The Linc - Eagles praised for making one of the very best offseason moves

NFC Wild Card Playoffs: Green Bay Packers v Philadelphia Eagles — Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images

Philadelphia Eagles news and links for 3/22/25.

Let’s get to the Philadelphia Eagles links …

2025 NFL free agency signings: Ranking best deals, contracts – ESPN
1. Linebacker Zack Baun re-signs with the Eagles. The deal: Three years, $51 million ($34 million guaranteed). The Eagles signing Baun to a one-year, $1.6 million deal, converting him to an off-ball linebacker and then getting a near-Defensive Player of the Year performance, is one of the best transactions and development coaching jobs you’ll see in the NFL. Now it’s time for the Eagles to pay market rate (or in this case, perhaps less) for Baun. And he’s worth it. Despite only one interception, Baun allowed minus-26 EPA as the nearest defender in 2024, the best mark for a linebacker by a mile per NFL Next Gen Stats (next best was minus-11). He did that while allowing 0.6 yards per coverage snap, sixth best among linebackers. He ranked ninth in run stop win rate among off-ball linebackers with at least 10 starts (41%). And he forced five fumbles and recorded 3.5 sacks. He even recorded another forced fumble and two more picks in the playoffs, including one in the Super Bowl. And he finished fifth in Defensive Player of the Year voting. So yes, heckuva year. The Eagles, who ranked second in EPA per play on defense this season, wanting to bring him back makes all the sense in the world. We saw a lot of linebacker re-signings — and they were pricey. If Nick Bolton and Jamien Sherwood are getting $15 million per year, then giving Baun $17 million per year after the season he just had is a slam dunk. And $17 million per year isn’t a top-of-market deal. A reasonable comparison could be Tremaine Edmunds in 2023, who was coming off a breakout season (but not as good as Baun’s 2024) and got what would be the equivalent of $22.4 million per year from the Bears. Not to mention Roquan Smith’s deal in 2023, Fred Warner’s in 2021 or Shaquille Leonard’s in 2021, which would equate in the current salary cap to $24.8 million, $29.1 million and $30.1 million deals annually. Baun at $17 million per year is a great price.

Ten best moves of the 2025 NFL offseason so far: Bears, Bengals, Rams among teams trending up – NFL.com
8) Philadelphia Eagles re-sign Zack Baun. Philadelphia has never been crazy about paying big money to off-ball linebackers, which tells you how important Baun is to this team’s success. In giving Baun a three-year, $51 million deal (with $34 million guaranteed), general manager Howie Roseman sent the message that he’s once again not afraid to break trends. Roseman went out and signed running back Saquon Barkley last offseason after years of not placing high value on that position (and gave Barkley a raise this offseason). The Eagles clearly couldn’t have known what they had in Baun when he arrived on a one-year, $3.5 million deal last year — especially since he had been a rotational pass rusher in New Orleans for the previous four seasons — but he turned out to be the steal of free agency. Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio turned Baun into a star in the middle of the league’s top defense. The 28-year-old Baun finished with 151 tackles, 11 tackles for loss and five forced fumbles. He could’ve found a nice market in free agency, but it’s hard to walk away from a team that made your career. Baun saw the value in staying put, and Roseman made that decision an easy one.

Favorite, least favorite free-agency moves for all 32 NFL teams – PFF
Favorite: LB Zack Baun. The Eagles linebacker produced the highest-graded season of his career in 2024 (90.2) and garnered a Defensive Player of the Year nomination. The Eagles may have lost numerous key contributors, but retaining such a crucial piece of their success in 2024 is worth the compensation. […] Least Favorite: RB A.J. Dillon. After suffering a neck injury that caused him to miss the entirety of 2024, Dillon returns to action with the reigning Super Bowl champs. While the deal itself isn’t enough to cause concern, Dillon’s skill set does have a cascading effect on how the offense functions, likely moving Will Shipley into a more prominent pass-catching role.

Can Zack Baun actually get better in Eagles’ defense? – NBCSP
It was Year 1 of Baun in Philly. Year 1 of Baun playing off-ball linebacker full-time. Year 1 of Baun playing in Vic Fangio’s defense. So … as crazy as it sounds … is there still room for growth? “That’s a good question,” Baun said on Wednesday. “I look at my highlights sometimes and it’s hard for me, in my football mind, to look at the highlights and not think about the plays that I missed in that game. Or after a game, we win the game by 30 points and all I can think about is the two plays that I let up or the three plays I had bad coverage. I’m a perfectionist in that way. I felt like toward the end of the season, I was playing so confidently that I knew I was going to make a play and I just couldn’t tell you what it was going to be or when or where. But I’m excited to build off that confidence and continue to find myself in this scheme.”

Holes – Iggles Blitz
LB. This is a bit of a mystery position. Zack Baun is back. That’s huge. Nakobe Dean will be back, but when? If he’s not ready by September, are you comfortable with Jeremiah Trotter Jr starting? The Eagles might be. Vic Fangio spoke highly of him during the season. At the very least, there is a need for depth. Oren Burks is gone. They need a LB to take his place. The Eagles could sign a cheap free agent. Since they are paying Baun big bucks, they might need to go cheap here and that would mean a draft pick.

NFL Mock Draft 2025: Eagles 7-round simulation, Version 3.0 – BGN
Round 2, Pick 64: Benjamin Morrison, Cornerback, Notre Dame. Cooper DeJean Scenario 2.0 with Benjamin Morrison. The Notre Dame cornerback would be a first round pick if not for an injury riddled final season at South Bend. The Eagles benefit and get a player who could immediately compete for the CB2 spot.

How much does every NFL owner want to win? A team-by-team breakdown of their efforts – The Athletic
Contention mode. There’s nothing complacent about Jeffrey Lurie’s organization, in which players have no doubt their owner is “extremely committed” to winning, according to the NFLPA report cards. The Eagles lost several key players to free agency, but rewarded Saquon Barkley and Zack Baun for their championship-caliber contributions, flipped Kenny Pickett for Dorian Thompson-Robinson (who has greater potential) and added key veterans such as guard Kenyon Green (trade), pass-rusher Josh Uche and running back A.J. Dillon.

New Eagle AJ Dillon reveals how he landed in Philly and his meeting with Big Dom: ‘He has some aura about him’ – Inquirer
The Eagles have a new running back — and a new podcaster — in the locker room with the addition of AJ Dillon. On the first episode of Dillon’s podcast since signing with the Birds, Dillon shared why he chose the Eagles and what his first days in Philly were like. The biggest update? “I did get to meet Big Dom,” Dillon said on the Toonen to Dillon Podcast of Eagles chief security officer Dom DiSandro. “He has some aura about him … He’s like the Godfather of Philly.” It also seems like new Eagles players are finally getting the best cheesesteak recommendations, after Dillon mentioned that the Eagles’ driver and later Big Dom encouraged him to go to Angelo’s, which Dillon heard was the best spot in the city.

’I know I can make a huge impact’: Patrick Johnson is an Eagle once again – PE.com
After some time apart in 2024, Patrick Johnson returned to Philadelphia on Thursday to sign his one-year contract with the Eagles. “Just knowing that this would probably be my best opportunity to really make a huge impact in my own career and also for the team. So, just looking forward to coming back, and it was a pretty easy transition just knowing that I’m loved here by a lot of people,” Johnson said from the NovaCare Complex. After Johnson was drafted in the seventh round of the 2021 draft, he played in 49 regular-season and five playoff games, accumulating 20 tackles, one for loss, three QB hits, and 11 QB pressures. He also authored 15 special teams tackles. In 2024, he played in 12 games for the Giants, mainly on special teams. In that time away from Philadelphia, Johnson learned more about himself as a player and person.

Proposed “tush push” rule, as written, won’t change much – PFT
Here’s the language that the Packers have submitted: “No offensive player may . . . immediately at the snap, push or throw his body against a teammate, who was lined up directly behind the snapper and received the snap, to aid him in an attempt to gain yardage.” If the rule will be enforced as written, there’s a clear flaw in it. It prevents pushing the ballcarrier “immediately at the snap.” The Eagles usually don’t push quarterback Jalen Hurts “immediately.” The play begins as a quarterback sneak, with a push from behind to get Hurts (and the ball) past the line to gain or the goal line.

Detroit Lions adding another veteran CB and Detroit native – Pride Of Detroit
The Detroit Lions aren’t done adding to their cornerback room. After signing both Rock Ya-Sin and Khalil Dorsey on Thursday, the Lions have reportedly signed veteran cornerback Avonte Maddox, as well. Maddox was drafted in the fourth round of the 2018 NFL Draft and has spent all seven seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles. Over that time he has primarily spent his time competing for the Eagles’ starting nickel cornerback job, although he has some experience playing on the outside as well. If he stays at nickel, he’ll likely compete with veteran Amik Robertson and 2024 second-round pick Ennis Rakestraw Jr. for playing time there.

Deebo Samuel talks about requesting a trade, joining the Commanders and motivation – Hogs Haven
Deebo Samuel was at Washington Commanders headquarters in Ashburn, VA today with some other players who were signing their contracts and getting some time with the local media. Samuel said he wanted to come to Washington because they’re winners, and they showed last year they knew how to win with QB Jayden Daniels under center. He got a lot of positive feedback about Daniels over the last few years from his former 49ers teammates, and one of Daniels’ best friends, WR Brandon Aiyuk.

Cowboys can’t be cavalier about replacing backup QB Cooper Rush – Blogging The Boys
It’s hard to say Will Grier is that guy with any kind of boldness. The only other QB currently under contract, Grier hasn’t played in a regular-season game since 2019 with the Panthers. Maybe the former third-round pick is just waiting for another opportunity to show what he can do, like Rush for several years before 2021. But some things just can’t be proven on the practice field or even in preseason games, and then you’re putting the team’s W-L record on the line. There’s still plenty of time for the Cowboys to show how they really feel about losing Cooper Rush. Right now, Grier would be the next man up by circumstance over strategy. We still have a lot of offseason left to go and ample opportunities for Dallas to find Rush’s actual replacement via free agency or the draft. Maybe we’ll get to training camp and Grier will still seem like the front-runner, but it’d be nice to see another veteran or a mid-round draft pick here to compete. But if the Cowboys truly appreciate what they’ve had these last several years with Rush, they won’t be flippant about who fills his shoes.

Ashton Jeanty’s best NFL Draft landing spots, with Bears, Cowboys, and 2 mystery teams – SB Nation
Dallas Cowboys. If there’s an explosive skill position player available, the Cowboys should be in on it. The current Cowboy RB room is Javonte Williams, Miles Sanders and Deuce Vaughn—which is saying a lot ab out what their intentions might be come April. This is another commonly mocked spot for Jeanty, and it makes a lot of sense. With new Cowboys OC Klayton Adams coming from Arizona where a lot of gap scheme runs were used in their offense, Jeanty would make a lot of sense here. RG Zack Martin’s retirement throws a temporary wrench into things, but with how special Jeanty is as a runner and receiver, and Javonte Williams able to spell him for carries during the game, it would make a lot of sense here.

Jameis Winston will sign with New York Giants – Big Blue View
Winston is a magnetic personality, vastly different from Daniel Jones. Former teammates, though, speak highly of what type of teammate he is. Winston’s experience as a highly-drafted quarterback who has had plenty of peaks and valleys in his career could make him an excellent mentor for whatever young quarterback the Giants draft. Speaking of the draft, signing Winston would seem to have no impact on how the Giants might approach quarterback in the draft.

Report: Chiefs re-sign defensive tackle Marlon Tuipulotu – Arrowhead Pride
Tuipulotu — a 2021 sixth-round draft selection of the Philadelphia Eagles — signed with the Chiefs in September. He appeared in two Kansas City games in 2024, totaling four tackles. In his career, he has appeared in 30 games with three sacks and a fumble recovery to his credit. Tuipulotu was placed on Kansas City’s Reserve/Injured list with an undisclosed injury on January 10.

Seahawks free agency 2025: Ex-Dolphins receiver River Cracraft signs with Seattle – Field Gulls
The Seattle Seahawks announced two notable signings on Friday, bringing on wide receiver River Cracraft and re-signing linebacker Josh Ross. While Ross’ re-signing was reported earlier in the month it’s only been made official this week. [BLG Note: Cracraft is a former Eagle.]