The arrival of Zack Baun to Philadelphia last summer was under the radar. A one-year contract to a player most Eagles fans had never heard of was seemingly business as usual.
What evolved next was a tremendous display of desire and hard work. Baun was traditionally an outside linebacker in his previous stint with the New Orleans Saints. With the Eagles, he was given the chance to become a coverage backer, sliding to the middle linebacker position.
While most people had their eyes set on Devin White, it was Baun who took the starting job and ran with it. Stealing the show in Brazil against the Packers, he put himself on the map, soon becoming a Philly fan favorite. By season's end, he had become a defensive stalwart, defensive player of the year candidate, and a Super Bowl champion.
Back with the Eagles on a new contract, the team will now lean on Baun to lead the linebacking unit. With first-round pick Jihad Campbell unable to perform on-field activities and Nakobe Dean still recovering, there is uncertainty with the depth behind Baun. Will he be good enough to mask the lack of starting options?
Baun and who?
With mandatory OTAs coming and going this past week, we got our first glimpse at what the Eagles are doing with the other interior linebacker position. Jeremiah Trotter Jr., the son of Eagles' legend Jeremiah Trotter Sr., was splitting first-team reps with Smael Mondon Jr. (pronounced like "smile").
Trotter has the inside edge in this competition. Not only is he a legacy player, but he has already spent an entire season in Vic Fangio's scheme. He is familiar with the coaches, and they are familiar with Trot Jr.
For every advantage that Trotter has with experience in the NFL, Mondon Jr. has an opposite advantage. Being a rookie, he will get the benefit of the doubt in most cases. General Manager Howie Roseman did not draft the former Georgia Bulldog to be an instant starter and expects him to grow as a player. Mondon will have the chance to earn a job and also be given grace for his mistakes.
The wild card factor in all of this will be the health of Campbell. If he can return to the field with no setbacks in August, he will get the starting job. If he is not ready to go, the Eagles will have to look more seriously at their two young backups.
The expectation is that no matter who suits up next to Baun, he will help elevate their game. The veteran linebacker proved to be an elite talent last season. He will need to take the next step as a leader by helping young players find their potential.
