NFL Analysis
2/18/25
6 min read
2025 NFL Free Agency: 5 Best Fits For Philadelphia Eagles LB Zack Baun
It's finally time for Zack Baun to get paid.
Baun spent the beginning of his NFL career as an afterthought. A third-round pick in 2020 by the New Orleans Saints, he spent his first four years in the league primarily as a backup linebacker and special teams contributor.
The Philadelphia Eagles and defensive coordinator Vic Fangio saw a different vision for Baun, and in 2024, he became one of the most dominant off-ball linebackers in the league. He finished the season with 152 combined tackles, five forced fumbles, 2.5 sacks, and an interception, earning votes for Defensive Player of the Year.
Now, after spending 2024 on a one-year, $3.5 million deal, Baun hits free agency with the opportunity to make top-of-market money for the first time in his career. There are a handful of teams that will show serious interest, so let's dive into the most likely landing spots for the 28-year-old linebacker.
Zack Baun Landing Spots
Philadelphia Eagles 
What better place for Baun to continue to become an NFL superstar than the place that helped him develop into the best version of himself?
The biggest issue with a reunion in Philadelphia is the cap space. The Eagles have less than $25 million to work with, while other key starters in Mekhi Becton, Josh Sweat, and Milton Williams are also set to hit free agency.
General manager Howie Roseman could consider franchise tagging Baun to keep him for at least one more year, but that requires a fully guaranteed one-year deal. The franchise tag also doesn't differentiate between EDGEs and off-ball linebackers, with the current projected franchise tag for linebackers at $27 million.
Fangio is likely hammering the front office to get a deal done, but the Eagles will likely need to make a few other moves to keep Baun in Philadelphia for the foreseeable future.
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots continuously show up on landing spots for top free agents, and for good reason.
No other team has close to the amount of cap space that the Patriots have entering the 2025 offseason. Their $121 million in projected cap space is nearly $30 million more than the Las Vegas Raiders, who have the second-most cap space in the league.
Along with money to spend, the Patriots need an infusion of talent just about everywhere. Drake Maye has quickly established himself as the quarterback of the future, and cornerback Christian Gonzalez was a second-team All-Pro. Outside of those two, however, it's unclear who else on the roster can be considered a franchise player.
A leader in the middle of the defense could do this Patriots team a lot of good, and a player like Baun feels like the perfect culture fit for new head coach Mike Vrabel, who knows a thing or two about becoming a star linebacker after being overlooked as a third-round pick.
Tennessee Titans
It felt like everything that could go wrong went wrong in 2024 for the Tennessee Titans. Fortunately, there's hope of a culture-changing offseason in 2025 with a new general manager, plenty of cap space, and the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
In addition, the Titans clearly need a leader on their defense and an inside linebacker. Jerome Baker and Luke Clifford are both unrestricted free agents, Jack Gibbens is an ERFA, and Kenneth Murray Jr. is in the final year of his contract in 2025.
Baun could be plugged in and immediately be an upgrade over Tennessee's current crop of linebackers. It's still a talented defense that ranked a respectable 17th in DVOA last season, thanks to some solid play from players up front like T'Vondre Sweat, Jeffrey Simmons, Arden Key, and Harold Landry.
That kind of dominance up front could allow Baun to be a disruptive second-level defender, and with the Titans having nearly $50 million in cap space to work with, Tennessee is an underrated landing spot for the ascending linebacker.
Los Angeles Rams
The Los Angeles Rams replaced Aaron Donald with one of the most exciting young defensive fronts in football. Now, they just need a legitimate linebacker at the second level to take their defense to the next level.
Jared Verse was named Defensive Rookie of the Year after leading the NFL with an absurd 89 pressures in his first season as a pro. Meanwhile, the Rams have found other key first- and second-year players up front who have shined in Kobie Turner, Byron Young, and Braden Fiske.
All that's missing is a versatile off-ball linebacker like Baun. Troy Reeder and Christian Rozeboom are both hitting free agency, leaving the Rams with a young Omar Speights as a presumed starter at one of the ILB spots.
That leaves a clear opening for an established veteran like Baun. With more than $35 million in cap space to work with before a move to part with Cooper Kupp, the Rams have the financial flexibility to take a swing at a key free agent like the Eagles star.
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers defense works best when they have two dominant off-ball linebackers. Fred Warner is consistently in the discussion as the NFL's best inside linebacker, but now the 49ers need to figure out who his running mate will be in 2025.
Dre Greenlaw was only able to briefly return from a torn Achilles suffered in last year's Super Bowl before being shut down again. Now that he's a free agent with a significant injury history, it'll be tough to justify bringing him back on a significant long-term extension. Meanwhile, De'Vondre Campbell quickly ran himself out of town after refusing to go in during one of the team's final games.
Instead of hoping one of their recent late-round picks will become a starting-caliber inside linebacker alongside Warner, the 49ers should take a swing at a veteran like Baun. That kind of deal could limit their ability to make other moves or extensions, especially with an upcoming deal for Brock Purdy on the horizon.
However, the 49ers Super Bowl window might not be open for much longer, and an addition like Baun could get the defense back on track as one of the most dominant units in the league.
