The Philadelphia Eagles have made a handful of moves this offseason but one stands out above all of the rest.
Philadelphia took a chance on linebacker Zack Baun last year on a cheap, one-year deal. He had a breakout campaign and was named to the First-Team All-Pro and was a finalist for the AP National Football League Defensive Player of the Year Award. The Eagles didn't sit back and try to recapture lightning in a bottle with another linebacker on a cheap deal.
Instead, the Eagles inked Baun to a three-year, $51 million deal before he could even hit the open market. This deal has gotten a lot of love and and CBS Sports' Cody Benjamin called it Philadelphia's best move of the offseason.
"Philadelphia Eagles: Re-signing Zack Baun," Benjamin said. "The Eagles are traditionally blockbuster movers under Howie Roseman, but they took their financial lumps after dominating Super Bowl LIX. It's why they actually deserve a lot of credit for retaining Baun, the rangy heartbeat of Vic Fangio's championship defense. Fellow linebacker Jihaad Campbell, the club's first-round pick, could prove just as impactful down the road."
Baun thrived in his first season in Philadelphia. He started 16 games for the Eagles in the regular season and had one interception, four passes defended, five forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, 3 1/2 sacks, and 151 total tackles. He stepped up in the playoffs as well and had two interceptions, two fumble recoveries, and 33 total tackles on the four-game playoff run to Super Bowl LIX.
