Eagles urged to break the bank for $3,500,000 star in free agency by NFL analyst - "The priority needs to be him"

After winning Super Bowl 59, the Philadelphia Eagles might find it difficult to keep some key players. ESPN's Bill Barnwell appeared on "NFL Live" and discussed how the Eagles need to prioritize keeping linebacker Zack Baun.

"You'd love to bring everybody back, but the priority needs to be Zach Baun, who is coming off of one of the best seasons we have seen in recent memory by any linebacker in football. The numbers here are spectacular. He made more than 15% of tackles in Eagles games last year, highest rate of anybody in football," Barnwell said.

"Led the NFL in stuffs, tackles for no gain or a loss that created negative expected points for the offense. He was the best coverage linebacker in football per the NFL Next Gen Stats. Then you get to the postseason ... this guy was all over the place for the Eagles ... Zach Baun, the way he played a year ago, has to be a priority to bring back," he said.

Zack Baun was an All-Pro and finished fifth in the Defensive Player of the Year voting this past season. He recorded an interception, four pass deflections, five forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, 3.5 sacks, and 151 total tackles in 2024.

---

What can the Philadelphia Eagles do to keep Zack Baun?

The Philadelphia Eagles have a difficult decision to make about Zack Baun's future. He signed a one-year, $3.5 million contract (per Spotrac) with the Eagles last offseason and could be due a massive payday.

According to Spotrac, Baun has a market value of $9.7 million annually and is slated to receive a two-year, $19.5 million contract this offseason. The Philadelphia Eagles would not really struggle to match that number but whether they choose to do so remains to be seen.

The franchise tag might not be considered for Baun as Josh Sweat and Milton Williams are also free agents this offseason and one of them will likely be tagged.