Reiss: Klecko sheds weight, working with LBs

[spacecrime]

umm.. i love the guy... but, can you name any plays he played those positions, and the results?
i want him to make the team, but is he really meant to play in the nfl?

You need to remember 2003. The last couple years he's been mostly hurt.

He had a couple sacks in 2003, caught a couple passes when split out wide (yes, he did) and returned two kickoffs (both times he was a blocker and the ball was kicked short). He played FB that year and blocked okay, better than Seymour but not as good as Hochstein. He carried the ball at least once in short yardage situations.

It was on one of the split wide passes that he got hurt, I think, though this may have been 2004. Alas, the years and players are starting to merge together in my mind.

 

[primetime]

He was hit real hard after a catch, fumbled, and was knocked out for the season against the Jets in 2004. There's no one who would've held onto the ball when he was hit like that, no matter what position. It was like the Sauerbrun hit on Hobbs, perfectly placed so the ball was knocked loose.

 

[Ring 6]

To me Klecko has shown, playing all those positions, football ability that BB wanted to get on the field, but there was no primary place to use it.
Klecko has shown me the generic ability of a football player, excellent strength, good agility and movement for his size, a high motor, and a work ethic.
If you can chanell that into a position that fits him, you have a good football player.
I think part of the issue has been that he can do so many things, he has never been used strictly focussed on any 1.
Ask yourself this. Take all of his positives, and plug them in to an OLB position, like Willie McGinest, and what do you have? I think he has the strength, size, and football instincts to be good. I think his quickness is very good for a DL, very questionable for an OLB, but adequate in that role. I think he has no clue how to cover, but Willie played that role well for a long time before he got one.

Who is the #3 OLB?
Has anyone seen more out of TBC than Klecko?
TBC is more protoypical for the spot, but Klecko is more 'football player'. Which gets better results?

I hope BB sticks Klecko at OLB, puts him on special teams and leaves him out of any other roles. Lets take the next 2 1/2 months to find out what Klecko can do in one spot. Maybe he makes it maybe he doesn't, but he is on borrowed time as a jack of all trades.

 

[dryheat44]

You need to remember 2003. The last couple years he's been mostly hurt.

He had a couple sacks in 2003, caught a couple passes when split out wide (yes, he did) and returned two kickoffs (both times he was a blocker and the ball was kicked short). He played FB that year and blocked okay, better than Seymour but not as good as Hochstein. He carried the ball at least once in short yardage situations.

It was on one of the split wide passes that he got hurt, I think, though this may have been 2004. Alas, the years and players are starting to merge together in my mind.

He was hit real hard after a catch, fumbled, and was knocked out for the season against the Jets in 2004. There's no one who would've held onto the ball when he was hit like that, no matter what position. It was like the Sauerbrun hit on Hobbs, perfectly placed so the ball was knocked loose.

I've been wrong a lot in the last couple of days (may be getting senile...seriously) but I seriously doubt Klecko ever lined up wide and caught a pass. In fact, I only remember him ever catching one pass, and it was a fullback screen. Which he got hurt on. To say that nobody would have held on to that fumble is just silly. Anybody with experience catching the ball would have held on to it. I also think he was healthy all of last year, just sometimes inactive.

I think some of us love Klecko's attitude so much that we're re-inventing the past. For his three year career, he has 2 rushes, 3 receptions, 2 sacks, and 19 tackles (11 in his rookie year, playing at NT/DT/ST). The offensive stats all came in a stretch of 2 games.

 

[Pats726]

I'm not sure the past matters here...it's what his role is now..or roles...I welcome Klecko at LB..I think he has a shot at it...and he knows the defenses..so?? Why not??

 

[Mike the Brit]

To me Klecko has shown, playing all those positions, football ability that BB wanted to get on the field, but there was no primary place to use it.
Klecko has shown me the generic ability of a football player, excellent strength, good agility and movement for his size, a high motor, and a work ethic.
If you can chanell that into a position that fits him, you have a good football player.
I think part of the issue has been that he can do so many things, he has never been used strictly focussed on any 1.
Ask yourself this. Take all of his positives, and plug them in to an OLB position, like Willie McGinest, and what do you have? I think he has the strength, size, and football instincts to be good. I think his quickness is very good for a DL, very questionable for an OLB, but adequate in that role. I think he has no clue how to cover, but Willie played that role well for a long time before he got one.

Who is the #3 OLB?
Has anyone seen more out of TBC than Klecko?
TBC is more protoypical for the spot, but Klecko is more 'football player'. Which gets better results?

I hope BB sticks Klecko at OLB, puts him on special teams and leaves him out of any other roles. Lets take the next 2 1/2 months to find out what Klecko can do in one spot. Maybe he makes it maybe he doesn't, but he is on borrowed time as a jack of all trades.

Thank you, AJ. I won't deny that I'm rooting for Klecko, but I'm not blind. Those people who have been taking every opportunity to swipe at Klecko have at least been quiet for the last few days. Maybe they will turn out to be right -- but let's wait and see.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

Thank you, AJ. I won't deny that I'm rooting for Klecko, but I'm not blind. Those people who have been taking every opportunity to swipe at Klecko have at least been quiet for the last few days. Maybe they will turn out to be right -- but let's wait and see.

Then there are the Klecko skeptics who believe in looking at the observational evidence - called training camp performance in this instance.

 

[5 Rings for Brady!!]

DRYHEAT: We had seen glimpses of Klecko catching one or two passes before the Jets game, but it was really infrequent, and just trick plays to get a first down in short yardage. He also got one or two hand-offs in those situations. I predicted they might pass the ball to him more often and the Jets game was supposed to be a confirmation of my prediction but his season ended. I believe the 'hit' was actually a helmet spearing him in the knee, a most painful occurence which ruined his ACL and ended his season. Patrick Pass would have dropped the ball......

 

[patchick]

Who is the #3 OLB?
Has anyone seen more out of TBC than Klecko?

Nope, I haven't really. So the answer to "who is the #3 OLB" could be neither of the above. Ryan Claridge has almost exactly the same measurables as TBC, played both ILB and OLB in a a 3-4 defense in college, and by all reports has been lining up exclusively at OLB in minicamp so there's one option. And Eric Alexander could bump Klecko off the depth chart too.

As much as the LB corps seems thin at the top (come on, Monty!), there's a ton of competition for backup spots. Klecko would have to beat out a bunch of:

Banta-Cain
Claridge
Alexander
Mincey
Woods

at OLB. Not to mention Izzo and Davis as nominal LBs, plus add in Roach and Gardner inside.

 

[Mike the Brit]

Then there are the Klecko skeptics who believe in looking at the observational evidence - called training camp performance in this instance.

No quarrel with that.

 

[primetime]

I've been wrong a lot in the last couple of days (may be getting senile...seriously) but I seriously doubt Klecko ever lined up wide and caught a pass. In fact, I only remember him ever catching one pass, and it was a fullback screen. Which he got hurt on. To say that nobody would have held on to that fumble is just silly. Anybody with experience catching the ball would have held on to it.

You're correct on one thing (he caught it out of the backfield, I don't remember him ever splitting wide), and wrong on a number of others. I believe he caught more than just that ball, as well as ran the ball a few times. Also, he was basically knocked out cold by the hit, which was absolutely vicious. There have been worse excuses for dropping a ball when hit (or not, see: Pass, Patrick)

 

[Pats726]

Banta-Cain
Claridge
Alexander
Mincey
Woods
at OLB.

I thought Alexander was playing inside????

 

[BelichickFan]

I hope BB sticks Klecko at OLB

Reiss said that Klecko's time at LB has been outside, not inside. Andy is right again.

 

[Pats726]

Reiss said that Klecko's time at LB has been outside, not inside. Andy is right again.

Right on the money...and I think he has a shot at it!!!!

 

[RayClay]

Reiss said that Klecko's time at LB has been outside, not inside. Andy is right again.

This isn't good for Klecko. 5'11" OLB actually means situational pass rusher.

Esssentially when we have enough OLBs who can also rush the passer, he's again taking up a roster spot.

Unless he can transition to ILB like Bruschi, he's a special teams player.

 

[Pats726]

This isn't good for Klecko. 5'11" OLB actually means situational pass rusher.

Esssentially when we have enough OLBs who can also rush the passer, he's again taking up a roster spot.

Unless he can transition to ILB like Bruschi, he's a special teams player.

I'm not sure he has a better chance inside..if that is what you are saying...

 

[RayClay]

I'm not sure he has a better chance inside..if that is what you are saying...

Obviously he didn't cut it 2 years ago. Compare his size and agility to McGinest Vrabel or Colvin.

He isn't going to take anyones job at OLB. You're probably right about ILB, but that's his one chance to stay on the field if they are so in love with him.

I'm saying OLB really means situational pass rusher until we are more set with real OLB candidates.

 

[Julius]

Well Bruschi got his start on the outside and he is not much taller than Klecko so maybe it could work out. I think Klecko is strong enough to take on Right tackles and set contain. My worries are that he will be engulfed by larger blockers and have difficulty keeping their hands off him.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

Well Bruschi got his start on the outside and he is not much taller than Klecko so maybe it could work out. I think Klecko is strong enough to take on Right tackles and set contain. My worries are that he will be engulfed by larger blockers and have difficulty keeping their hands off him.

Not working on the line, he is quick enough to get into the blocker before they get into him. He was taking on the LT and holding his own in some games mid-season, I think this is what BB wanted to do all along, he just used Dan as a stepping stone for Wright and Thomas, while giving him time in his old job to fully test out the knee. Willie was grumpy about something, maybe feeling the hot breath of the up and coming LB star.

 

[Ring 6]

Not working on the line, he is quick enough to get into the blocker before they get into him. He was taking on the LT and holding his own in some games mid-season, I think this is what BB wanted to do all along, he just used Dan as a stepping stone for Wright and Thomas, while giving him time in his old job to fully test out the knee. Willie was grumpy about something, maybe feeling the hot breath of the up and coming LB star.

Ive always thought this was his best eventual spot. He did play there some in 2004.

I dont know why being 5'11" makes a difference at OLB more than it would at any other position.
If Klecko has reduce his weight and is in the 270 range, thats is very good OLB size. There is more use for a 270 lb 34 OLB than a 270lb 34 ILB, and thats for sure.
MANY teams plays OLBs in a 34 that almost never cover (about as much as DL do on zone blitzes) why wouldnt Klecko fit that mold.
ITs funny that someone suggests Kleckos problem would be taking on a OT. How could it be more of a problem for him than other OLBs that are 250lbs?

I dont know where he fits on the depth chart and I'm sure BB doesnt either...there is a long way to go.
If he ended up a backup OLB and stuational pass rusher how is that a bad thing? Thats an important role.
The comment saying that he would be useless and taking up a roster space would suggest that the Faulk, Pass, our 3rd TE, whoever ends up as nickelback, whoever ends up as 3rd WR, the backup NT that everyone seems so concerned with, the backup to the 2 ILBs, and any OL that doesnt start, are useless players taking up a roster spot.

If Dan Klecko becomes a 2nd team OLB, who is in the rotation as a nickel/dime pass rusher, and plays special teams, he would be among the top 35 most important players on the team, not the 53rd. That is a VERY important role.