We continue our season reviews at Saints Wire with New Orleans Saints linebacker and pending unrestricted free agent, A.J. Klein. 2019 was a defining season for the linebacker. Significant injuries to the linebacker corps allowed Klein to see a higher than usual snap count throughout the season.
Klein quickly became a piece of the foundation for the defense in a season that saw the unit become the one heavily relied upon.
Level of play in 2019
Klein played in 15 games in 2019, with the Week 14 contest against the San Francisco 49ers as the only game he did not compete in due to injury (thigh). During his 15 appearances, the linebacker recorded 49 solo tackles, and tacked on an interception that was returned for a touchdown in Week 17. Furthermore, Klein was great with pressure as he had six tackles for a loss, along with 2.5 sacks.
Pro Football Focus gave Klein a 48.4 grade on the season, which is below average for the linebacker position. However, Klein performed admirably when called upon, especially when fellow linebackers Alex Anzalone and Kiko Alonso had injury issues that saw them miss significant time in 2019.
What to expect in 2020
Klein is an unrestricted agent heading into the offseason. This status allows him to negotiate with any team in the NFL for his services. It is possible that New Orleans decides to bring back the linebacker, who has been incredibly durable. Klein signed a three-year, $15-million contract in 2017, and since then he has started in at least 12 games per season.
At just 28 years old, Klein has quite a bit left in the tank, and it seems the Saints will make a push to keep him on the team come 2020 and beyond. With Anzalone expected back in 2020, and Demario Davis coming off of a career season, Klein could see a slight reduction in his role.
Klein has proven he can help hold the linebacker unit together despite facing adversity early on. It would probably take another three-year deal with significantly more guaranteed money to keep the veteran linebacker around.
