N/S Zack Baun: Top Graded LB / DPOY cand. [Why Isn’t Baun Still a Saint Thread] ………. [Eagles re-sign Baun to 3-year, $51 million contract on March 5] (14 Viewers)

[lavered]

This is, in my opinion, some of the damage DA did as both DC and HC. The Staff drafted well -- Baum, Anzalone, Hendrickson, (as well as some DA would not play like Winston, Graham, etc -- but DA could not find use for them and then recommended they not be resigned. They go elsewhere and thrive. This is one of the long term damages DA did to this team.

 

[MikeyF]

Joint responsibility from Allen and Loomis.

Allen never saw Baun as good enough to overtake Werner or Davis. He saw Werner as valuable enough to warrant a contract extension, which was at least partially a reaction to losing two LB's to FA in the past two offseasons. Of course, I think anyone here would have preferred to give that money to Baun in hindsight. I can't imagine Werner ever turning in a season like Baun did in his first full-time starting year.

Loomis had us somewhat stuck with Davis due to excessive dead money on a 35 year old LB, which led to a contract extension last offseason to keep our cap in order. That's also money that could have been given to Baun, but it doesn't matter much since Allen didn't see Baun as worthy of starting snaps.

This is all Allen's fault!
How could Loomis see the value in keeping Baun when Allen didn't play him enough!
Also if you read into Loomis's end of year press conference, players are resigned or extended base on the HC's recommendation...

You are right about Werner not being able to turn in a season like Baun. He can't cover side line to side line...
Most of his tackles are from going away from the line of scrimmage.
I believe he only had 1 tackle for a loss in 2024... Terrible for a starting LB.
Terrible read & reaction time...

Loomis's mistake is giving a player a 5 year max/guaranteed contract once they hit 30+ years of age...
He could fix our cap issues if he would limit older player contracts to 2 years like he did with AK this year.

It is ridiculous what we have been playing Cam Jordan the last couple of years based on his production.

 

[0rion]

Many in here would've played Werner over Baun.

 

[JackDiesel]

Given that there was so much dysfunction that a team captain was not talking to his position coach. I'm not surprised he couldn't evaluate our linebackers properly.

We had some players follow Nielsen to Atlanta but I don't think we have to worry about anyone following him to Chicago.

 

[3ParStillDriver]

This is, in my opinion, some of the damage DA did as both DC and HC. The Staff drafted well -- Baum, Anzalone, Hendrickson, (as well as some DA would not play like Winston, Graham, etc -- but DA could not find use for them and then recommended they not be resigned. They go elsewhere and thrive. This is one of the long term damages DA did to this team.

This.

DA had a very specific set of skills he wanted in each position. Baun didn't meet that criteria because he couldn't pass cover as a linebacker. So instead of taking exceptional talent and finding a way to use it, DA benched him all the time.

Also, where Payton would take a walk on and use his skills and give him playing time over a 1st round pick if he were playing better then that 1st round pick, DA would not. If you weren't a known name you pretty much never had a shot in the front 7. It's as if DA had no idea what he was doing with the front 7. Where as in the secondary we saw exceptional performance increases from everyone.

It's possible that he were relying on his position coaches for who to use there. But either way, its not good. He was either relying on position coaches who sucked or he pretended to know what he was doing there and didn't, and sucked. Pick your poison.

But there's no excuse in letting 1 of the best pass rushers in the league and 1 of the best linebackers in the league leave when they weren't demanding big contracts at all, while spending all this draft capitol on pass rushers and (soon because of Davis age) linebackers.

Just awful team management.

 

[MikeyF]

Baun is drafted by your team. Dude is in your facility every day, but primarily plays special teams. Can not crack the starting lineup. Contract is due, you try to resign him, but he wants more playing time. Ends up with another team and is lighting the league on fire.......in consideration for DPOY.

Huh? Happens all the time, right?

Even when the scouts hit, the Saints miss. Who Dat!!!

Ted Hedrickson DE
Elliss, Kaden LB
C.J. Gardner-Johnson, S
Marcus Williams, S
Alex Anzalone, LB
Onyemata, David DT

This is the reason our D fell apart this year!
It is happening all to often lately!

Hopefully because of the year Baun & Hedrickson have had in 2024, our FO will look at themselves & do a better job of evaluating the HC's decision when it comes to signing older players to max contracts at the expense of keeping younger players...

 

[Fiyo]

This.

DA had a very specific set of skills he wanted in each position. Baun didn't meet that criteria because he couldn't pass cover as a linebacker. So instead of taking exceptional talent and finding a way to use it, DA benched him all the time.

Also, where Payton would take a walk on and use his skills and give him playing time over a 1st round pick if he were playing better then that 1st round pick, DA would not. If you weren't a known name you pretty much never had a shot in the front 7. It's as if DA had no idea what he was doing with the front 7. Where as in the secondary we saw exceptional performance increases from everyone.

It's possible that he were relying on his position coaches for who to use there. But either way, its not good. He was either relying on position coaches who sucked or he pretended to know what he was doing there and didn't, and sucked. Pick your poison.

But there's no excuse in letting 1 of the best pass rushers in the league and 1 of the best linebackers in the league leave when they weren't demanding big contracts at all, while spending all this draft capitol on pass rushers and (soon because of Davis age) linebackers.

Just awful team management.

His struggles at pass coverage showed last night. But you are still completely right.

 

[Infoman]

Our team (FO and Staff)... has (and has been having)... an issue with over valuing where a player was drafted... And being loyal (to a fault) to tenured players.... More than how good a player can actually be or has been on a football field... It's a model for long term suckage.

 

[los226]

They traded up for him and spent two third round picks, but apparantely didn’t think he was good enough, so they drafted Werner the following year. Then, once they saw Werner I’m practice they thought Werner was better. For all we know Werner can get coached up to all pro under Fangio as well.

 

[SaintsMan209]

Dennis Allen can’t evaluate talent. He literally didn’t develop anyone and he gave chances to people who didn’t deserve them. Too bad so sad, hard lesson learned for this franchise.

 

[RaginSaint93]

Another Zach Baun thread

 

[livefromDC]

This is, in my opinion, some of the damage DA did as both DC and HC. The Staff drafted well -- Baum, Anzalone, Hendrickson, (as well as some DA would not play like Winston, Graham, etc -- but DA could not find use for them and then recommended they not be resigned. They go elsewhere and thrive. This is one of the long term damages DA did to this team.

Don't forget alienating Gardner-Johnson and Lattimore.

 

[fishing4food]

Baun is also now on a well coached team and has a huge supporting cast of defenders to work with. The Eagles have drafted and scouted well. Good for Baun.

 

[Rouxble]

Many in here would've played Werner over Baun.

Likely true, but I wouldn't have been opposed to Baun winning the starting job over Werner because Werner had been just average in his first three seasons. I never would have expected Baun to have a year like he did, but at the same time I would see a potential advantage to having Baun at starter because we never regained the pass rushing from the LB spot that was lost after Elliss' departure.

 

[livefromDC]

Eagles not using Zack Baun in the position where his former coach thought he was best

The free-agent addition from the New Orleans Saints ran with the first-team defense during practice Wednesday at the NovaCare Complex.

www.nj.com

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.

The answer is simple and had been a reoccurring Allen issue. Square hole, round peg. Allen tried to jam players into his system versus play to their strengths.