Will the Philadelphia Eagles lose one of the most important pieces of their defense this offseason?
Philadelphia struck gold by signing 28-year-old linebacker Zack Baun last offseason but now he's heading back to free agency. The Eagles landed him on a one-year, $3.5 million deal last offseason and absolutely will get more now. Baun was named to the first-team All-Pro, earned a Pro Bowl nod, and also was a massive piece of the top defense in the league in 2024.
Baun took a massive step forward and somehow was even better in the playoffs. He had two interceptions and two fumble recoveries throughout the playoffs en route to the team's Super Bowl win.
What will he do this offseason? The Eagles likely will do everything possible to bring him back to town. While this is the case, Pro Football Network's Ben Rolfe predicted that he will end up landing with the Los Angeles Rams.
"Los Angeles Rams: Zack Baun, LB," Rolfe said. "If Zack Baun hits the open market this offseason, there are a number of potential suitors. The intriguing thing will be how people balance his amazing year with the Eagles against the fact that it is his only year of starter production. Just based on pure production, Baun is the best linebacker available, but there are more proven commodities.
"The intriguing thing about the linebacker market for the Rams is that they have had both Bobby Wagner and Ernest Jones on their roster, having traded one away and cut the other. We may not see the outcome, but negotiations with both parties could be intriguing. Baun is the top-ranked linebacker in our free agent rankings and would be a great fit for the Rams to fill their holes at that spot.
Keep an eye on Los Angeles when free agency opens up, although we still are roughly one month away.
