BREAKING: Philadelphia Eagles have just brought back a dominant NFL player from overseas for their bench in a blockbuster deal worth……Read more

In free agency this spring, the Eagles added Zack Baun in a low-key manner.

After four solid years as a solid special teams player and an occasional glimpse of potential as an edge rusher in New Orleans, the athletic Baun, a rare targeted bargain, inked a one-year, $1.6 million deal with incentives that could increase that to $3.5 million with Philadelphia early in free agency.

General manager Howie Roseman hinted that Andrew Van Ginkel—a buddy and former Wisconsin college teammate of Baun’s—successfully filled the hybrid edge/flat defender position for Vic Fangio in Miami, and that this may have been the reason for Baun’s acquisition.

The results have been outstanding, though, as the veteran defensive coordinator Fangio saw off-ball linebacker in Baun.

Starting opposite middle linebacker Nakobe Dean in every game this season, Baun has been named the NFL’s sixth-best inside linebacker and ranks second in pass coverage, behind only All-Pro Fred Warner. The Eagles are currently 6-2.

With 467 total plays, Baun leads the club with 78 tackles, 37 stops, a forced fumble, two sacks, five rushes, an interception, and a pass breakup. He also allows a quarterback rating of 73.3 while targeted.

Tuesday, someone asked Fangio whether he ever concerned about how others saw Baun throughout the evaluation.

“No, I’m not even thinking about that,” Fangio responded. “I rely on what I’ve seen with my own eyes and what I’ve experienced by myself.”

Fangio gained the kind of confidence that comes with coaching linebackers before blossoming into one of the game’s top defensive minds.

Personally, I’d pick linebackers. Simply because that was my area of expertise when coaching for many years. “I’ve watched a lot of linebackers,” Fangio said in response to a question about his evaluation style.

As the league has developed, Fangio’s model for the role has also altered.

I used to have [ex-NFL LBs] Sam Mills and Von Johnson. Moreover, [former NFL LBs] NaVorro Bowman and Patrick Willis, [current 49ers LB] Fred Warner, and [Ravens LB] Roquan Smith. Warner is not a company with which I have been involved; however, the other three are.

“Things have changed significantly,” Fangio clarified. The responsibilities of the inside linebacker used to vary when the fullback was absent. That’s all there is to it. Playing with some overachieving ILBs who could be strong against the run and cover a back in the flat was once an option. However, now that the game is more expansive, they spend a lot more time in open areas.

The Eagles benefited from Fangio’s assessment of Baun because he has watched so much football that he never hesitates to make a judgment.

Fangio stated, “I’ve never been that guy.” He went on to say, “There are a lot of people that want to know what the majority are thinking and kind of take the easy way out.”