The Wisconsin defense ranked in the top five in power five of this stat by PFF

Last year, the Wisconsin defense was nothing short of amazing for most of the season. They had star players in key positions like Chris Orr at linebacker, Zack Baun at edge rusher, as well as Eric Burrell and Reggie Pearson at safety.

Last year, the Wisconsin defense was nothing short of amazing for most of the season. They had star players in key positions like Chris Orr at linebacker, Zack Baun at edge rusher, as well as Eric Burrell and Reggie Pearson at safety.

Pro Football Focus tweeted the top five power five defenses last season in defensive touchdowns. Wisconsin ranked at fourth tied with the Oregon Ducks at four defensive touchdowns behind Missouri and Utah with five, and Illinois with six. Wisconsin had 21 total turnovers with 11 interceptions and 10 fumble recoveries that led to a plus-three turnover margin overall for the Badgers.

The Badgers defense has been consistently rated highly by analysts and other coaches, yet it is a very underrated aspect of this Wisconsin team. This team even had three big parts of their defense from last season return for this year in Reggie Pearson, Jack Sanborn, and Eric Burrell before the postponement of the season. It will be tough to not watch them play this fall, but it will be promising to see how some of our recent highly rated recruits perform in the coming years.

Rookie Saints linebacker Zack Baun changes his jersey number again

New Orleans Saints LB Zack Baun, a 2020 NFL Draft pick out of Wisconsin, has changed his jersey number after the Saints signed Nigel Bradham

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Good news, everyone!

Zack Baun, the New Orleans Saints third-round draft pick out of Wisconsin, has again changed his jersey number. Having worn No. 56 for the Badgers, he didn’t have many options when he first went pro — initially picking No. 40, which is a terrible, no-good look for a linebacker.

However, he switched to No. 53 after some consideration. And that’s a fine choice; A.J. Klein wore it well for the Saints the last few years, and before that it was repped proudly by Ramon Humber, the special teams ace who endeared himself to fans as “the Humberjack.”

But when the Saints signed former Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Nigel Bradham, the rookie was quick to oblige the veteran. Baun gave Bradham No. 53, which Bradham used in previous stops with the Eagles and Buffalo Bills.

So what number will Baun be wearing now? He’s listed on the official Saints website’s roster as No. 57, which Rickey Jackson made great for the Saints while building his Pro Football Hall of Fame resume. That’s a bold choice, but not a new one; Baun wasn’t able to pick it at first because defensive end Noah Spence held it, but Spence suffered a season-ending ACL injury while training over the summer.

There’s a compelling argument to be made that Jackson’s No. 57 should be retired and hung in the Superdome rafters. He was the first player to wear black and gold and be inducted to the Hall of Fame, the brightest star of the legendary Dome Patrol defenses, and still holds the franchise record for career sacks (though Cameron Jordan gets a little closer every year).

Unfortunately, the decision to retire jersey numbers is above our pay grade. In the meantime, we’ll be the first to admit that No. 57 is a great number for Baun, Maybe some of Jackson’s greatness is still attached to it.

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Craig Robertson impressed by Saints rookies Zack Baun, Joe Bachie

New Orleans Saints rookie linebackers Zack Baun and Joe Bachie have done everything right over the summer, according to Craig Robertson.

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There aren’t many players on the New Orleans Saints roster who have seen more in the NFL than Craig Robertson. He’s entering his ninth season, having spent the last four years with the Saints after a four-year stint with the Cleveland Browns to start his career; that experience spans 125 games, including the playoffs. Elected special teams captain in 2019, he’s proven to be a big voice in the locker room and on the field.

So his words carry some weight. Robertson talked up third-round draft pick Zack Baun in a recent media conference call, describing the rookie out of Wisconsin as “a real knowledgeable kid.”

The Saints are rolling with a first-year position coach at linebacker, having promoted longtime assistant Michael Hodges after Mike Nolan was hired away by the Dallas Cowboys earlier this summer. While their interactions have mostly been limited to virtual classroom discussions, Robertson has liked what he’s seen — and heard — out of Baun, noting that, so far, the rookie seems receptive to coaching.

“Our coach does a good job of asking everybody questions,” Robertson said. “So he’s not just steering questions towards certain people. He’ll go down the list and everybody’s answering the questions. Zack and Joe (Bachie) as well, our other rookie has been doing a great job answering questions. We have a lot of information in our playbook. So the faster that you can capture our playbook, the better off you’ll be. They’re doing a good job already just starting off.”

Baun and Bachie (who played across Lake Michigan, at Michigan State) bring plenty of collegiate experience with them into the NFL. Baun appeared in 34 games for the Badgers, though he rarely lined up off the line of scrimmage, so his transition may be more difficult than it first appears. Bachie was more of a traditional middle linebacker with the Spartans, logging 36 games, but he’ll have to outplay 2019 draft pick Kaden Elliss (out of Idaho) or his former college teammate Andrew Dowell for a roster spot. Dowell was on the Saints practice squad last season, and played with Bachie at Michigan State from 2016 to 2018.

So it’s at least encouraging that both rookies have started things off on the right foot, by making smart observations in meetings and remaining attentive as the veterans show them how it’s done. But all of that takes a backseat once they’re able to step on the practice field. With Robertson’s contract set to expire after the 2020 season, these youngsters might force the Saints to make some tough decisions next summer if everything breaks their way.

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Zack Baun officially signs with the New Orleans Saints

The former Badger officially has a new NFL home

After a standout senior season in Madison, former Badger Zack Baun is now officially a member of the New Orleans Saints. Baun posted a photo on his instagram confirming his contract as the Saints begin rookie camp.

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The Wisconsin native was selected as the No. 74 overall pick in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft. Baun is coming off of a dominant season where he recorded 12.5 sacks and 19.5 tackles for loss. Wisconsin fans should keep an eye on how New Orleans incorporates Baun and his versatile skill set into their defense this season in the Bayou.

Saints finally sign all four of their 2020 NFL Draft picks

The New Orleans Saints formally signed all four of their 2020 NFL Draft picks: Cesar Ruiz, Zack Baun, Adam Trautman, and Tommy Stevens.

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It’s taken longer than usual for the New Orleans Saints to get their rookie draft class under contract, but that’s par for the course in such a strange offseason. The COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic prompted the NFL to cancel offseason workouts and minicamp sessions, which is when rookie draft picks typically inked their deals. But everyone has signed on the dotted line now that the Saints have gathered for training camp.

On Monday, the Saints announced that all four of their draft picks have officially joined the team and filed their contracts with the NFL, a process that’s been more of a formality under recent collective bargaining agreements compared to those used in the past. Because salaries are tied to draft slotting and the rookie wage scale, there’s simply less to be negotiated than before.

And because the values of each rookie contract were already known, this won’t make much of a dent on the Saints salary cap outlook. Each player signed a four-year contract, though first-round pick Cesar Ruiz has a fifth-year team option worked into his deal.

But while everyone is now under contract, it may take some time for the Saints rookies to get on the practice field. Like other teams, the Saints will test all of the new arrivals for COVID-19 and begin an acclimation period involving physicals, equipment sizing, and a strength and conditioning program.

There’s still a long road to travel before we’ll see any new Saints football, but at least we’re on the right track. And for the curious, here are the jersey numbers chosen by each Saints draft pick:

  • #1. QB Tommy Stevens, Mississippi State
  • #51. C Cesar Ruiz, Michigan
  • #53. LB Zack Baun, Wisconsin
  • #82. TE Adam Trautman, Dayton

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Report: Kiko Alonso on pace to return for Saints training camp

New Orleans Saints linebacker Kiko Alonso is recovering from a torn ACL, but he’s expected to be ready for training camp in late July.

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The New Orleans Saints defense figures to be a strength of the team again in 2020, even if multiple starters are returning from season-ending injuries. Defensive end Marcus Davenport, linebacker Alex Anzalone, and defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins are each expected to be ready for the July 28 start of Saints training camp later this summer, and now another name has been added to the list: linebacker Kiko Alonso.

Alonso exited the Saints’ playoff loss to the Minnesota Vikings with a torn ACL, and shared an update earlier this offseason on his progress in recovery. Now, a report from NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill puts Alonso’s timeline on pace to return in time for camp, too.

Having everyone ready to go at full speed in July is big news. The Saints usually field just two linebackers at a time, favoring an extra defensive back in most looks, so Alonso and Anzalone should compete with rookie draft pick Zack Baun for the right to start next to their All-Pro teammate Demario Davis. If all of their linebackers are healthy and firing on full cylinders, the Saints should be able to trot out the best combination possible.

And Alonso shouldn’t be ruled out of the equation. He played well in his first year with New Orleans (having been acquired in a last-minute trade with the Miami Dolphins before the season-opener), though he missed time with a quadriceps muscle injury.

He also agreed to a renegotiated contract that rewards him for seeing more action, ranging from a $250,000 bonus for playing 27% of snaps to $3.95 million for clearing 90% — plus escalators in being active for 10, 12, or 14 games. Alonso played more than 91% of snaps over 15 or more games each of his last three years in Miami, so he has a shot at contributing often for New Orleans.

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Where Paul Chryst believes his team has the biggest question marks this season

In a press conference yesterday Wisconsin head coach Paul Chryst noted the two position groups where his team has the biggest question…

In a press conference yesterday Wisconsin head coach Paul Chryst noted the two position groups where his team has the biggest question marks this season: wide receiver and outside linebacker.

If you think about it, this comment makes a lot of sense with the team saying goodbye to A.J. Taylor, Quintez Cephus and Aron Cruikshank at wide receiver and Zack Baun at outside linebacker.

The “next-ups” at the two positions respectively are set to be Jack Dunn and Adam Krumholz–with both Danny Davis and Kendric Pryor already established as contributors on the outside–and Noah Burks.

To me the wide receiver position the bigger question mark of the two as Badger fans know very well that Chryst and Jim Leonhard never have trouble developing “next-ups” at outside linebacker.

The Badgers are currently scheduled to start their season September 4 when they host the Indiana Hoosiers.

Saints coach on Zack Baun: ‘I just know we got the right guy’

First-year New Orleans Saints linebackers coach Michael Hodges is excited to work with Zack Baun, one of the team’s top 2020 NFL draft picks

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The New Orleans Saints coaching staff hasn’t been able to spend any time in person with the newest additions to their roster, but they’ve done all they can to welcome rookie draft picks like former Wisconsin linebacker Zack Baun into the fold.

That’s a challenge Michael Hodges has embraced, which might be even more daunting considering it’s his first year on the job. Promoted from assistant to full-time position coach after Mike Nolan left for the Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator job, Hodges has made himself available to Baun and his other players as often as possible. And he’s been impressed by what the rookie has shown him.

“It’s Saturday night at 10:30 and Zack doesn’t have anything else to do so he pulls up an old teach tape,” Hodges said during a recent conference call, referencing one recent example of Baun’s work ethic, “and there’s verbiage on there that explains what we’re doing. All of a sudden he’s getting a lesson than that he wouldn’t have gotten before because maybe I wouldn’t have had the reason to do it.”

Teleconference meetings can help a lot, but there’s no replacing a classroom-style meeting where more experienced players can offer pointers and react to their newer teammates in real time: “And when (Baun) has to answer a question and he feels Demario (Davis) right there listening to him and then there is feedback throughout the room, those are things that we’re missing. But we’re getting some of that even through these calls.”

Hodges reflected on a conversation with Saints general manager Mickey Loomis, saying, “We were talking about Zack and he has been an outstanding pro. For him to approach what he’s been doing the way he has. I mean, I just know we got the right guy and that (credit) goes to our scouting department. They knew all that stuff.

“When you talk about a makeup, this guy’s makeup is outstanding and then from an intelligent standpoint, man, he approaches it the right way. He invites being corrected. He’s already asked me how we’re going to schedule out the rest of the summer for meetings and so it’s been really impressive to see him.”

Baun broke out for the Badgers in his senior year, notching 12.5 sacks and 19.5 total tackles for loss in 14 games last season. While he predominately stood tight to the line of scrimmage and made his plays scrapping with blockers in the trenches, Hodges saw enough in Baun’s game tape to project him to a more-traditional role in the Saints defense.

Hodges continued, “Well, there was enough movement skills to say, this guy could play a different position besides Sam linebacker and I told Jeff (Ireland) very early in the process, when we watched him, I see Sam, Mike, boom. Like I wrote it down. It was the first note I wrote on him and really that aligned with other people’s vision as well. And it gave us the confidence to go get him where we did and Sean (Payton) agrees with it.”

Still, the rookie’s track to earning snaps is filled with hurdles. Baun has to outwork veteran starters like Alex Anzalone, Kiko Alonso, and even special teams captain Craig Robertson before he can run with Davis in the starting lineup (which typically features just two linebackers in New Orleans). That process is something Hodges expects to be cooperative. He just wishes they could get into it sooner rather than later.

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The one stat on defense that will define Wisconsin’s 2020 season

Last month I laid out the one stat on offense that will define the Badgers’ 2020 season. Today, we’re looking at the defensive side of…

Last month I laid out the one stat on offense that will define the Badgers’ 2020 season. Today, we’re looking at the defensive side of the football and finding the one area that will dictate whether Jim Leonhard’s defense is able to repeat their impressive 2019 campaign.

Badger fans know well that the 2018 season was a disappointing one on the defensive side of the football. A combination of youth in the secondary and injuries to key contributors handcuffed a unit that ended up finishing the season with more than 150 rushing yards-per-game allowed and almost 350 total yards-per-game allowed.

The 2019 unit, then, bested the squad from the year before in nearly every category, finishing the year only allowing 101 rush yards-per-game, a 51.7 completion percentage, 187 pass yards-per-game and 288 total yards-per-game.

What was the biggest difference between the two teams, aside from many of the key contributors returning for the 2019 season?

Two things that in the big picture are directly related to each other.

No. 1: a full 1.1-yard difference in their opponents’ rush yards-per-attempt.

No. 2: a more-than 10 percent difference in the rate at which their opponents converted their third down chances.

Like Wisconsin’s offensive attack, Leonhard’s defense prides itself on being tough against the run and controlling the opponents’ ground game.

In 2018, for various reasons, the defense got ran over and, as a result, saw the entire field open up for opposing teams to use run fakes and get young corners to make mistakes on the outside.

Specifically, that year Leonhard’s defense gave up 4.4 yards-per-attempt on the ground and, as mentioned earlier, 155 rush yards-per-game.

Those tallies are both the highest any Badger defense has allowed since the 2005 squad gave up 4.5 yards-per-rush and 165.8 yards-per-game on the ground. For reference, since 2005 the Badger defense have allowed more than 140 rush yards-per-game one time other than 2018 and more than 130 just three times.

Comparing it now to 2019, the team gave up just 3.3 yards-per-attempt and 99.8 yards-per-game on the ground, both impressive numbers by anybody’s standards and a massive improvement from the previous year.

This improvement played a large role in the 6.5-point difference in opponents scoring-per-game and, therefore, the difference between a 10-4 record (with two losses coming against Ohio State, one of the best teams statistically in the last 15 years) and an 8-5 record.

If that was too many numbers and not enough about what it meant to the unit specifically, the insane rushing numbers the Badgers gave up in 2018 handcuffed the young secondary, kept the opposing offense on the field, allowed opponents to control the game like the Badgers so often do with their rushing attack and, finally, allowed teams to have success in stat No. 2 that will be so important to the 2020 season: third down conversion percentage.

The two stats are correlated because when an opposing team is able to run the ball in early-down situations and set up third-and-short chances, their conversion rate will understandably be a lot higher.

And what has been made clear for years now, specially in the Badgers’ case, winning the time of possession battle and controlling the game with the ball in your offense’s hands is how you win football games.

The first step in this is getting the defense off the field by stopping the opponent on third down.

I mentioned the difference above but, specifically, the 2018 defense gave up a 37.43 percent conversion rate on third down. The 2019 team? 27.27 percent.

This ten percent increase equated to the total of 19 extra conversions by the opponent, or 19 more chances for teams to score and keep Jonathan Taylor and the Badger offense off of the field.

Does stopping the opponent on third down start with stopping the run on first and second down? Absolutely. But a ten percent difference is significant no matter how long the conversions are.

Looking forward to 2020 now, Leonhard will need to try to recreate the production of now-NFL linebackers Chris Orr and Zack Baun and find ways to stop opposing offenses without those two players leading the defense.

Will it be an easy task to find 24 sacks, 33.5 tackles-for-loss and 153 total tackles? No, it won’t. But on the bright side the unit now has future-NFL linebacker Jack Sanborn quarterbacking the defense, a great run-stopping safety tandem in Eric Burrell and Reggie Pearson and an up-and-coming defensive tackle Keeanu Benton who showed flashes of absolute dominance last season as only a true freshman.

The phrase “ball control” sounds at times like a secret Big Ten saying that really just means play old-school football and shame the Big 12 and PAC 12 for not playing a lick of defense.

It really matters though and, as pointed out above, was one of the biggest differences between a struggling 2018 defense and an absolutely dominant 2019 one (again taking into account that their worst performances came against Ohio State, one of the best offenses statistically in college football history).

Only time will tell but if the 2020 squad is able to recreate the production from last season and give quarterback Jack Coan more chances to put points on the board, we could be in for a special season in Madison,

Anthony Chickillo expects a smooth transition to Saints’ scheme

The New Orleans Saints signed Anthony Chickillo, a career backup and special teams ace with the Pittsburgh Steelers who likes his chances.

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The New Orleans Saints got deeper at linebacker by signing Anthony Chickillo, a backup and special teams ace for the Pittsburgh Steelers. And Chickillo immediately faced questions about how he’d adapt to live in the Saints defense — largely built around four-man fronts — after a career in the Steelers’ 3-4, where he often played with a hand in the dirt.

Fortunately, the Saints are one of many modern defenses embracing versatility in today’s NFL. They don’t limit themselves to a 3-4 or 4-3 on every snap, or even ask the big men up front to always play with a hand in the dirt. There’s room for a variety of skills sets in their scheme. And that appealed to Chickillo when he was weighing his options in free agency.

“I’m not entirely sure (where he’ll be lining up), but I know I’m putting my hand back down in the dirt,” Chickillo said in a recent conference call with local media. “In Pittsburgh, we were in a two-point stance. We were in a 3-4 and still on some passing situations I was able to put my hand down, so it’s not like I haven’t done in the past five years.”

Chickillo added that he’s looking forward to rushing against blockers from a three-point stance, which he did often in college at defensive end for the Miami Hurricanes. The added leverage and burst off the snap he enjoys from that stance is, in his words, “a lot of fun.”

He’s not the only new addition with that background. Zack Baun, one of the four Saints draft picks, often played up on the line of scrimmage at Wisconsin. Like Chickillo, Baun was sometimes asked to rush upfield out of a three-point stance, though the rookie did his best work from a stand-up look. Having two comparable skills sets should push both players to give it their all, making sure that every opportunity is fully earned.

However, it shouldn’t be a shock if both Baun and Chickillo end up getting looks at defensive end. The Saints lost veteran reserve Noah Spence to a torn ACL while he was working out privately, and could use any boost they can get. The mix-and-match personnel alignments the Saints feature up front would have probably seen the two linebackers slide over anyway, but the Saints are incentivized even more now to try them out in different spots.

When asked whether he anticipates an adjustment to his new team, Chickillo anticipated some sort of learning curve, but nothing he couldn’t handle: “Like I said in Pittsburgh, I was rushing out of a three-point stance, really whenever we ran our nickel package.”

And Chickillo doesn’t think that it’s an accident that the Saints came calling with this role in mind. He recalled two games against New Orleans in which he showed the Saints coaching staff what they may have been looking for.

He continued, “I got to (play in a three-point stance) a whole bunch and when we played New Orleans in the (2016) preseason, I was rushing out of a three-point stance in the Superdome and when we played in the (2018) regular season I was rushing off a three-point stance. I’m sure the coaches saw that I was able to do that.”

Chickillo also said that his background in special teams — where he’s taken more career snaps than on defense — should help his chances of making the roster in New Orleans. The Saints have several linebackers competing for a handful of roster spots, and any edge they can provide in the game’s third phase could be what decides who makes it through roster cuts in September.

Now, whether Chickillo ends up being a better option than Craig Robertson, Kaden Elliss, Joe Bachie, or even Kiko Alonso remains to be seen. But he’s not lacking for confidence, and there’s a lot to be said for that. It’s just another fun training camp battle for fans to watch later this summer.

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