Can Cardinals improve their ILB positions like the Eagles did in 2024?

Imagine if the Cardinals can hit a Zack Baun-like jackpot

These days the Philadelphia Eagles must be feeling giddy about the emergence of Zack Baun as a 1st Team NFL All-Pro inside linebacker. Drafted with the 74th pick in the 3rd round by the New Orleans Saints, Zack Baun was supposed to be a Kyle Van Noy (Lance Zierlien’s player comp) type of edge dynamo, coming off his final All-American, 1st team All-Big 10 season at Wisconsin.

Alas, for Baun and the Saints, things did not go as planned during his largely underwhelming four years in New Orleans. He only started 14 games and finished his stint with the Saints with 88 tackles and 2 sacks.

As an unrestricted free agent in 2024, Zack Baun landed into the arms of the Eagles’ Vic Fangio, largely considered to be one the Michelangelo of defensive coordinators. It was a one-year “prove it” type of contract for $3.5M with $2.4M in guaranteed money.

The Eagles’ ILB situation coming into the 2024 season was a little murky. Their 2022 3rd round pick from Georgia, Nakobe Dean, was coming off an injury riddled 2024 season in which he only played 5 games, earning a lackluster 61.7 PFF grade in 182 snaps.

The Eagles best two ILBs in 2024 were Nicholas Morrow (71.5) and Zach Cunningham (69.4) who registered 834 and 717 snaps respectively. Heading into the 2925, neither Morrow nor Cunningham remained in the team’s plans.

So, here are the moves at ILB that Howie Roseman made:

• Signing former Bucs 2nd Team All-Pro LB Devin White to a 1-year $7.5M contract.
• Signing former Saints OLB/DE Zack Baun to a 1-yesr $3.5M contract.
• Signing former 49ers ILB Oren Burks to a 1-year $1.125M contract.
• Drafting ILB Jeremiah Trotter from Clemson in the 5th round.

Results:

1. Zack Baun beats out Devin White, whom the team releases in October without taking a single snap. Baun plays 938 snaps, grades a 90.1 and earns 1st Team NFL All-Pro recognition. Note: this off-season the Eagles promptly re-signed Baun to a 3-year, $51M contract with $34M guaranteed.
2. Nakobe Dean plays 857 snaps and earns his highest grade as a pro at 75.2.
3. Oren Burks, considered to be one of the better coverage ILBs in the NFL, plays 147 snaps and earns an 83.0 grade.
4. Jeremiah Trotter plays 104 snaps and earns an 84.7 grade.

2024 Eagles ILBs:

• Baun: 90.1
• Trotter: 84.7
• Burks: 83.0
• Dean: 75.2

Coverage Grades:

• Baun 91.7
• Trotter: 90.0
• Burks: 70.0
• Dean: 60.7

Tackling Grades:

• Trotter: 68.2
• Baun: 65.8
• Dean: 63.3
• Burks: 60.8

Major kudos to Vic Fangio and especially to the Eagles’ new ILB coach, Bobby King for delivering the most prolific ILB play in the NFL in 2024.

Note: Monti Ossenfort is very familiar with Bobby King who was the Titan’s inside LB coach from 2022-2023. From the Eagles’ bio of King:

Bobby King (philadelphiaeagles.com)

“In 2022,...