DisgruntledTunaFan
In the Starting Line-Up
- Joined
- Oct 12, 2006
- Messages
- 2,554
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Didn't see this posted on here yet. Got this off an EMB(a link wasn't posted with it though):
__________________There he was, No. 68, learning the techniques taught by Pete Jenkins along with the rest of the defensive linemen. Dan Klecko looked like he fit in -- same body type, same mentality. Only a few days earliler, Klecko was on the other side of the ball trying to make the transition to fullback, trying to win a job in a most unusual way, trying to be The Grand Experiment of this off-season.
Well, the Eagles pulled the plug on the experiment on Monday. They announced the move of Klecko back to defensive tackle on a full-time basis just as they were working newly-acquired Luke Lawton into the mix at fullback.
I don't know the particular details of why the Eagles decided to change direction on Klecko. Maybe he just wasn't mobile enough at between 265 and 270 pounds. Maybe he didn't pick up the offense quickly enough. Maybe his skills as a receiver weren't polished enough to suit the coaches' needs. Maybe adding Lawton was the kind of upgrade the Eagles were looking for at the position, or maybe Davis just played so well in the spring that the idea of a "competition" at the position was just not all that real.
Whatever. The point is that the Eagles made a surprise move on Monday. To me, anyway. I figured Klecko would be right there to the end with Davis, that his zest and gusto for the game would help overcome his lack of experience at the fullback position. I was wrong.
Now the Eagles have a two-man race at fullback. I don't yet include Jed Collins, because I just have not seen enough of him. He is at practice, a long shot in my eyes at the position, but clearly he is still in the minds of the coaches. And hey, we don't even know if the Eagles think they have a solution at fullback quite yet. Maybe they aren't done adding competition to the position. Maybe they want to see how quickly Lawton works into the scheme before they decide on their next step.
All along, the Eagles said that Klecko was here to compete for a job. The Eagles clearly didn't put all of their eggs into his jumbo-sized basket. For whatever reason, the coaches said enough was enough and moved Klecko back to his more natural side of the line of scrimmage.
Now he has to learn everything Jenkins and Jim Johnson want from a defensive tackle. Now Klecko has a new job challenge: He has to be the aggressor again and try to earn a job as a reserve tackle here.
Presto, chango, the move is made. Klecko, The Grand Experiment, is back on defense. Davis is the lead hoss at fullback, and Luke Lawton, whom many of us never even heard of before Friday, is the main competition at a position the Eagles need to upgrade over last year
