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kelly

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kelly

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Steve McLendon's 'Just Here to Play Ball'

Former Steelers DT Fitting In Well in Jets' Scheme & Showing His Professionalism at OTAs

Steve McLendon is a different breed of nose tackle than the one we knew for the past three seasons. In fact, McLendon, who arrived in March as an unrestricted free agent from Pittsburgh, isn't listed as an NT by the Jets but as a DT.And that's one reason he reminds that he's not here now to "fill the shoes" of departed UFA Damon Harrison.

 

"Oh, no, I'm not here to replace anybody or fill anybody's shoes. We're two different types of players," McLendon said. "I'm just here to play ball."

 

As for where we'll find him most often on the field, he is a multiple warhead."I just felt like I wanted to be able to do more," he said of his D-line evolution. "In order to last in the NFL a long time, I feel like the more you can do, the better you'll help your situation. I just started learning every position, and that helps you be successful."Another reason we could see the new No. 99 lining up at 1- or 3-technique or even in the nickel is his athleticism. He's a quick, light-on-his-feet 320 pounds, which has helped not only stop the run but also, despite two-gapping for much of his time in Pittsburgh, push the pocket to the tune of five career sacks. (Two of those sacks came against Bengals QB Andy Dalton, whom he's in line to see again when the Bengals open the season at MetLife Stadium on Sept. 11.)

 

"Right now I'm working on it all. I'm trying to be able to do it all, whatever the coaches say," he said. "If they need me to play run or pass, that's my key goal right now is to be successful in this defense."Fans will remember from the stories when he first signed with the Jets that McLendon has an interesting hobby that has helped him pursue his passion: ballet. He didn't want to talk about it now so as not to take away from his football, but he did confirm that he still turns to the dance "as something that's a part of my workouts."Defensive coordinator Kacy Rodgers was asked last week whether he and head coach Todd Bowles will have to tweak their scheme since the 350-pound Harrison is no longer anchoring the middle of the run defense."You still have to stop the run in this league," Rodgers said. "As we look at it and see our pieces more, sometimes you might have to do it a little differently than the way Snacks did it, but we feel very capable with the guys we have in there."

 

Specifically speaking about the addition of the seventh-year pro McLendon and the sixth-year manJarvis Jenkins to the front line, Rodgers said that early in OTAs, "they are the ultimate professionals. McLendon's coming from Pittsburgh, which played pretty good to really good defense, and Jenkins, we like his athleticism and his size to complement the guys we already have in the room. So far, we're very pleased with those guys."And McLendon is pleased to be a Jet after six seasons with the Steelers."The main thing I learned over there is to work hard every day, to play fast, play hard, play smart, and just do whatever it takes inside the defense to help the team be successful," he said. "This is a players' defense, a very talented defense. It'll be an exciting defense. I'm very excited about what's coming forward. I'm just glad to be here and it's just a blessing to have another opportunity to play football again."

 

>       http://www.newyorkjets.com/news/article-randylangefb/Steve-McLendons-Just-Here-to-Play-Ball/c3aae84a-ffdc-4dfe-b549-a3f85ee047dd

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kelly

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Steve McLendon, the Pittsburgh Steelers 6-foot-4, 320-pound nose tackle, might be the biggest man to ever strap on a pair of ballet slippers.

McLendon has been taking ballet classes since his senior season at Troy University, according to Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.His instructor for the past four years has been Stephanie Kibler.“I work him harder than the majority of women will ever work in a ballet setting,” Kibler said. “He does it well. He might have sweat dripping off him and looking at me like I’m crazy, but he does it. He really works hard. It’s almost like he’s mastering the craft of ballet. He’s not in there just for football.”

McLendon says ballet helps prevent injuries.

“It keeps you injury free, your ankles, keeps your feet strong, your toes strong, you get away from knee injuries,” McLendon said. “I can tell when I don’t do it in my body.”Said instructor Kibler: “What’s good about what he does, it’s not just for the grace and control, but it helps strengthen areas that may be open to injury. We are strengthening those areas that tend to be a little weaker. He steps it up.”

This season, the Steelers are hoping McLendon, who signed a three-year, $7.25 million deal, can come in and replace veteran leader Casey Hampton.“Casey was way better than me holding three guys,” McLendon said. “I’m a little smaller than Casey, so I can rush the passer. That’s what it’s all about. I have to use my abilities to help me be successful in this defense.”

>     http://sportsglory.com/nfl/steelers-lineman-steve-mclendon-also-a-ballet-dancer/7114

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kelly

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The man who was acquired to fill in for Damon Harrison doesn’t want to be seen as Snacks’ replacement.

The Jets lost their hulking nose tackle to a cross-town free-agent poaching by the Giants earlier this offseason, and then signed former Steeler Steve McLendon to start in his stead.“I’m not filling anybody’s shoes,” McLendon said recently. “Me and Snacks are two different type of people. Two different players, not the same guy. I am not here to step in and replace him.”

“(The difference between) my game from Snacks?” McLendon added. “Just two different types of players, man. He can plug up holes, I mean I can plug up holes, but man he did it really well at a high level.”Harrison, who earned the nickname “Snacks” years ago when he was trying tolose weight and was forced by coaches to try and resist Rice Krispies Treats, transformed from an undrafted free agent into a stud nose tackle. McLendon, who said he always keeps tabs on other nose tackles in the league, couldn’t help but notice.

“He plays double-teams really well,” McLendon said. “Granted, he’s bigger than me, he’s a large man. He plays with great pad level, leverage. He’s got some quickness.”

“He did a really, really good job penetrating,” the nose tackle added of Harrison. “That’s something I learning right now, because I played for Pittsburgh and we did a lot of two-gapping, so it’s a little different.”Harrison was exceptional last season, tying with Aaron Donald for the league lead amongst nose tackles and defensive tackles for the most stops (51) last season, per ProFootballFocus. McLendon finished 60th with 9. Stops are defined as an offensive failure based on down and distance.However, McLendon (330 snaps) played less than Harrison (577 snaps), again per ProFootballFocus, but Harrison led the league in stops per snap and McLendon finished 52nd.

Despite playing less than Harrison last year, McLendon said one thing he can bring to the table is versatility.“I play nose; I play nickel; I can play d-end...I can play across the line,” he said. “I can bring technique to the game; I can bring power to the game.”His versatility could be nice to have, though the Jets are loaded with talent along the rest of the defensive line with Muhammad Wilkerson, Sheldon Richardson and Leonard Williams on the roster. The Jets have said they are done trying Richardson at OLB, so it will be interesting to see if/how Bowles tries to get them on the field at the same time in his base defense.

McLendon, entering his seventh year in the league, also brings experience with him. And he’s seen what it takes to go deep into the playoffs, as he was part of the Steelers team that made it to the Super Bowl in 2010.“I want to bring hard work. Show what it takes to work hard. (I can) come in and lead by example by working hard every day,” McLendon said. “Hard work cannot be denied. I’m not coming in to take nobody’s spot, replace nobody, I just coming to work hard and play football. And if we do that we’ll get a championship. If everybody takes an extra hour a day, we’ll get a championship.”

>     http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/jets-mclendon-not-snacks-2-0-article-1.2667798

 

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kelly

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After spending six years with the Pittsburgh Steelers, DT Steve McLendonicon-article-link.gif joined the Jets as a free agent this offseason. The Alabamian discussed what he likes to do with his time outside of football.

 

Q. You refer to yourself as a country boy. What exactly is a "country boy?”

SM: Somebody who lives in the country and likes to get dirty basically. You can say, a country boy consists of a lot of things: listening to country music, where you’re from. But I consider myself a country boy because of what I do – work on a farm.

 

Q. So what kind of work do you do on your farm?

SM:  Basically, I just work on maintaining the farm and anything that comes with a farm like chickens, the hayfields, etc. We have a hayfield, so there is a ton of hay. My granddaddy and I are in the process of getting some cows.

 

Q. What made you want to start ballet and how much has it improved your game?

SM: I did it when I was in college. I was finished with school and just needed one more class to give me a full set of credits, so I took ballet. The teacher said, “Take it seriously because it can really help you.” So I did and it turned out for the best. It helped me stay away from injuries. That was one of the biggest things – it helps you strengthen muscles in your body, especially in your legs, that you normally wouldn’t strengthen just in the gym. I didn’t put on those tights though –I just went in there in normal workout clothes.

 

Q. So it feels like the D-line has a lot of characters on it. Can you describe some of the guys’ personalities?

SM: They are all nice guys, but I think the funniest guy is Sheldon Richardsonicon-article-link.gif. He keeps everything going and has everybody laughing. He cracks jokes all day long, so you don’t get too uptight during practice. Even if you mess up, he’ll crack a joke and say, “Hey man move on to the next play.” Leonard Williamsicon-article-link.gif is just a big “old kid” that can play football extremely well and he has a great future ahead of him.Deon Simonicon-article-link.gif – he’s the quiet guy. He doesn’t say much but he’s very strong, explosive and quick.Jarvis Jenkinsicon-article-link.gif – he’s another funny guy. He’s an “old guy” also, played with two other teams.

 

Q. What do you remember about the 2010 AFC Championship game between the Steelers and the Jets?

SM: The only thing I can really remember is Bart Scott saying, “Can’t wait.” That’s like the biggest thing. The game itself was played so fast and it was a very physical game. When we won there was no better feeling in the world because we knew we were going to the Super Bowl. We knew we were the best in the AFC at that time. 

 

> http://www.newyorkjets.com/news/article-7/5-Questions-with-Steve-McLendon/4b868b28-91a7-4371-bf41-6b9d6ae097ac

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kelly

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As the Jets get close to training camp, I am going to examine the roster and give you my top 25 players. Each weekday, we will reveal another person on the list, leading right into camp. I am not including rookies on this list because I do not feel it is possible to fully evaluate them before they play a game. I also am not including Ryan Fitzpatrick on the list because he is not technically a Jet at this time.

No. 22: Steve McLendon

Last year’s ranking: Not ranked (not on team)

Position: Nose tackle

Age: 30

How acquired: Signed as a free agent on March 16

Years left on contract: 3

2016 Salary Cap figure: $2.5 million

Looking back at 2015: An undrafted free agent, McLendon spent his entire six-year career with the Steelers before joining the Jets this offseason. Last year, he played about 34 percent of Pittsburgh’s defensive snaps, leaving the field on passing downs.McLendon had 14 tackles and one sack and helped the Steelers finish No. 5 against the run.

Outlook for 2016: The Jets signed McLendon to a three-year, $10.5 million deal to replace Damon Harrison, who left for the Giants’ big bucks in March. Harrison leaves a big hole in the middle for him to fill. Harrison had become one of the best — if not the best — nose tackles in football.McLendon is going to have more freedom in Todd Bowles’ defense than he had in Pittsburgh, where the Steelers play more of the two-gap style the Jets used under Rex Ryan. In that defense, McLendon was trying to keep blockers off the linebackers. Now he can get upfield and wreak havoc. The 6-foot-4, 320-pounder looks the part.“Ultimate nose tackle, but he has some position flex,” Bowles said in March. “He can play defensive end as well. I think we’re going to be pleased with him because he’s a good all-around player. We lost a good one [Harrison], but we think we got a good one, too.

“[McLendon] is one of the guys [who could replace Harrison]. We have a few guys. We have a couple guys that can play up and down the line of scrimmage. As you get different players, your scheme changes a little bit here and there. As Stevie fits in and we see what he does best, we’ll do what we need to do going forward.”

>      http://nypost.com/2016/06/28/jets-can-unleash-potential-in-this-under-the-radar-free-agent/

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kelly

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Veteran Defensive Tackle Steve McLendon Shaved 12 Pounds This Offseason

On report day, Matt Fortéicon-article-link.gif said, “As you get older, the veterans that are smart get lighter.” And whileBrandon Marshallicon-article-link.gif’s weight loss has been well-publicized, new Jets DT Steve McLendonicon-article-link.gif also dropped his weight from 330 pounds to 318.“When I came here, they wanted me on a different diet plan,” the former Steeler said. “They wanted me to get my weight down and I did exactly what they asked me to do. I’m very excited and I’m very excited to be here.”

 

While McLendon is already light on his feet, he believes he’s just as powerful despite the weight loss.“It feels good,” he said. “I still have my strength, but I have to keep it up. It’s better on the body, plus I’m getting a little older — I don’t need all that weight. I need to be able to move, run.”

 

The Troy product has earned the reputation as a run-stuffer with the Steelers, totaling 90 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss along with five sacks and eight quarterback hits throughout his career. However, his newfound mobility should allow him to be quicker and get in the backfield faster, which has been the main component of his summer workouts.“I’m pretty much focusing on attacking up field,” he said. “My attack is different because in Pittsburgh I was a two-gap guy and here I’m still a two-gap, but it’s more of an attack two-gap. Attack the guy in front of me and beat him across his face and shed blocks faster.”

 

McLendon has been working with the first team throughout training camp and is expected to be a key contributor on one of the top defensive lines in football.

>    http://www.newyorkjets.com/news/article-7/Leaner-McLendon-in-Attack-Mode/cd5ec92b-56b0-48ac-be8a-4b0097a7984b

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kelly

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As the Jets get close to training camp, I am going to examine the roster and give you my top 25 players. Each weekday, we will reveal another person on the list, leading right into camp. I am not including rookies on this list because I do not feel it is possible to fully evaluate them before they play a game.

No. 17: Steve McLendon

Last year’s ranking: 22

Position: Nose tackle

Age: 31

How acquired: Signed a three-year, $10.5 million contract as a free agent with the Jets on March 21, 2016.

Years left on contract: 2

2017 Salary Cap figure: $3.9 million

Looking back at 2016: McLendon had the unenviable task of replacing Damon “Snacks” Harrison in the middle of the Jets’ defensive line last year. Overall, McLendon did well. He was strong against the run and even showed some pass rushing skills at times. Was he as good as Harrison? No. But no one in the league is.

McLendon played in 11 games and started 10. He had 3 ½ sacks and forced one fumble.Pro Football Focus ranked him 64th out of 127 interior linemen they graded. He ranked 45th against the run.He made an immediate impact, with two sacks in Week 1 against the Bengals. McLendon was much quicker than I had anticipated. Most games, he played 35-50 snaps, but those dipped in other games. The Jets coaching staff had a tough time figuring out how to deploy all of their defensive linemen.

McLendon’s strength against the run was apparent when he was not in there. He spent the final five weeks of the season sidelined with a hamstring injury. The Jets had a few of their worst performances against the run with McLendon out. San Francisco ran for 248 yards on the Jets in Week 14 with McLendon watching from the sideline.

Outlook for 2017: McLendon is one of the last “old” guys standing. He is one of four Jets over 30 left on the roster. He is no lock to make the team because of the way the Jets are trending young and his $2.8 million salary is not guaranteed. The Jets also liked what they saw from Deon Simon at the end of last season and signed Mike Pennel at the position this offseason.

That being said, McLendon could be valuable for the Jets as a leader, something they are lacking after the roster purge. He also showed he can play last year, and Simon and Pennel both have questions about their games.McLendon’s roster spot probably has less to do with him and more with how Simon and Pennel play in training camp and the preseason. If they come on strong, he could be in trouble.

>     http://nypost.com/2017/07/06/why-steve-mclendons-jets-fate-is-out-of-his-hands/

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dbatesman

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15 hours ago, kelly said:

As the Jets get close to training camp, I am going to examine the roster and give you my top 25 players. Each weekday, we will reveal another person on the list, leading right into camp. I am not including rookies on this list because I do not feel it is possible to fully evaluate them before they play a game.

No. 17: Steve McLendon

Last year’s ranking: 22

Position: Nose tackle

Age: 31

How acquired: Signed a three-year, $10.5 million contract as a free agent with the Jets on March 21, 2016.

Years left on contract: 2

2017 Salary Cap figure: $3.9 million

Looking back at 2016: McLendon had the unenviable task of replacing Damon “Snacks” Harrison in the middle of the Jets’ defensive line last year. Overall, McLendon did well. He was strong against the run and even showed some pass rushing skills at times. Was he as good as Harrison? No. But no one in the league is.

McLendon played in 11 games and started 10. He had 3 ½ sacks and forced one fumble.Pro Football Focus ranked him 64th out of 127 interior linemen they graded. He ranked 45th against the run.He made an immediate impact, with two sacks in Week 1 against the Bengals. McLendon was much quicker than I had anticipated. Most games, he played 35-50 snaps, but those dipped in other games. The Jets coaching staff had a tough time figuring out how to deploy all of their defensive linemen.

McLendon’s strength against the run was apparent when he was not in there. He spent the final five weeks of the season sidelined with a hamstring injury. The Jets had a few of their worst performances against the run with McLendon out. San Francisco ran for 248 yards on the Jets in Week 14 with McLendon watching from the sideline.

Outlook for 2017: McLendon is one of the last “old” guys standing. He is one of four Jets over 30 left on the roster. He is no lock to make the team because of the way the Jets are trending young and his $2.8 million salary is not guaranteed. The Jets also liked what they saw from Deon Simon at the end of last season and signed Mike Pennel at the position this offseason.

That being said, McLendon could be valuable for the Jets as a leader, something they are lacking after the roster purge. He also showed he can play last year, and Simon and Pennel both have questions about their games.McLendon’s roster spot probably has less to do with him and more with how Simon and Pennel play in training camp and the preseason. If they come on strong, he could be in trouble.

>     http://nypost.com/2017/07/06/why-steve-mclendons-jets-fate-is-out-of-his-hands/

This is a decent summary. A lot of people here have seemingly decided that Simon is the NT of the future, but the run defense really went to sh*t when McLendon went out.

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kelly

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On Monday afternoon, New York Jets defensive tackle Steve McLendon displayed some leadership, stopping practice and gathering the team at midfield in an effort to get his teammates going.McLendon wasn’t done being a leader on Tuesday afternoon, shooting back at the low outside expectations.“We want to bring a championship here,” McLendon said according to ESPN’s Rich Cimini. “The last time we’ve seen a championship here was ’68. We had those guys in ’68, they put something up that hasn’t been done — and that’s all we’re trying to do.”

Seeing McLendon step into a leadership role is refreshing and quite frankly, much needed for the Jets. Being a veteran, McLendon is a natural fit to lead this bunch despite only having spent a year with New York.Being a leader could also benefit McLendon when it comes to securing his starting spot along the defensive line. McLendon is being challenged heavily by fellow defensive tackle Deon Simon, and it could be McLendon’s leadership ability that puts him over the top.

Either way, him stepping into a leadership role is good for a team that doesn’t seem to have many other veterans on the roster.

>     http://jetswire.usatoday.com/2017/08/10/jets-dt-steve-mclendon-we-want-to-bring-a-championship-here/

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kelly

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50 minutes ago, varjet said:

To me, based on how this team is currently constructed and what the objectives are, having both McClendon and Skrine on the roster seem like luxuries.

I would rather roll the cap space to next year and spend it on a QB  B)

FIXED ^ ^ 

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kelly

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Rich Cimini ESPN Staff Writer 

So the Jets have dropped six of their last eight, their unofficial team MVP (Josh McCown) could be done for the year and now they have to go on the road again to face the Saints. Worried about the team getting demoralized? "No, not at all," Steve McLendon said. "Why would we worry about the team falling apart or anything like that?"

> http://www.espn.com/nfl/team/_/name/nyj/new-york-jets

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