Why the Saints should re-sign Zack Baun

Baun has been in New Orleans since 2020.

Free agency is just around the corner, starting on March 13th and the New Orleans Saints should be looking at the many available players.

One of those players is linebacker Zack Baun, who is in his first stint of free agency since being drafted by the Saints in 2020. He was primarily a special teams player, but in 2023 he started to improve his game. The biggest reason why that I can think of is that they’ve begun using him like he was used in college, making him more comfortable. It also didn’t hurt that he was in his fourth year in the NFL at that point, meaning he was more used to the speed of the professional game.

This past season, Zack Baun nagged the first two sacks of his career, both when playing at the edge. Both of these were late in the season, with the first one coming in a matchup against the Detroit Lions in Week 12. He would also nab his first career interception last season off of rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud in week six, also making it the first interception thrown of C.J. Stroud’s career. Baun would go along to earn 30 total tackles, helping solidify 2023 as his best season yet.

If he was used as he was late in the year, Zack Baun is what the Saints seem to be needing heading into this next season. The Saints like to have big bodies at the ends of the defensive line, but the lack of speed off the edge showed this past season, and New Orleans shouldn’t want a repeat of that. They want undersized rushers at the edge, and Baun could help fill that hole. I could see him agreeing with the team to a 1-year “prove it” deal for next season, giving him a chance to earn himself more money in 2025.

During his four years with the Saints, Zack Baun would notch 88 total tackles, two sacks, and one interception in 62 games played.