it now. There’s early round starting LB prospects to scout every year.

 

[Saint KayBee]

If I am Zack Baun, I am in no way fiddling with this.

You have found your system, your coaching staff, your on-field supporting cast, and your environment formula for success; don't be one of the many that take it for granted and tinker with it looking for greener pastures.

Strong agree with this.

He’s playing behind a disruptive front four and next to one of the best rangy linebacker prospects I’ve seen in a long time in Nakobe Dean. Those guys cause havoc and Baun is the finisher.

Meanwhile this very thread can’t figure out if he was miscast as an off-ball linebacker, miscast as a pass-rushing edge who’d be better off in a 3-4, or miscast as the guy who should have been LB1 over Demario Davis.

 

[Deuuuuce]

Where did this come from? Zack Baun's Eagles breakout has the NFL looking for the next him

After four years of relative anonymity as a Saints special-teamer, Baun is now playing at an All-Pro level as an Eagles linebacker. This is how it happened.

sports.yahoo.com

Interesting article. Baun didn’t flamed out after his solid start the season like many, including myself, thought he would. He is a legit playmaker/difference maker for the Eagles this season, and it’s just another reason to be frustrated with the organization right now.

 

[kewinn89]

I’m happy that Baun has gone on to find success.

 

[Deuuuuce]

I’m happy that Baun has gone on to find success.

Same. He did all this on a one year contract. He’s going to get rewarded.

 

[DSnfla]

Besides T-Rex, Baun, and Elliss, name me one player the Saints developed and left and became starters elsewhere.

Anzalone

 

[SigFreudianSlip]

How much do we trust these grades? Do we only use them when they support our point of view? People seem to feel like Bresee is pretty good and they have a 36.8 grade on him this season. That's 120th out of 121 interior defensive linemen.

this.

Bresee is held in very high regard here but his run defense is atrocious…..

Happy for Baun. He’s gonna get paid.

 

[TribuneUK]

Anzalone

Also a starter here before he left. Did not 'become a starter elsewhere'.

Meanwhile, good players leave teams every year. All this ex-girlfriend-level bitterness is just rather sad.

 

[SweetT]

Also a starter here before he left. Did not 'become a starter elsewhere'.

Meanwhile, good players leave teams every year. All this ex-girlfriend-level bitterness is just rather sad.

I personally don’t get bitter about players leaving and balling out for other teams. I think the only way I would be bitter, is if a former 1st rd pick, would be “mid” here, and then go bananas for another team. Even then, I probably wouldn’t care as much. The case of Baun is strange in a way though. The only question I have is, why couldn’t DA devise a defense that allowed Baun to see the field more, at least on passing downs?!?!

 

[MikeyF]

Strong agree with this.

He’s playing behind a disruptive front four and next to one of the best rangy linebacker prospects I’ve seen in a long time in Nakobe Dean. Those guys cause havoc and Baun is the finisher.

Meanwhile this very thread can’t figure out if he was miscast as an off-ball linebacker, miscast as a pass-rushing edge who’d be better off in a 3-4, or miscast as the guy who should have been LB1 over Demario Davis.

He was miscast as an LB2 when based on his measurables, he should have been in training to take over for a 30+ year old LB1...
It is disappointing that our staff didn't seem to think father-time would ever catch up with DD.

This is the same mistake that also led to T. Hedrickson playing for a different team...
Also our young S that are playing for other teams that we drafted...




How much better would our D be right now if these players were retained & playing for us!

 

[TribuneUK]

I personally don’t get bitter about players leaving and balling out for other teams. I think the only way I would be bitter, is if a former 1st rd pick, would be “mid” here, and then go bananas for another team. Even then, I probably wouldn’t care as much. The case of Baun is strange in a way though. The only question I have is, why couldn’t DA devise a defense that allowed Baun to see the field more, at least on passing downs?!?!

I understand that he did get him into those passing down situations, albeit not immediately. The guy did his pass rush thing before leaving.

But as has been said many times in this thread, he is now excelling in the same off ball LB role that Saints fans lambasted this coaching staff for converting him into playing here...