Zack Baun left the New Orleans Saints in free agency last offseason, and it wasn’t considered a big loss. In four seasons with the Saints, Baun was primarily a special teamer, getting very limited snaps on defense. That’s why when free agency rolled around, he decided to move on, despite New Orleans trying to re-sign him.
Now, Baun is back in New Orleans for the Super Bowl with his new team, the Philadelphia Eagles. He may have left the city as a special teams player, but he returned as an All-Pro, Pro-Bowl linebacker that is a finalist for Defensive Player of the Year.
His immediate emergence since leaving the Saints has led to a lot of frustration from fans directed at the franchise. New Orleans’ fans have been critical of the organization for many reasons, and not getting the most out of talented players and letting them leave the building is one of those reasons. However, Baun actually defended the Saints during his media availability for Super Bowl week.
He made it clear that he has no ill will towards the franchise, and he actually blames his lack of playing time in New Orleans on him, rather than the franchise.
"I think when I was here, I didn’t know what I needed… I had great coaches, it was a great scheme, but I kind of blame myself in my own way."Zack Baun
Zack Baun doesn’t blame Saints for holding him back
Sometimes, that’s just the way life works. Everyone is on their own journey, and there are a ton of different factors that contribute to individuals’ success, or lack there of. For whatever reason, it took Baun going to Philadelphia to record 151 tackles, 11 for a loss, 3.5 sacks, five forced fumbles, and one interception— all more than he had in four seasons combined with the Saints.
While Baun is at peace with his journey, and shoulders some blame, his defense of the Saints organization probably won’t mean much to angry fans. With all that has gone wrong for New Orleans in recent years, this will still just stand out as another example of organizational incompetence.