LA should take a chance on Eagles LB Zack Baun this offseason to shore up run defense
After letting Saquon Barkley run wild on them in two games, the L.A. Rams must shore up its run defense this offseason. All options should be on the table for Les Snead, and a possible All-Pro solution might become available in free agency.
Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Zack Baun had the best season of his career in 2024. Baun was named to the AP First-Team All-Pro team and was PFF’s Breakout Player of the Year. The Eagles star’s breakout campaign was comparable to the production of a former Defensive Player of the Year winner.
Zack Baun is quietly the best linebacker since Luke Kuechly pic.twitter.com/Yhbv5dEK3K
— DraftKings (@DraftKings) January 14, 2025
Baun signed a one-year contract with the Eagles in March 2024 and is set to hit free agency unless Philadelphia signs him to a long-term extension. USA Today writer Tyler Dragon (cool name alert) has the Wisconsin product as the No. 10 free agent in this year’s class:
“Is Baun’s breakout 2024 season a blip or a trend? Baun enjoyed a career-best 151 tackles and 3.5 sacks in 2024. His performance awarded him his first ever Pro Bowl honor and he was named a first-team All-Pro. He had never had a year with above 30 tackles prior to this year. His next contract will likely be based off he upward trajectory in the aftermath of a banner year.”
Some team will overspend on Baun because he truly came out of nowhere. He only had 88 tackles through his four-year tenure with the New Orleans Saints. Either Baun’s insane year was an outlier or Eagles mastermind defensive coordinator Vic Fangio finally unlocked his skill set. As incredible of a defensive mind as Fangio is, it’s difficult to teach elite instincts like this overnight:
8) I couldn’t post a film thread without posting Zack Baun… How do you blow up a zone run? Dart through the gap before the guard can climb to the second level. Baun’s instincts are simply off the charts. What an incredible player. pic.twitter.com/lwUgRUm4gq
— Jonny Page (@JonnyPage9) January 20, 2025
Barkley was obviously a nuisance on offense, but Baun was just as disruptive on the other side of the ball on Sunday. On LA’s second drive of the third quarter, Baun prevented Kyren Williams from scoring a touchdown on a drive where the Rams were forced to settle for a field goal.
Just an unbelievable hustle play by Zack Baun. Saved a touchdown, which then would result in a sack by Jalyx Hunt holding LA to 3 instead of potentially 7.
It was a scrap last night, we left a lot out there but we found a way to win, and advance to host the NFC Championship.
— Rob D’Andrea (@rob_dandrea) January 20, 2025
That one drive made all the difference as the game gradually slipped away from LA despite their best efforts to complete a last-second comeback. The Rams cannot afford to ignore the linebacker spot this offseason. Linebacker became a glaring weakness after Snead foolishly traded away Ernest Jones before the regular season.
Once Barkley gashed the Rams for 460 rushing yards in two games, LB should be a priority. Signing Baun is iffy since there’s zero guarantee he’ll come anywhere close to his ‘24 production. However, that is a risk Snead must be willing to take if LA has any hope of advancing past the Divisional Round.
