Eagles News: Zack Baun feels like Philadelphia’s defense is "miles ahead of where we were last year at this time"

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Zack Baun put up insane numbers as a high school QB, says the Eagles are ‘miles ahead of where we were last year’ – InquirerFollowing a Super Bowl season, Baun is already focused on what’s next. And the Eagles linebacker believes the team is having a better start than last year. “I’m driven internally to just be the best at whatever I’m trying to do,” Baun said. “And then obviously watching tape from last year, I had 150 tackles or whatever, but I’m like, I missed 29 of them, I could have had this. Or I dropped this, or I could have punched at the ball here. So, there’s always stuff to get better at and I think we have a lot to do as a defense too. To think that was all of our first year in that scheme. Like, what are we going to do next year? Already, I feel like we’re miles ahead of where we were last year at this time.”

Eagles Question of the Day: Who is your favorite player on the current roster? – BGNHere’s an Eagles Question of the Day for you: Who is your favorite player on Philadelphia’s current roster?

Eagles rookie NFL player comparisons: CB Mac McWilliams – PhillyVoiceMcWilliams originally enrolled at UAB, but transferred to UCF for his final season, where he welcomed the opportunity to man up against a laundry list of future NFL receivers. The player McWilliams reminds me of is D.J. Reed, an eighth-year pro who has played for the 49ers, Seahawks, Jets, and Lions. Like McWilliams, Reed is a smaller corner (5’9, 188) best known for his toughness as a tackler, and his underrated coverage abilities. Like McWilliams, Reed played in multiple schemes in college, as he had stops at Fresno State, Cerritos College, and Kansas State.

Sitting Pretty – Iggles BlitzI think the Eagles have taken a smart approach. They aren’t looking to repeat. This will be the 2025 Eagles pursuing a title of their own. They brought back a lot of players so the team will have enough talent to win it all. They made enough changes that this team will feel different and can take the right approach to the upcoming season. In terms of injuries, the Eagles are in good shape. Nakobe Dean has the toughest situation, but he’s making progress and will be available at some point in the season. Cam Jurgens is coming back from a back injury. He should be good for camp. Ben VanSumeren is working his way back from a knee injury. That’s not bad at all for a team that played 21 games last season. As you look around the rest of the league, a lot of teams have issues to deal with. Cincy has contract issues with a couple of key players. The Steelers are trying to get acquainted with their new QB. Dallas has a new coach, a contract issue and is coming off another underwhelming offseason. Detroit had to replace both coordinators. The Vikings are relying on a first-year QB, which is a tall task for a team with big hopes. Plenty of teams have injury issues. The Packers tried to get the tush push banned, but the Eagles even managed to stop that. This has been a good offseason for the Eagles and the team is in a good spot heading into the down time before Training Camp.

In Roob’s Observations: Just how gigantic is Jalen Carter’s next contract going to be? – NBCSP1. Here’s a question to ponder: If Milton Williams is worth $26 million per year, what is Jalen Carter worth? Scary, right? Williams is a fine interior lineman and was very good in the postseason during the Eagles’ Super Bowl run. Carter is a flat-out monster, one of the three-best defensive tackles in football and already the best in Eagles history. And on Jan. 5, when his third NFL regular season ends, he’ll be eligible for a contract extension. Two things are virtually guaranteed: 1) Howie Roseman is not going to let Carter leave, and 2) Carter next offseason will become the highest-paid interior lineman in history. Chris Jones is currently tops with an average of $31.75 million per year through 2028, and he deserves it after three straight 1st-team all-pros, six straight Pro Bowls and three Super Bowl championships. Christian Wilkins is 2nd-highest with an annual average of $27.5 million through 2026, and he’s nowhere near the player Carter is. So what is Carter worth? Accounting for his vast potential and the ever-rising salary cap, we may be looking at the first $40 million interior lineman. Crazy? Maybe. But that’s where all the numbers are pointing. Carter just turned 24. He’s only been a starter for one year, and he’s got unlimited upside. Twenty-five NFL players are currently averaging $40 million per year, 23 of them quarterbacks, plus Ja’Marr Chase ($40.3 million annual average) and Myles Garrett ($40 million). Jalen Hurts is the highest-paid Eagle ever at $51 million per year and A.J. Brown is next at $32 million per year. But Carter will sign his deal two years after them, and with each passing year as the cap goes up, contracts go up. He’s not going to make quarterback money, but Roseman will make him one of the highest-paid defensive players in the game. And if he doesn’t quite reach $40 million per year, he’s going to be at or above Nick Bosa / Maxx Crosby / Danielle Hunter range, which is between $34 and $36 million per year. I’m thinking $37 or $38 million per year minimum. Carter is one of the best defensive players in football and he’s about to get paid for it.

Philadelphia Eagles Quarterback Jalen Hurts Marries Bryonna ‘Bry’ Burrows Again in a 2nd Wedding Ceremony – PeopleJalen Hurts and Bryonna “Bry” Burrows said “I do” a second time! The Philadelphia Eagles quarterback, 26, and Burrows married in Napa Valley, Calif., on Saturday, June 14, Page Six reported. Hurts and Burrows shut down the entire Four Seasons hotel in the area from Thursday, June 12, to Sunday, June 15, according to the outlet. A dinner was held on June 12, and a barn party was held the following day on Friday, June 13. The couple’s wedding ceremony then set the weekend into high gear on June 14. Page Six reported that Stevie Wonder was in attendance.

Where Are They Now? TE Clay Harbor – PE.comFar from being an old grandpa, Harbor is single and still searching for the right bachelorette. Making his home in Chicago, he’s involved with sports media, working with NBC Sports Chicago, Stadium TV, 670 The Score, Big Brand, and doing color commentary for the Missouri Valley Football Conference on the Marquee Sports Network. “It’s been great being able to live that dream,” Harbor said. “I just continue to expand on my sports media career. As well as speaking. I’ll have a couple of speaking engagements a month and just kind of tell my story about basically coming from being underprivileged to this guy that was able to make the NFL from a small town, a small college. And how discipline is really the most important thing in your life. Not so much talent, so to speak, and that grit will overcome talent in the end. If you just stay consistent, you will achieve what you want to achieve.” Speaking of which, Harbor is also working toward his goal of earning an MBA from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University.

6 Cowboys players who could surprise people this season – Blogging The BoysRT Terence Steele. Steele is everyone’s favorite player to hate. Since returning from his bad knee injury at the end of the 2022 season, he just hasn’t been the same player. Prior to that, he was on the up and up and was looking at Pro Bowl level. With another year removed from injury, the new offensive line coaches, and some added muscle next to him, we could see Steele return to form in 2025. [BLG Note: Steele is gonna get worked.]

Ex-Giant Darren Waller decided he would retire during the middle of a game – Big Blue ViewDarren Waller made the New York Giants wait … and wait … and wait some more for a final decision on whether or not he would retire before the 2024 season. With speculation he was considering retiring running rampant the entire offseason, Waller did not give the team his decision to leave the NFL until early June. Waller, though, has now admitted that he knew fairly early in the 2023 season that he was done as an NFL player. In fact, he made his decision in the middle of a Week 6 game against the Buffalo Bills.

Patriots LB Christian Elliss continues push for starting role – ESPN1. Elliss’ time: When the Patriots held their final spring practice on Tuesday, with the defense buzzing as music blared and the offense worked with a silent snap count, linebacker Christian Elliss was at the heart of the action. Elliss aligned next to big-money free agent signing Robert Spillane with the top unit — a reminder of how far he’s come, and how this offseason has been transcendent for him and his growing family. “Humbling, especially,” the 26-year-old Elliss said in a quiet moment as minicamp concluded. “My entire life, especially my football career, it’s been a fight to get to where I’m at, and to get on the field.” Whether Elliss remains in that spot will be among the team’s top competitions when training camp begins July 23, with veterans Jahlani Tavai and Jack Gibbens among those vying for the role.

Caleb Williams tried to do too much as a rookie. The Bears’ new coach can fix that – SB NationOn the ground, I think the Bears are going to be more outside zone-based than any other run concept. Detroit ran outside zone more than any other team in the NFL last season per Sports Information Solutions (SIS), but their run game pulls from so many different disciplines. The Bears’ offensive line might be built to do more outside zone blocking, which will really help set up the play action and bootlegs off of that for Williams. Most importantly, I think this offense is going to lean into what Williams does well right now, then build on the areas where he lacks throughout the season. We saw young QBs like Jayden Daniels and Bo Nix excel when they were asked to do what they’re best at, while their respective coordinators sprinkled in more masters-level QB’ing as the season went on. Expect that for Williams, who should now have more communication in his kitchen, allowing him to cook freely.