Jeff McLane of the Inquirer said that the Philadelphia Eagles have “made re-signing Zack Baun a priority ahead of free agency.”
Baun is not your average off-ball linebacker, even though the Eagles usually don’t pay them. Baun is possibly the team’s most crucial defender, as Jonny Page of BGN recently stated.
There has been a sentiment that a first-team All-Pro player who placed fifth in the Defensive Player of the Year vote should not be allowed to go. In particular, if you don’t keep him, you’ll be left extremely thin at the position.
Baun should and probably will be re-signed by the Eagles. How much will he earn under his new contract, one wonders?
After just one season as a full-time starter, Baun is starting his 29th season. Even while that one year was undoubtedly extraordinary, the production sample size is still somewhat tiny.
Roquan Smith, who makes $20 million a year, and Fred Warner, who makes just over $19 million, are the two highest paid linebackers. It’s unlikely that Baun will top them. Matt Milano, at about $14.2 million, and Tremaine Edmunds, at $18 million, are the next two. Maybe Baun divides that comparatively big difference at about $16 million year.
We won’t have to wait long to find out. Less than two weeks remain until the NFL free agency negotiation window (also known as “legal tampering”) opens on March 10 at noon Eastern. The Eagles have until then to re-sign Baun if they wish to prevent other teams from contacting him.