5 Reasons Philadelphia Eagles fans can get excited about Ken Flajole’s LBs
By Hunter Doyle
4. Any success story in Cleveland should be noteworthy for Philadelphia Eagles fans.
Things didn’t work out for Flajole as Saint Louis’ defensive coordinator. He also didn’t last long as the secondary coach with the New Orleans Saints. He’d be fired after the 2012 season, but he landed on his feet. He wound up with the Cleveland Browns as their linebackers coach from 2013 to 2015. Cleveland ran a 3-4 scheme, and Flajole usually worked with a 4-3 scheme, so for that reason, a decision was made that he’d only coached the inside linebackers.
Cleveland had won 14 total games over a three-year stretch prior to Flajole’s arrival, Unfortunately, they weren’t very successful while he was there either, but as you’d expect, Flajole did his part to make sure that his guys were ready to play every week.
More from Inside the Iggles
- Eagles captains earn high praise on roster blending veteran leadership, youth
- How former Eagles star Cre’Von LeBlanc helped Renegades upstage Cowboys
- Eagles 2023 schedule: Every WR duo Darius Slay, James Bradberry will battle
- Imagining better names for Jason Kelce’s Good Guy Award
- Bold predictions for the Philadelphia Eagles offense in 2023
Craig Robertson, and undrafted rookie free agent that found his way onto the Browns practice squad towards the end of the 2011 season, got significant playing time in 2012. From 2013 to 2015, he started in 34 games, posting 243 combined tackles, 12 tackles for loss, a forced fumble, four interceptions, and12 pass breakups. He earned a grade of 68.8 from Pro Football Focus in 2014 which isn’t bad considering the fact that he overcame going undrafted as a rookie.
Following the 2015 season, Robertson struck gold with a three-year, $5 million deal with the New Orleans Saints, and recently, he was extended for two more seasons. Again, put a checkmark in another box for Flajole as he’s largely responsible for the young man’s success in the NFL.
The Browns picked up another inside linebacker, Christian Kirksey in the third round of the 2014 NFL Draft. Cleveland had Robertson and veteran Karlos Dansby already, so Kirksey only started 13 games in his first two seasons, but he still produced in his role in that span though with 144 total tackles, ten tackles for loss, nine additional quarterback hits, and two forced fumbles. It only got better from there as he became one of the most productive linebackers in the league, finishing top five in combined tackles and top ten in solo tackles in both seasons. Add his name to the list of Flajole’s accomplishments.