The Denver Broncos have an obvious need at inside linebacker heading into the 2025 offseason, and one of their top potential free agent targets has been making his presence felt in the NFC Championship Game. Pending free agent linebacker Zack Baun, currently playing out a modest one-year deal with the Philadelphia Eagles, has been all over the field for Vic Fangio's defense this season.
After playing mostly outside linebacker and special teams with the New Orleans Saints -- where he was drafted by Sean Payton -- Fangio saw a vision for Baun that apparently not even Payton (and others who were with him in New Orleans and now in Denver) did not see.
Baun has been a revelation at inside linebacker for the Eagles. As a matter of fact, he's a finalist for NFL Defensive Player of the Year.
Broncos could target NFL Defensive Player of the Year Candidate Zack Baun in 2025
Baun had 151 total tackles this season for the Eagles but he's been great in the playoffs as well. Against the Commanders, it didn't even take him three full quarters to rack up 10 tackles, a forced fumble, and a pass defended.
He had five forced fumbles during the season as well.
It's interesting that Baun was not targeted by the Broncos in the 2024 offseason when his rookie deal expired in New Orleans. Apparently, Payton and the Saints didn't see the vision for him at inside linebacker, but perhaps it's not too late for them to realize the error of their ways.
Baun was a third-round pick by the Saints and Payton back in 2020 but he was almost strictly a special teams player for the first four years of his career. He did play over 300 defensive snaps in 2023 for the Saints, but those 301 snaps on defense were the most of his career by far.
To be fair to Payton and the Broncos, there was nothing really out there to indicate that this type of breakout was coming for Baun. The Eagles and old friend Vic Fangio have clearly gotten the best out of him. And to be fair to the Eagles here, it's not like they are going to be lacking for cap space this offseason. If they want to bring Baun back, they absolutely could afford to do so.
But if he hits free agency? He might just be the perfect Denver Broncos free agent target.
The Broncos have two starters hitting free agency this offseason in Cody Barton and Justin Strnad. Their other starter and a captain early in the year -- Alex Singleton -- is a potential salary cap casualty coming off of a major knee injury and entering his age 31/32 season in 2025.
Baun just turned 28 and should be able to get one pretty massive contract in free agency over the next 3-4 years. The Broncos could use someone like Baun who can play sideline-to-sideline and make plays near the line of scrimmage. His physicality and versatility would be welcome additions to a defense that really broke down down the stretch this past season.