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spkb25

sounds like he is solid and improvement from what we have had there. good stuff

jeanpierre

Gotta throw some love to Hagan; he was banging the drum for this guy in Free Agency...

Whatever role he plays, he really looks like he'll help us take things up a notch...

jeanpierre

Well, this is telling...

"We are not waiting to find a certain get-in-line pecking order for who is leading. He is a great example. He is a player with which if I do not feel like I am getting it on defense, I am going to be pissed at him," Sean Payton said. "That is one of the reasons why he is here. I think we will get great leadership from him."

AsylumGuido

Looks like the Sam may be wearing the green dot. I have no problem with that.

AsylumGuido

Related story here from NOLA.com ...

A.J. Klein expects to be defensive play-caller for Saints this season

By Josh Katzenstein jkatzenstein@nola.com,
NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune

Linebacker roles for the New Orleans Saints aren't even close to being set for the regular season, but A.J. Klein has his eyes on one of the most important defensive duties as he pursues a starting role.

Once the Saints are playing on Sundays, Klein expects to be wearing the radio in his helmet and relaying the play calls to the defense, no matter which spot he plays.

Right now, Klein is working as the No. 1 strong-side linebacker in the Saints' base 4-3 defense, but when the team switches to nickel defense, he moved to the middle. If that carries into the season, Klein would likely be on the field for every snap, and even if he's not in the middle each play, he'd likely be responsible for lining up the defense.

The Saints signed Klein in March to a three-year, $15 million deal because they think he proved he could be a versatile and productive player during his time with the Carolina Panthers. As important as football talent is, Klein said he thinks communication is the most important aspect of his job, and he noted poor communication as a reason the defense allowed some deep passes and long gains on screens Sunday.

Even if Klein isn't the loudest guy on the field, he knows the importance of leadership at his position, too.

"I think that's just what the position requires," Klein said Sunday. "I don't necessarily try to hoot and holler, but I want to make sure everybody's on the same page. I think that falls on the Mike backer, that falls on the linebacker corps in general."

More here ...

“The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” — Winston Churchill

hagan714

Biggest bang for the buck FA in 2017

He can handle the green dot

Seer1

What are the different responsibilities of the strong side vs middle LB?

AsylumGuido

Other than one covers the middle of the line while the other covers the side of the line with more offensive linemen or the side with the TE, not a whole lot. Both are called upon to cover non-WR's with the Sam often having the job of shadowing the TE. Both are used as pass rushers. The Mike is usually the defensive play-caller because of being positioned in the center of the field, but not always. There is no reason why the Sam, if always on the field, couldn't handle those duties, especially if being slid over to the Mike in nickel packages. As often as the Saints use the nickel it would make sense for the Sam to be calling the plays if the Mike is the one leaving the field. The Mike is usually the more stereotypical LB, but the Sam also needs some bulk taking on the TE or end eligible which is usually an extra OT.

“The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” — Winston Churchill

Seer1

Thanks!