Zack Baun making the most of first-team opportunities at Eagles camp: ‘Being here is a big blessing’

When Zack Baun steps between the lines of the NovaCare Complex practice field for his first Eagles training camp, he remembers he’s playing for something bigger than himself.

As the 27-year-old linebacker competes for a starting role with a new team, he has also assumed the role of first-time father to his newborn son, Elian.

Baun said he couldn’t lie: The transition to a new environment has not been completely smooth, seeing as his family hasn’t joined him yet in Philadelphia.Still, the birth of his son gives him a different perspective on the latest chapter of his NFL career.

“Having my son is a big blessing,” Baun said. “Being here is a big blessing.”

His blessing with the Eagles comes in the form of an opportunity to win one of the starting inside linebacker jobs in Vic Fangio’s defensive scheme. Those spots have been up for grabs from the outset of camp, with Baun, Devin White, and Nakobe Dean in competition.

Throughout camp, the two offseason free-agent signings in Baun and White have earned a number of the first-team reps with the starters in 11-on-11 drills. White, the fifth overall pick by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2019 draft, was the splashier of the two additions. Baun, a third-round pick in 2020 by the New Orleans Saints, has mostly made his impact as a core special-teamer throughout his four-year career.

But Baun has flashed in both phases with his physicality in camp, earning praise from Nick Sirianni on Sunday.

“Another new addition to our team that I think brings an element of toughness with the way he plays with his motor, with the way he strikes blocks, is Zack Baun,” Sirianni said. “It shows not only on the defensive side, but it also shows during special teams.

“This guy is a tough, tough dude that plays with great detail and great passion for this game with physicality.”

That sense of toughness is something that Baun has developed over the years. From his college days at Wisconsin to the NFL, he noticed that the common thread among his coaches was their emphasis on toughness.

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Every time that word came up, it served as a reminder of the player that Baun said he knew he had to be to succeed. By focusing first on his mental toughness, Baun found that his physicality improved, too.

“I always pride myself on that,” Baun said. “I’m a hustle guy. From being a special-teamer, it’s all about effort and tenacity and always moving around. So that’s always been part of my game. I appreciate that [praise from Sirianni].”

Baun isn’t just a special-teamer, nor is he just an inside linebacker. During his time with the Saints, Baun also took snaps at edge rusher, especially last season. Even though he isn’t taking reps in 11-on-11 in that role, Baun said he’s still working with the edge rushers in one-on-one drills and watching their film after practice. Fangio added that as camp continues, the 6-foot-3, 225-pounder’s versatility will allow him to be used in different ways.

For Baun, the key difference between lining up as an edge rusher and playing inside the box as an inside linebacker is the use of his eyes. Baun said that the inside linebacker position requires “eye discipline,” a skill in reading his keys that he combined with his physicality on Monday to make a would-be tackle for loss on a screen pass to Saquon Barkley.

But that skill is still a work in progress. Toward the end of practice, running back Lew Nichols caught a touchdown pass on a flat route with a frustrated Baun trailing after him. Baun took accountability for conceding the play after practice. Still, White said he has been impressed with the effort he has seen from Baun while playing alongside him.

“Pure heart,” White said. “A person that loves the game of football. Sticking his head in every play. On downhill runs, just being a guy that’s just going out there being relentless, man. I knew that about him. Being with the Saints, he was on special teams doing it, and now, just translating over to being D-versus-O. So he’s just letting his light shine.”

White and Baun shared the spotlight in Thursday’s public practice at Lincoln Financial Field as the wearers of the “green dot,” a helmet decal that indicates the player is wearing a headset to relay the play call to the defense.

Baun had never worn the headset in a game, only in practices. Reed Blankenship, who has worn the green dot before, said that Baun handled the new role well.

“When you start rushing somebody, they kind of get anxious,” Blankenship said. “You’ve got to make sure the D line gets the call and the secondary gets the call. I know not to try and bug him too much. But just a simple call like, ‘Hey, we’ve got this,’ it helps a lot. I thought he did a great job.”

While public practice drew parallels to a real game, the first preseason contest, on Friday against the Baltimore Ravens, will provide a more complete test. Sirianni hasn’t confirmed who will play in the preseason games, but Baun said he’s looking forward to the chance to bring his physicality to a game of “real football.”

After all, every opportunity is a blessing for Baun, and he vowed to take advantage of each one that comes his way:

“I’ve got to come out here and compete every day,” he said, “and prove it to myself and to the organization that I belong here and this is what I do.”