AJ Klein (1 Viewer)

[guidomerkinsrules]

this was my OP last season in a thread of the same name

some body with a bit more knowledge and game film talk me down
but Klein seems to be a major feast/famine player
seems he's either making plays in the backfield or gets washed out and gives up 50yd plays

he also clearly studied at the Roman Harper School of Making Good Interceptions unless They Hit Your in Your Hands - that's easily the 3rd easy int he's missed

anyway PHEW DAT!!

AJ Klein

 

[diehardfan]

There's a reason why we brought Davis in.

 

[TribuneUK]

I think Klein is suffering an unconscious bias for the fact he got injured. Those filling in for him have been elevated in the minds of some people, based primarily it seems on their availability.

I think it's a hangover from endless frustration with our LB corps and in particular the 'Ellerbe effect' of recent years.

P.S. in mini camp the reports are that Klein and Davis are the nickel LBs, so his star is not waning with the coaches at this point.

 

[dutar76]

...in mini camp the reports are that Klein and Davis are the nickel LBs, so his star is not waning with the coaches at this point.

And this... this is the biggest reason for optimism in Klein's favor. We can look at stats, grades, and even films studies by our resident experts, but Dennis Allen, Mike Nolan, and Sean Payton have a much better handle on it. That satisfies me.

 

[9thwardsaint]

I'm glad this thread was started. I didn't really hear one bad thing about klein until the offseason which confused me. During the season I felt nervous about the upcoming games when Klein was injured because I felt he was one of our top defenders.

Same here. I know PFF is not everything it was just surprising to see. I love his aggression and passion and hope he trends upward this year

 

[9thwardsaint]

I think Klein is suffering an unconscious bias for the fact he got injured. Those filling in for him have been elevated in the minds of some people, based primarily it seems on their availability.

I think it's a hangover from endless frustration with our LB corps and in particular the 'Ellerbe effect' of recent years.

P.S. in mini camp the reports are that Klein and Davis are the nickel LBs, so his star is not waning with the coaches at this point.

That star power is there in my eyes as well but what do I know....

 

[dutar76]

I just read in guidomerkinsrules thread from last October that Klein had 4 pick sixes in college? Do they use a different size football or is it stickier or something?

jk

 

[9thwardsaint]

I just read in guidomerkinsrules thread from last October that Klein had 4 pick sixes in college? Do they use a different size football or is it stickier or something?

jk

I know a few people stated that he missed some opportunities. Some of that is skill, some luck. I do like that they are near misses though. That tells me he is where he was supppsed to be. It happens to everybody especially regarding fumbles. The drops are on him.

 

[RevDeuceWindham]

First of all, thanks for the support and I'm glad you enjoy the videos. I can say I understand his low grades from a performance perspective when it comes to BR/PFF/etc. He's an average starter with upside in his ability to help with playcalls and adjustments on the field. He's (likely) never going to be the top LB on any team and there were certainly plenty of plays that showed his deficiencies. How low he ranks is really a matter of opinion. BR's NFL1000 listed him as the 31st ILB even though he played SLB on base and ILB on nickel (though Allen rotated most of his LBs everywhere). PFF had him as #80 which is lower than I would have him. I will say his coverage ability left a lot to be desired (I had higher expectations for this studying him the offseason before).

The key for me is that he was an upgrade over what we had. Even if he is "below average", New Orleans had worse than that at LB for a couple of years. Either way it was an improvement. I feel the same with Craig Robertson. I don't think Robertson is good enough to be a full time starter as a LB. I love him for what he is. A Leader (ST Captain) and quality depth piece for when someone goes down. In the end I only care about if the team has improved and I think the LB group has.

As Ellias said though, if you're confident in T'eo or Klein as full time starters in the middle, you don't go after Davis. As for making a film study on him, I might have to do that!

 

[9thwardsaint]

First of all, thanks for the support and I'm glad you enjoy the videos. I can say I understand his low grades from a performance perspective when it comes to BR/PFF/etc. He's an average starter with upside in his ability to help with playcalls and adjustments on the field. He's (likely) never going to be the top LB on any team and there were certainly plenty of plays that showed his deficiencies. How low he ranks is really a matter of opinion. BR's NFL1000 listed him as the 31st ILB even though he played SLB on base and ILB on nickel (though Allen rotated most of his LBs everywhere). PFF had him as #80 which is lower than I would have him. I will say his coverage ability left a lot to be desired (I had higher expectations for this studying him the offseason before).

The key for me is that he was an upgrade over what we had. Even if he is "below average", New Orleans had worse than that at LB for a couple of years. Either way it was an improvement. I feel the same with Craig Robertson. I don't think Robertson is good enough to be a full time starter as a LB. I love him for what he is. A Leader (ST Captain) and quality depth piece for when someone goes down. In the end I only care about if the team has improved and I think the LB group has.

As Ellias said though, if you're confident in T'eo or Klein as full time starters in the middle, you don't go after Davis. As for making a film study on him, I might have to do that!

Thanks Rev, I think this opens my eyes a little bit. I guess we just haven’t seen that level of intensity/field general mentality since Vilma. I too agree that Robertson is a good player but 2nd tier nonetheless. Here’s to hoping he thrives in that Strong side role.

 

[Swimmer]

First of all, thanks for the support and I'm glad you enjoy the videos. I can say I understand his low grades from a performance perspective when it comes to BR/PFF/etc. He's an average starter with upside in his ability to help with playcalls and adjustments on the field. He's (likely) never going to be the top LB on any team and there were certainly plenty of plays that showed his deficiencies. How low he ranks is really a matter of opinion. BR's NFL1000 listed him as the 31st ILB even though he played SLB on base and ILB on nickel (though Allen rotated most of his LBs everywhere). PFF had him as #80 which is lower than I would have him. I will say his coverage ability left a lot to be desired (I had higher expectations for this studying him the offseason before).

The key for me is that he was an upgrade over what we had. Even if he is "below average", New Orleans had worse than that at LB for a couple of years. Either way it was an improvement. I feel the same with Craig Robertson. I don't think Robertson is good enough to be a full time starter as a LB. I love him for what he is. A Leader (ST Captain) and quality depth piece for when someone goes down. In the end I only care about if the team has improved and I think the LB group has.

As Ellias said though, if you're confident in T'eo or Klein as full time starters in the middle, you don't go after Davis. As for making a film study on him, I might have to do that!

Even though Klein is nearly as fast as Davis in the Combine 40, Davis plays much faster on the field. Davis is sideline to sideline LB and he is way more physical than Klein. I was stoked when we got Klein. Teo is slower in the 40 than Davis or Klein. Teo is more physical than Klein. Teo's problem is his range. Between the tackles, he is a deft rush defender and the RBs know they just got hit hard. The Davis move would seem to indicate the coaches are going after a superior, faster athlete. It will be interesting to see if the coaches play Anzalone with Davis. With those 2 on the field at the same time, we have real speed and athleticism. We shall see.

 

[Scorpius the Allfather]

I been seeing lately all the negative reviews regarding AJ Klein namely PFF and Bleacher report. To me, Klein passes the “eye test”. I don’t breakdown film but as a traditional fan, my “eye test” consist of how many times I cuss out a player and scream at the tv while watching the game. Lol. PJ Williams was top of my list last year.

Can someone make a case on how Klein played so poorly? Maybe Rev can do some breakdowns for us, which I love by the way. Thanks Rev for all that you do.

To me he was perfect at lining the defense up to make plays but he wasn't a playmaker. He was closer to the Shanle who was never out of position but rarely made plays. I definitely want to keep him for depth at least. Man this is wonderful, debating linebacker depth! Is this real life? Edit: I pretty much echoed Taker597

 

[renegadewa]

New team, new starter, and a new defense for Klein last season and he wasn't terrible...............he may not have been the playmaker that a lot of people were hoping for but he wasn't terrible.
He called defenses and got people lined up where they were supposed to be and the improvement in the overall defense showed.

With all that said I'm not ready to kick him to the curb just yet.

 

[Gold&Bold]

I been seeing lately all the negative reviews regarding AJ Klein namely PFF and Bleacher report. To me, Klein passes the “eye test”. I don’t breakdown film but as a traditional fan, my “eye test” consist of how many times I cuss out a player and scream at the tv while watching the game. Lol. PJ Williams was top of my list last year.

Can someone make a case on how Klein played so poorly? Maybe Rev can do some breakdowns for us, which I love by the way. Thanks Rev for all that you do.

REV...You are needed in the FILM room. It could get ugly with this thread. REV.. You are NEEDED in the FILM ROOM..ASAP

 

[RevDeuceWindham]

REV...You are needed in the FILM room. It could get ugly with this thread. REV.. You are NEEDED in the FILM ROOM..ASAP

Might wanna check the YouTube channel about 7:30 tomorrow morning *shrugs*