Latest news with #ZackBaun
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Is Jeremiah Trotter Jr. Ready For Bigger Role on Eagles?
Is Jeremiah Trotter Jr. Ready For Bigger Role on Eagles? originally appeared on Athlon Sports. When offseason workouts began, it became quite clear that the Philadelphia Eagles had a major conundrum at linebacker. Advertisement First-Team All-Pro Zack Baun is ready for his second season with the team, but the question of who plays beside him continues to be a mystery. Last year's starter, Nakobe Dean, is still recovering from a torn patellar tendon. He suffered the injury in Philadelphia's 22-10 win in the wild card round of the playoffs. After Dean, Philadelphia drafted linebacker Jihaad Campbell with the 31st overall pick in the 2025 draft. The issue with Campbell? He is dealing with shoulder and knee injuries that will keep him out until the middle of August. That leaves 2024 late-round pick Jeremiah Trotter Jr. to take first team reps with Baun at linebacker. Advertisement Trotter is no secret in Philadelphia. The son of the former Eagles legend of the same name, Trotter was a key special-teams player in his first season with the organization last year. The fact that both father and son were able to celebrate a Super Bowl title together made the decision to draft him out of Clemson last year all the sweeter Clearly, expectations have changed now. Instead of Trotter playing solely on special teams, he is being thrown into the starting lineup until Campbell or Dean are ready to play. Can he hold his own now in that role? Trotter certainly has the pedigree to be a potential starter in the NFL. The fact that defensive coordinator Vic Fangio is confident enough in his abilities to give him some starting reps. shows that the youngster may be further long than anticipated. Advertisement Time will tell if Trotter's first-team reps will be taken away once one of the perceived stars returns from injury. It's clear that the Eagles are leaving everything on the table when it comes to who will play alongside Baun in 2025, though. Related: Eagles Legends to Coach Against Each Other at Lincoln Financial Field Related: Eagles' Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean Already Ranked Among NFL's Best CB Duos This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 6, 2025, where it first appeared.
USA Today
27-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Did Zack Baun overtake Fred Warner and Roquan Smith as the top linebacker in the NFL?
Did Zack Baun overtake Fred Warner and Roquan Smith as the top linebacker in the NFL? Zack Baun's rag to riches story continues and he's leaped over some big names to land the No. 2 spot in a PFF ranking of the top 32 linebackers in the NFL Zack Baun has a true rags-to-riches story, signing a one-year deal with Philadelphia last offseason under the guise that he'd have a chance to earn snaps as a pass rusher and potential special-teams dynamo. Fast-forward a little over a full calendar year, and Baun earned the Eagles' starting inside linebacker job. He propelled that opportunity into a Pro Bowl nod and All-Pro honors. In February, Baun added Defensive Player of the Year finalist to his resume, finishing fifth in the voting that went to the Broncos' Patrick Surtain. Now a household name, Baun landed at No. 2 in PFF's ranking of the top 32 linebackers in the NFL. Baun took the league by storm in his first year in Philadelphia. His 90.1 PFF overall grade last season was not only the best of his career, but also the highest mark in the NFL. The breakout season earned Baun a $51 million extension and a fifth-place finish in Defensive Player of the Year voting. Another season with that type of production will have Baun vying for Tier 1 placement in 2026. Baun was outstanding in his first year, recording 150 tackles, 11 for loss, 3.5 sacks, 5 QB hits, 14 QB pressures, five forced fumbles, an interception, and a fumble recovery while playing 95 percent of the snaps before resting in Week 18. Baun signed a three-year, $51 million deal this offseason and was the highest-graded linebacker (90.1) by PFF last regular season, producing 150 tackles and five forced fumbles (2nd in the NFL, behind T.J. Watt – 6). In the playoffs, Baun became the second NFL LB since 1991 to generate takeaways in each of their first four career postseason starts (Devin White in 2020), which included an INT of Patrick Mahomes in Super Bowl LIX.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Inside the Eagles Most Drastic Position Group Change
It's crazy to think how much can change in a single year or two. In 2023, the Philadelphia Eagles had one of the worst linebacker rooms in the league. Things weren't expected to be much better in 2024. Not only did the team sign unproven players like Zack Baun to lower-level deals, but they didn't address the position in the draft at all. Advertisement A football miracle happened, though. Thanks to the development of their coaching staff with coordinator Vic Fangio leading the way, the Eagles had not just a good linebacker room, but the best in the league. Leading the way was Baun. A former pass-rushing specialist from the New Orleans Saints, Baun became an off-ball linebacker in Fangio's system and ended up as a first-team All-Pro for the Eagles in 2024. Not only was Baun a defensive player of the year finalist, but he also received a hefty three-year extension worth over $17 million annually over the length of the deal. Yes, the Eagles - a team known for their penny-pinching at the linebacker position - paid big money for the best one in the league last year. Advertisement It shows that the linebacker room in Philadelphia isn't the only thing to have changed, The Eagles' mindset in the building for the position has altered since Fangio was bought in. They even drafted Jihaad Campbell in the first round of the 2025 draft in April. Campbell is the first linebacker drafted in the first round by the Eagles since 1979. It's just another reminder of how things have changed for the organization - massively - this offseason. Related: Eagles Most Massive Loss Ranks As Surprise
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Eagles First Round Pick Gets High Praise
There is a reason why Alabama linebacker Jihaad Campbell had to wait until the second-to-last pick of the first round to hear his name called during the 2025 draft. Campbell is dealing with two shoulder injuries and reportedly has knee problems. For that reason, it's not a surprise that 30 teams opted against the young defensive weapon. Advertisement The Eagles are a team that can take a gamble like that, though. They have a deep roster, and can allow Campbell to get fully healthy before putting him on the field with All-Pro talent around him. Just because Philly has to wait to see Campbell's impact, doesn't mean he was a bad pick. In fact, The Athletic's Brooks Kubena called the move a "considerable bargain" and also called Campbell Philadelphia's "best value pick." "The Eagles believe they acquired Campbell at a considerable bargain. Howie Roseman said the Alabama linebacker was a 'top-10 player' on their draft board," Kubena wrote. "Health concerns prompted Campbell's fall but the Eagles accepted both the risk of Campbell's injury history and the uncertainty of just when he will be available for football activities. "The payoff could be substantial. Campbell's size (6-foot-2, 235 pounds), speed (19.45 mph shuffle sprint), and physicality make him one of the most athletic defenders in the draft." Advertisement Campbell joins a linebacker room with Nakobe Dean and Zack Baun as the team's two starters. There's no guarantee he'll be able to beat either of them out, considering both were so good last season when healthy. Philadelphia has to think about the future, though. And with Dean entering the final year of his rookie deal, Philadelphia needed a linebacker of the future with strong pass rushing skills. It's why Campbell's value may be a lot higher than fans may think. Related: Eagles Sign Prospect Who Was 6-8 And 455 Pounds In High School Related: Eagles Star Shares Flirtatious Moment With Kay Adams
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Howie Roseman: Nothing in the past guarantees future success
The Eagles lost a few key pieces from their Super Bowl team in March, but they held onto linebacker Zack Baun and have a lot more of their stars returning to the team than leaving when all is said and done. That will lead to a lot of talk about a possible repeat as the 2025 season draws closer, but General Manager Howie Roseman offered a little caution against putting the cart before the horse. Roseman told Adam Schein of Mad Dog Sports Radio that the Eagles have to "take the lessons we learned from that 2017 team" as they move toward next season. Advertisement Head coach Doug Pederson led the team to that win, but the Eagles were one and done in the playoffs the next year and Pederson was fired a year after that. This team is built differently from that one, but the leading lesson Roseman wants his team to learn is that their success in 2024 doesn't entitle them to anything this year. "I see the attitude and the energy," Roseman said. "We understand. We understand that 2025 is a new year, and we haven't won a game yet. In 2025, we're going to have to do our best and work our hardest to have the kind of season that we're looking for, and nothing in the past is going to guarantee future success." Roseman noted that the team is young on defense and got younger with five straight defensive picks to kick off the draft. They expect to have 12 picks in next year's draft to further supplement the roster, so there should be plenty of talent to work with. If the commitment and effort remain at similar levels, the Eagles will be well positioned to avoid a repeat of 2017.
