Brian Baldinger Loves Elijah Klein’s Effort
August 15th, 2024
Rookie OL Elijah Klein.
Just based on being a sixth-round draft pick, Bucs rookie offensive lineman Elijah Klein is a long shot.
Still, there are tons of NFL examples, including on the Bucs roster, of guys overcoming odds. So why can’t Klein?
The Bucs want their offensive line to revert to the Super Bowl season where it was big and ornery, led by fiery center Ryan Jensen.
Every guy on the Bucs’ line in 2020 seemed to have an edge. Donovan Smith was big as a house. Ali Marpet was the opposite on the field as you could get from his laid-back self away from the field. Alex Cappa was “violent.” Tristan Wirfs was and is a freak of nature. Jensen would stomp on his grandmother if she tried to shake Tom Brady’s hand.
The Bucs, it seems, are slowly getting back to their big and brawling ways up front. And Klein seems to have that mentality.
Watching tape of Saturday night’s game, former NFL 11-year offensive lineman and Calijah Kancey workout partner Brian Baldinger loved Klein’s effort against the Bengals.
In so many words, Baldinger said when you move bodies, good things happen for running backs. And then Baldinger, as he is wont to do on Twitter, offered highlights of Klein doing just that.
Joe’s all for seeing backup offensive linemen drive defenders into the second level. So maybe the Bucs found something in this Klein?
.@Buccaneers @ElijahKlein79 6th round pick from @UTEPFB played the final 3 QTRs at both RG/LG…Looked solid…Didnt fatigue on a Hot August Night. #BaldysBreakdowns pic.twitter.com/h2MESgctBh
— Brian Baldinger (@BaldyNFL) August 15, 2024
August 15th, 2024 at 9:02 am
Go Bucs
August 15th, 2024 at 9:05 am
Klein is quickly becoming a fan favorite at this point and 6th round guards have a higher hit rate in comparison to other positions. I think the Bucs GM Licht and Co. did it again with this OL pick. If Bredson or Mauch’s play slide or get hurt Klein will be right there to step in.
August 15th, 2024 at 9:10 am
He’s at least a good backup……what more could you ask of a 6th round pick?
August 15th, 2024 at 9:14 am
Make him the top backup ay either guard spot. If Bredeson shows his usual colors, give Klein the chance to learn on the fly. We could have a homegrown OL that is all under contract for this and the next two seasons. Good deal
August 15th, 2024 at 9:29 am
Other than Goedeke, I don’t see any nasty OL in this group. A bunch of talented guys, but I’m not seeing them finishing to the whistle. The depth in the OL is really lacking so Klein might make the 53, ps for sure.
August 15th, 2024 at 9:29 am
Yet another small school OL diamond in the rough pick by Licht. He looks legit. Bravo Jason 👏
August 15th, 2024 at 9:40 am
Start him at LG and the OL might be set for the next five or ten years.
August 15th, 2024 at 9:53 am
A plus for the upcoming season. Based on Todd’s pass defense continuing to be confused about whether to cover someone in zone or eat a hot dog, Bucs offense will need more than 25ppg to win 11.
The OL and running game will go a long way towards that necessary target.
August 15th, 2024 at 10:14 am
Laard … ‘Start him at LG and the OL might be set for the next five or ten years.’
CTBucs … ‘If Bredeson shows his usual colors, give Klein the chance to learn on the fly.’
Joe (yesterday at Jags practice) … ‘*Left guard Ben Bredeson is making a lot of line calls, it seems.’
Hmmm, interesting. Bredeson was a 4th Rnd pick back in 2020, but didn’t really get to start until last year (played 16 games for the Giants in 2023, logging over 1000 snaps). He filled in the year before, but 2023 was actually his 1st year as a full-time starter. To date, it’s sounded like several folks (including his HC Todd Bowles) have been really impressed with his play here.
Historically it seems to take 1-2 years to get a mid-round OLineman up-to-speed so that they can become either a possible starter or a quality backup. Klein was a 6th Rnd pick. Personally I’m thankful that Bredeson is doing as well as he apparently is. Let the rookie come along at his own pace; my guess is that Elijah needs to add muscle & strength like so many other rookie OLinemen have.
August 15th, 2024 at 10:17 am
@Dave how do you figure that? Todd’s defenses have only given up over 21 points per game in a season one time since he has been in Tampa, and that’s when the QB threw 30 picks in 2019. Last year they were top 10 in keeping offenses from scoring points even though they gave up so many yards. Wouldn’t that be a testament to Bowles ability? Not a negative?
August 15th, 2024 at 10:20 am
Guy didn’t look too raw at all. Had solid footwork and balance and is a big nasty man.
Man this is exciting lol
August 15th, 2024 at 11:17 am
Dave Pear … ‘Bucs offense will need more than 25ppg to win 11.’
I’m not sure if you’re leaning Dave towards ‘Baker can QB us to greater than 25 PPG’ OR ‘No way we’ll ever win 11 games’. BTW, for the record I’m pro-Mayfield (also pro-Trask & pro-Wolford but we won’t go there). Still, Baker’s history tells me that him leading a team to a greater than 25 PPG season isn’t something that anyone in Vegas will be putting money on.
The only year that Baker exceeded 25 PPG was in 2020 when the Browns went 11-5 (they averaged 25.5 PPG that year). Other than that, he’s been pretty consistently in the 20-22 PPG range (last year it was 20.5 PPG).
What’s significant IMO is that Cleveland had a very strong running game in that 2020 year. I think we’ll be able to get into that range (25 PPG) IF we can roughly duplicate what the Browns did that year. But to do that, our running game will have to improve considerably. Here’s HOPING (oops, my bad; another one of Joe’s bad words).
August 15th, 2024 at 11:25 am
Klein looks like a Russian nesting doll his ass is so big and he’s a bit slow moving. I think we could really have something after a year in the strength and conditioning program. He looked pretty good though, nice punch & nice anchor. Haggard was the best looking guard we had after the starters.
August 15th, 2024 at 11:26 am
Klein looks like a Russian nesting doll his a$$ is so big and he’s a bit slow moving. I think we could really have something after a year in the strength and conditioning program. He looked pretty good though, nice punch & nice anchor. Haggard was the best looking guard we had after the starters.
August 15th, 2024 at 11:30 am
Of course, Licht’s scouts, scout UTEP. Who wouldn’t? What is UTEP? Is it a school or a temporary employment agency?
August 15th, 2024 at 11:34 am
Elijah is holding his own so far. Didn’t realize how big he really is until after watching the video. He was a great late round pick.
August 15th, 2024 at 11:53 am
There is a more advanced breakdown on both Klein and Barton out there. Klein looks to have the strength part down so far. His punch, when he uses it correctly, is great and his anchor is solid. He needs to improve his hand technique 1st and foremost, he is a little flat footed on the second level , and do a better job recognizing the defenders plan of attack on passing downs.
He’s got the bones and traits of a developmental player that becomes a long time starter as long as he stays healthy and works his butt off.
August 15th, 2024 at 11:55 am
Joe, has he had many reps against Vita?
August 15th, 2024 at 11:56 am
University of Texas at El Paso..
August 15th, 2024 at 12:28 pm
The laws of physics and thermodynamics show that yards given up and points given up correlate strongly. Todd’s pass defense is 4th worst in the NFL in yards allowed. Eventually, the strong correlation with points allowed will come home to roost. And, against the good QBs, it already has. (Stroud, Goff, Purdy, Mahomes, etc.)
Ira wrote a good article on this recently.
Early 2024 returns show Joe Burrow slicing up the Bucs pass defense like a ham, then Joe reports much confusion and many zone problems against Jax yesterday.
Based on this, it looks like 25ppg is necessary to have a shot at 11 wins. Baker is more than capable of this and with a non-bullfighting OL and a running game, 4500 passing yards and 30TDs are in Baker’s grasp.
Go Bucs.
#AsToddSeemedToBeEvolving…..
August 15th, 2024 at 12:56 pm
His style reminds me a lot of a significantly less polished Marpet. If he can clean up some of his “small school” sloppiness this dude could be a force. Massive potential and talent there.
August 15th, 2024 at 1:08 pm
Klien built like a side-by-side refrigerator…Wide body & thick tree trunk base.
IE…Dude 100% looks the part for a NFL OG.
He may not start immediately, but he looks like the kind of guy that sticks around & find PT as he matures to the NFL game.
August 15th, 2024 at 1:13 pm
Ironically, Klein is the German word for “small.”
The German word for “large” is “gross,” except with one of those letters that looks like a “B” but is really like a double-s. Perhaps more fitting.
I’m digging our Klein guy.
August 15th, 2024 at 4:37 pm
You have to wonder if he can learn to make calls at the line and play center with Barton at guard. The kid looks like a road grater center.
August 15th, 2024 at 5:02 pm
Long shot or not, I think he’s gonna stick around.
Big, powerful dude, who can also play center.
August 15th, 2024 at 5:04 pm
Good move by Carrs having Brendon making the calls and taking some stress off Barton. Klein is at LG the last couple days and looking good. Interesting I think Carrs was running up and down the field about a dozen times before practice. A Bowles penalty?
August 15th, 2024 at 5:35 pm
Klein looked outstanding.
Hes so wide bodied, he looks a rectangle.
Kinda the Spongebob thing.
Its a prototypical Build for a Center, but he looks like he’ll be good at Guard too!
Well Done Jason Licht this kid is a keeper
August 15th, 2024 at 6:38 pm
Was criticized for praising the Klein pick.
Saw his potential, love his performance thus far
August 15th, 2024 at 6:47 pm
Cap’t Tim-
SquareBob SpongePants?
August 15th, 2024 at 11:52 pm
mtn good one
August 17th, 2024 at 6:17 am
Not sure about PFF “grades”.
The guys that I watched and I am one of the wierd ones who watches O line play from time to time. Particularly at times when we have some spots “open”
Remember our guys were not going against first team NFL starters.
Backups who showed up in order. Just my opinion on limited viewing.
Klein
Haggard
Skule
“The Big Geman” Metz (but needs some work)
All the other dudes not named Hainsey need to worry.
Avery Jones didn’t embarass himself at center BTW.
Go Bucs!