Who's Up for a Patriots O-line Coach Who 'Preaches Violence'? Adrian Klemm's Former Players Sure as Hell Are.
Boston Globe. Getty Images.We're still several weeks away from the start of free agency. The Patriots have yet to make a single roster move. Hell, they still haven't finished sweeping up the confetti and vomit off the floor of State Farm Stadium. And yet we can already say with some confidence that the Pats offseason is better than last year's. Just on the basis of the additions to the coaching staff.
Somewhat lost in the crime scene that was coordinator Matt Patricia and QB coach Joe Judge running the Patriots offense this past season, was the blood-splattered remains of the job offensive line coach Matt Patricia left in his wake.
As reminder, here's an explanation from Phil Perry of NBC Sports Boston last August:
[N]ew elements being introduced to Patriots linemen are both language-oriented and scheme-oriented, according to league sources. The language used to identify protection calls in Foxboro, for example, was primarily a numbers-based identification system under [Josh] McDaniels, who used the same system imported by Charlie Weis more than two decades ago. Now the protection identifications are more word-based.
Whereas before "62" or "64" would have been an example of a protection call heard inside the Patriots huddle, now they may use language employed by other clubs, like "Scat 2" or "Scat 3." It's not thought to be a massive roadblock in terms of the translation process. But it is a process nonetheless and a signal that there have been tangible changes made to how the Patriots operate up front.
As another reminder, one you don't need, it didn't work. As a result, those first two coaches I named have been replaced by Bill O'Brien. The third was replaced with Adrian Klemm last week.
Klemm, as you history/trivia buffs will note, was the first draft pick of the Bill Belichick era. A 2nd rounder in 2000 (after Mr. Kraft had to give his 1st rounder to the Jets to hire Belichick in the most one-sided transaction since the Louisiana Purchase), Klemm won two rings in four seasons in New England and played a full season in Green Bay before retiring to coaching. He's spent time at SMU, on Mike Tomlin's staff in Pittsburgh, and was just hired away from Oregon, where he was the Ducks' associate head coach, O-line coach, and run game coordinator. Under Klemm, Oregon was No. 3 in the Pac-10 in rushing offense, with an average of 5.5 YPA and 215.8 YPG. More significantly, they allowed the fewest sacks in the nation, an astonishing five in 13 games.
All of which sounds good. And if we're being honest, that offensive line coaching bar was set so low after the height set by Dante Scarnecchia, I'd consider Coach Bobby Finstock a significant upgrade right now:
Fortunately, it sounds like Klemm is going to bring much more than even the skipper of Beavers Basketball.
Source - Offensive lineman Kelvin Beachum entered the NFL as a seventh-round draft choice in 2012 (No. 248), six slots away from the last overall pick. He's beaten the odds by playing in 152 games, with 147 starts, and credits recently hired Patriots offensive assistant coach Adrian Klemm for playing a significant role in a lengthy professional career few saw coming.
"He taught me how to punch. The way I strike, it comes from the way Adrian taught me. He's like my older brother, so I’m a little biased," he told ESPN.com. …
"He loves the game, but at the same time preaches violence," said Beachum … "A lot of the things he teaches are the principles he learned when playing for [Patriots assistant coach] Dante Scarnecchia.
"He wants players who want to be around the game. … A lot of who I am, and what I stand for, is from the foundation he laid for me at SMU."
Beachum is one of six players Klemm coached in college who were drafted into the NFL. …
Development, recruiting, intelligence and relatability to players are viewed as some of Klemm's strengths.
[Xavier] Su'a-Filo, who broke into the NFL with the Houston Texans during O'Brien's first season as their coach [says] "I will forever be indebted to him for that. He means a great deal to me."
Beachum, Su'a-Filo and some Oregon offensive linemen have recently worked out together, joking that they represented "three generations of Klemm-ites." …
Of Klemm's coaching style, Su'a-Filo said: "He's very thought-out and calculated. The small details matter to him. I would use the word passionate … and I think he knows exactly when to put his foot on the gas. …
"I learned so much about offensive football and understanding defenses from Coach O'Brien, and so much about the offensive line and how you marry the run and pass from Coach Klemm. Both of those guys are competitive, want to win, and are like-minded with the head coach over there. I just think that will be awesome."
Violence? Violence from your offensive lineman as they open holes for Rhamondre Stevenson and keep the pocket clean for Mac Jones?
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I mean, I do appreciate hearing about the relationship building, the mentoring, the player development and all that. From everything we hear, Patricia's inability to relate to his players was a major part of his undoing. And the details and passion are a nice addition as well. And I love the idea that his former linemen call themselves Klemmites. Because without a doubt one of the things Scarnecchia was able to create around himself, intentionally or not, was this cult of personality. Generations of linemen came and went in Foxboro under different head coaches and even different ownership, and the one common bond they all shared was the admiration they had for Scar. It all begins with that respect.
But the violence is what I think we're all here for. In addition to marrying the run and the pass. If it means the blitzers that were coming across the line unaccounted for last year are confronted by a blocker and meet a violent end, by all means. The time for dicking around is over. Bring us that sweet, sweet, Klemmite violence up front and bring this offense back to its former glory. It's going to be a hell of a spring and summer around here.