Zack Baun was about to walk through the double doors into the Eagles’ locker room this week when he urged Oren Burks to share Bobby King’s favorite expression.
And Burks came through.
“When in doubt, choose violence,” he said.
It’s something the Eagles’ linebackers hear a ton and it’s a good way to sum up the coaching style of a guy who has helped turn the linebacker position from one of the Eagles’ biggest question marks into one of their biggest strengths.
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As Nakobe Dean began to hear the familiar refrain, he chimed in with the “choose violence” part and then explained what it means to him.
“At the end of the day, you’re playing a football game and if you don’t know what to do, somebody might be trying to hit you,” Dean said. “Hit them first. Choose violence.”
For the record, it seems like all of the linebackers have their own favorite sayings from the man they affectionately call “BK” but they also all agreed that none of them are suitable or appropriate for mass consumption. But the thought did make them giggle.
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Longtime defensive coordinator Vic Fangio didn’t have much familiarity with King before this season but King came recommended to him by some folks Fangio trusted. So the Eagles hired King to coach their inside linebackers.
And that has proved to be a good decision.
“I think Bobby has done a great job with them,” Fangio said this week. “He's a good teacher. He emphasizes the right things. Very coachable in regard to learning a new system and the nuances that go with it. So, from Day 1 he's been great.”
It’s hard to argue with the results.
The combination of Baun and Dean has been one of the better linebacker pairs in the NFL. Baun is likely on his way to his first Pro Bowl and Dean is finally having the type of season Eagles fans have been hoping they’d see ever since he was drafted in the third-round back in 2022.
Plenty of pundits thought that linebacker would be a weakness for the Eagles in 2024. But instead, the linebackers have set the pace for the No. 1 defense in the NFL.
Head coach Nick Sirianni always says the players deserve most of the credit when they’re playing well, and that’s true. But it’s clear King has done an exceptional job with the Eagles’ linebackers in 2024.
“He’s been pivotal for me,” said Baun, who got to know King during his pre-draft process back in 2020. “He comes with a lot of passion and energy day in and day out. I think his philosophy behind linebacker play is … you ask him, ‘Coach, should I fit here? Should I fit here?’ And, ‘It doesn’t matter. Just be physical.’ And I think that kind of boosted the physicality in our room and it’s showing up in other rooms.”
King was hired as the Eagles’ linebackers coach this offseason after a few other notable names were reportedly candidates for the gig. Instead, the Eagles landed on King, who had previously coached the position for the Titans, Texans and Chargers. King was assistant linebackers coach with the Chargers when Nick Sirianni was on their staff, so at least the head coach had worked with him before.
In his time with the Eagles, King has been known for his energy, passion and hands-on approach.
During practice, King will put on the padded vest and make his players strike him to get off blocks. King’s major emphasis is on block destruction and he gets involved as much as he possibly can.
“He’s taken some real shots,” Baun said. “His big thing is block destruction. So he puts it in his own hands and it’s on his chest too, to feel how good of a strike we get.”
Sirianni joked earlier this year that he’s not sure how many more years King has left to be able to take these repeated shots from his players but the head coach appreciates the effort.
King harps on technique over just about everything. Burks is the elder statesman of the linebackers room and he said King emphasizes block destruction more than any coach he’s had in his seven years in the NFL. The emphasis on technique is paramount here; it’s about the right pad level, striking with hands, striking on the rise and ultimately finding a way to win.
“He believes as a linebacker, if you play with piss and vinegar, the right technique and violence, you can make any play no matter what the scheme is,” Dean said. “You need somebody like that.”
As serious as King is about technique and correcting mistakes, he has found ways to keep his meeting room fun and interactive. There’s a lot of razzing that goes on between King and his players, whom he’ll sometimes affectionally refer to as a-holes.
Dean said King will give him grief if he’s not early enough for practice. If Dean shows up 15 minutes early but other players have been there for 5 minutes already, King will shoot Dean a look and the middle linebacker knows what’s coming.
“He’s always on my a—,” Dean said with a smile.
King will also get on rookie Jeremiah Trotter Jr. for his frequent bathroom trips; the rookie likes to stay hydrated.
And as much as King harps on technique and corrections during the week, he changes a bit on Sundays. During games, King makes sure his guys shake off their mistakes because he wants them playing free. Baun will sometimes come to the sideline mad at himself about a mistake and King will be waiting for him to tell him to get over it.
“During the week, you want to be as detailed as possible,” Baun said. “You want to have all the right fits and the coverages to be in the right spot. But on game day, he just kind of lets us loose.”
There’s no question the Eagles linebackers have been let loose this year.
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