Shout out to Zack Baun. It’s all you can do after the former New Orleans Saints backup linebacker signed with the Philadelphia Eagles and outcompeted a former first-round draft pick for a starting job. The Eagles cut veteran linebacker Devin White on Tuesday after Baun displaced him in the lineup, and now he’s a free agent. White was inactive for each of Philly’s first four games this season.
Baun, meanwhile, is closing in on a new career high for snaps played (254; he peaked last year with 303 reps in the Saints defense). He’s already set a new personal best with 43 tackles on the season (29 solo). And he’s still receiving only occasional looks as a pass rusher off the edge, while continuing to line up off the line of scrimmage. Maybe he should’ve been playing more often for the Saints over the last four years.
As for White? He’s looking for a new team after signing a one-year, $3.5 million deal with the Eagles this spring. White was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at No. 5 overall in 2019’s first round, and while he had some great moments and a Pro Bowl nod in 2021, he’s struggled to consistently run and cover as well as his peers. We’ll see where he lands next, but the bigger issue is the Saints failing to get more out of Baun after they traded up to get him in 2020.
