NFL players twist the knife in Saints by reminding them of an incredibly costly decision from last offseason

The New Orleans Saints made plenty of bad decisions with Dennis Allen as head coach. One of the most glaring missteps on a roster level was limiting Zack Baun and watching him head to the Philadelphia Eagles last offseason. Allen's staff boxed in Baun during his Saints career.

The young linebacker spent most of his time in black and gold as a rotational pass rusher. New Orleans never seemed to allow him to expand his role. With his arrival in Philly, Baun played a very different position with different goals on a play-by-play basis. Clearly, it has worked out incredibly well for both the player and the team. Baun was a named an All-Pro last season.

Zack Baun ranked 26th in NFL Top 100

On the annual list, created by players' votes, Baun earned the 26th overall spot among all of his NFL counterparts. He's quickly gained the respect of his peers. At the same time, this is yet another reminder that the Saints fumbled a major opportunity with Baun.

Baun joined the Eagles on a one-year deal last offseason and showcased he was a perfect fit in Philadelphia’s defense. Baun revamped his career by helping the Eagles’ unit reach new heights as Philly ranked No. 1 in passing defense. Baun enjoyed a bunch of "firsts," as he made first-team All-Pro, earned his first Pro Bowl honor and has now made his Top 100 debut. Baun was rewarded with a three-year contract and he’s “excited to build off” the Eagles’ Super Bowl run.

NFL Pro Insight for Baun: In his first season as a starting off-ball linebacker, Zack Baun was named a first-team All-Pro. Baun excelled in coverage last season, allowing the fewest yards per target (5.0) as the nearest defender among linebackers (min. 40 targets). -- NFL.com

For New Orleans, they would have loved to have this sort of production from Baun last year or earlier in his career. The linebacker totaled 151 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, 1 interception, and 5 forced fumbles. He was all over the field for the Eagles and showed off his athleticism weekly.

Meanwhile, the depth at linebacker for the Saints had their fair share of struggles last season, and multiple players dealt with injuries, including Pete Werner and Jaylan Ford.

Now, the Saints do have a young linebacker in Danny Stutsman that they're excited about entering his rookie season. That being said, this sort of peak from Baun is not to be expected from nearly any other young player. New Orleans is certainly feeling the repercussions of their misuse and undervalue of Baun's potential in the league.