Eagles Sign Blockbuster Deal With Defensive Star

Signed as a backup edge rusher/special teams player off his rookie deal in New Orleans, Baun got one-year and $3.5M from the Eagles last season and was one of the breakout stories around the NFL developing into a first-team All-Pro with Defensive Player of the Year votes and ultimately a Super Bowl champion as the best player on the league’s best defense.

Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio took a long at Baun, 28, after he was signed and saw the athleticism and instincts of an off-ball LB.

From Week 1 in Sao Paulo, Brazil through Super Bowl LIX and the 40-22 win over Kansas City, Baun made splash play after splash play and got $34M guaranteed to eschew the open market.

Baun finished the regular season with 151 tackles – 11 for loss – 3 ½  sacks, 5 forced fumbles, 4 pass breakups, an interception, and an 80.5 passer rating allowed when targeted on coverage.

He added 33 tackles – 2 for loss – in the postseason with a forced fumble, 3 pass breakups, 2 interceptions, and 61.2 passer rating allowed when targeted.

Baun returns to headline a linebacker tandem with Nakobe Dean, who is currently rehabbing a torn patellar tendon suffered in the wild card round of the playoffs against Green Bay. 

Veteran Oren Burls is set to become a free agent on March 12 and the Eagles will bring back young LBs options Jeremiah Trotter Jr. and Ben VanSumeren, who will be coming off knee injury, as well as futures player Dallas Gant.