Flanagan:McCluster could be Andy Reid’s secret weapon
 

McCluster could be Andy Reid’s secret weapon

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – If anyone in the Chiefs’ offense should be excited about the arrival of new coach Andy Reid, it would be Dexter McCluster.

The diminutive McCluster (5 feet 8, 170 pounds) was drafted in 2010 as a multi-purpose weapon, which he was that season with the Chiefs with Todd Haley as coach and Charlie Weis as offensive coordinator.

As a rookie, McCluster caught 21 passes for 209 yards, returned 13 punts (including a 94-yarder for a touchdown), returned 26 kickoffs for 527 yards and rushed 18 times for 71 yards (six of those rushes went for first downs).

And with Weis gone in 2011 but his system still in place, McCluster caught 46 passes for 328 yards and ran 114 times for 516 yards, along with his punt and kickoff return duties.

But that versatility screeched to a halt under new coach Romeo Crennel and new offensive coordinator Brain Daboll in 2012. McCluster was virtually eliminated from the return game, rushed only 12 times all season, and was used almost exclusively as a slot receiver.

Reid already has vowed he will use McCluster much like Weis did – in a variety of roles.

"He’s a unique talent because he can do a few different things for you, whether it’s special teams as a returner, or whether it’s offense as a receiver or a running back," Reid said. "You saw what Charlie [Weis] did with him the one year where he kind of mixed him in the different positions offensively and he can handle that. He’s a sharp kid. Obviously he’s a talented kid."

Reid wouldn’t take the bait when asked why anyone would reduce McCluster’s role as much as the Chiefs did last year.

"He was banged up just a bit and he played through it," Reid said, stone-faced. "I think that story’s been told. He was really put in one position as a slot receiver. I think his value – and it’s a tribute to him – is that you can move him into different spots where you can utilize his talents the best.

"I know he’s a tough kid and I know he’s a hard worker. So we’ll try to put him in positions where we can exploit what he does best or what we feel he does best."

Reid, in fact, liked McCluster so much that he wanted to make him an Eagle in 2010.

"You know what, I was interested in drafting him, it just didn’t fall that way," Reid said. "But I did have some interest. I liked him as a football player."

McCluster said he wasn’t aware the Eagles were ready to draft him. The Eagles were one spot behind the Chiefs when Kansas City took McCluster with the 36th overall pick. The Eagles wound up with safety Nate Allen at No. 37.

"I had no idea," McCluster said. "It’s nice to know. But I didn’t visit them or anything."

But McCluster is ready to get acquainted with the Reid offense.

"I have not gone back and watched any film from Coach Reid," McCluster said. "But as a person that watches football, I’ve seen the success his offense has brought. He knows offense."

Reid already has told McCluster changes are coming in how he will be used.

"I know he said he wants to use me in multiple places," McCluster said. "That’s the type of player I am and the type of player I’ve always been.

"Now I’ll have the opportunity to showcase my talents and what I do best."

And if McCluster were suddenly anointed the offensive coordinator, how would he utilize his talents?

"Oh, man, I don’t know," he said, laughing. "My best role is to keep the defense on their toes. Move me around. Keep them guessing."

First things first: McCluster and the Chiefs will have to rid themselves of any recollection of 2012 and the 2-14 record.

"Honestly, me personally, I erased it from my memory the minute the season was over," he said. "Yes, it’s definitely a new beginning. There are a lot of people that look like they’re ready to go.

"I feel like it’s going to be a good change."

It certainly should be for McCluster.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________

Reid has big plans for McCluster
By ADAM TEICHER
The Kansas City Star
Andy Reid wanted to draft Dexter McCluster in 2010, when Reid coached the Philadelphia Eagles and McCluster was coming out of college at Mississippi.

The Chiefs got to McCluster instead, taking him with a pick early in the second round. But it’s no coincidence that one of Reid’s favorite topics since joining the Chiefs in January as their new coach is McCluster and what he can do for the Chiefs on offense as a receiver and a runner and on special teams.

“He’s not the biggest guy in the world, but he’s got a heart of a lion,” Reid said. “He’s got that … tremendous quickness and can catch. He’s pretty good at running the football, so there is a place for him. You line him up everywhere. You can move him around and kind of do some unique things with him.

“I like McCluster. I think he’s a good football player and he has a role on this football team. I’ve got some things in mind for him.”

This wouldn’t be the first time that the Chiefs had big plans for McCluster. But he has only infrequently lived up to them.

His signature play from his three seasons with the Chiefs came in his first regular-season game when he returned a punt for a touchdown to spark a victory over San Diego. Otherwise, McCluster has 119 catches, 657 rushing yards and four touchdowns, but few big plays of the game-changing variety.

Reid and offensive coordinator Doug Pederson may not be able to get anything more from McCluster, though it sounds as if they will try.

“I was interested in drafting him,” Reid said. “It just didn’t fall that way. But I did have some interest. I liked him as a football player. He’s a unique talent because he can do a couple, three different things for you whether it’s special teams as a returner or whether it’s offense as a receiver or a running back.

“His value … is that you can move him into different spots where you can utilize his talents the best. You saw what Charlie (Weis) did with him the one year when he kind of mixed him in the different positions offensively. He can handle it. He’s a sharp kid. Obviously he’s a talented kid.”

For his part, McCluster thought the Eagles might draft him in 2010. He said that at the time he had never met Reid and didn’t visit the Eagles in Philadelphia before the draft but “there were rumors circulating that he had some interest in me.”

Reid will be McCluster’s third head coach and Pederson his fourth offensive coordinator. While the others generally kept McCluster at a certain position for an entire season — he lined up mostly as a receiver in 2010 and 2012 and a running back in 2011 — the Chiefs don’t plan a specific role for McCluster.

That suits him well.

“Keeping the defense on their toes,” McCluster said. “Move me around, make a headache for the defense. He said he wants to use me in multiple places. That’s the type of player I am and that’s the type of player I’ve been. Now I have the opportunity to showcase what I can really do.”

McCluster said he’s as frustrated as anyone that he hasn’t delivered more big plays. He played in all 16 games the past two seasons and was the Chiefs’ second-leading rusher in 2011 and their second-leading pass receiver last season.

But he said a better test of what he was capable of would come this season.

“I would just say opportunity,” McCluster said when asked why he hasn’t been the player the Chiefs, and apparently Reid, envisioned when he was drafted. “Opportunity has been limited. I’m not a guy that’s always complaining how I want the ball and I need the ball. The chips are going to fall into place. I’ve been saying this for a couple of years now: When it’s my time, it’s going to be my time. That’s my mind-set. I’m going to go out there and I’m going to grind. The world will know when Dexter McCluster is out there.”

We done f***ed.

Smallfoot

Eh. He'll probably have 1000+ all purpose yards easily. Good enough for me.
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I predict this thread to have no fewer than 12 pages.

See what another slap dick quarterback can do with him.

Whether you like McCluster or not, the best use of him is to move him around. Turn him into a guy who can motion into different spots on the field. From there, if you're sending him out as a receiver, you HAVE to open up the underneath routes and that doesn't happen if teams are crowding the line.

When you get him in space, they've got to coach him to stop dancing and spinning around. His best move is his ability to change direction on a dime and once he has a lane he can accelerate very quickly. But let's face it, while he's a tough kid, he falls down with the flick of a pinky.

I think he's a better player than his critics make him to be, but he's not a secret weapon others suggest he is. He's a guy who when used right can give your team a few interesting looks and get you a few home runs here and there.

Ya I like this take on him good post.

He is a good football player / Andy Reid

ThAt brain daboll ruined it all

It would absolutely kill some posters if McCluster had a 1000+ yards, and 8 TDs from all over the field.

then the midgets

I don't think he is a "secret" weapon, teams key on him and watch him pretty close.

Oh jesus

Kill me now

A rare breed of receiver that can tackle himself and force his own turnovers.

I can't remember any other non-QB in Chiefs history that coaches have tried so hard to force to be good. Moving him around, coming up with all-new "packages". All for a guy whose ceiling is around 800 yards in a season.

Ya dun goofed

i back traced you

im calling the cyber poh-lice

ROFL ROFL ROFL ROFL

There have been times when they've forced the ball into his hands. I think Reid has it right that Weis' approach is the right one and it's not because they're trying to create new looks to force the ball into McCluster's hands, it's because the value of McCluster is that you have ability to use the same personnel to line up into different formations. That means you can line up with five receivers, but still have ability to motion into a running play.

When you're on defense, you have no idea where McCluster is going to line up on the field and you probably don't know until the ball is snapped. That's probably why they keep using the word "secret weapon." I think it's misleading because he hasn't proven to be a weapon yet, but I don't think Reid's talking about turning him into a gimmick.

I really like him as a slot receiver, I really do. He was always pretty effective running the ball, though.

CONSEQUENCES WILL NEVER BE THE SAME!!!!!!!

The rumors were that Reid was gonna take DM with the pick after we took him. It doesn't surprise me he likes him.

McCluster is the 300 pounder that everyone says has a cute face.

This x 100,000,000

teh soft bitch

I didn't want McCluster but i'm not the hater many around here are


McCluster can serve a role and be productive but he will always be limited by his inability to make people miss. Imo he best chance as being an impact guy is as a slot receiver. Use his quickness to get him open and then get him the ball behind the front 7 of the defense.

This, but in terms of making people miss, he needs coaching. He can absolutely make people miss, but he too often gets cute in how he tries to do it. He needs to be coached to be a smarter runner, which he is not today. He'll never be the kind of runner Jamaal Charles is, but you can see a big difference in how two players attack a defense.

he's a decent multi-player .. use him .....

Andy Reid says he wanted to draft him? I guess he's on the trading block then.

I can't tell.


Still waiting

The beauty of this is when used in Reid's offense he can be Brian Westbrook on the upside and Correll Buckhalter on the downside.

There have been a few times where we saw him use a quick twitch move to juke out a defender. I don't like the garbage spin move or that he gets tackled by a pinky. But he has a tremendous acceleration and ability to change direction (which can also be seen in his outstanding 3-cone combine performance).

The problem is that he doesn't have the vision to avoid contact, and he spins and dances. I am hoping that Reid and staff fix this problem.

Couldn't agree more.

I guess I never got all the McCluster hate. He's not great, he's not bad. What's with all the venom?

BITCHES LEAVE

http://i.imgur.com/IO1fX.jpg

What's with all the venom about EVERYTHING here?

We haven't won a playoff game in 20 years.

**** the homers.

This.
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Good point.

Guaranteed, we will see McClusters value to a team this year. good or Bad.

If it wasn't for that fluke punt return TD where he had perfect blocking and made one cut, no one would expect anything from that glacial, stone-handed, molasses shifting ****.

McCluster gets venom because he's basically Pioli's third-worst draft pick behind Jackson and Cassel. A waste of #34.

The fact he has a legion of unwarranted fans makes the venom nastier.

The question really is, would you let your daughter date him?

and now our top secret is out of the bag.... way to go Flanagan!

I started off with this opinion of the guy, but somewhere along the way last year i came to be very underwhelmed with him.

Hopefully, Reids high opinion of him pans out, everyone knows that if someone can make him look like a player, its Reid... so there may yet be hope, we'll see.

I like McCluster. Always have. I'm excited to see what Reid has planned for the guy.

McCluster is the NFL's version of Ricky Davis. You put him on a shitty team like the 2002 Cavs and he scores 20 PPG and dumbass fans will say "Hey, he scored 20 PPG," just like dumbass fans crow about McCluster's catches.

The truth is that the idiot took 19 shots a game to get those 20 points and shot 41 percent from the field, just like how all of McCluster's catches came as seven yard dump-offs.

That is how Daboll used him. It was the worst season of his career.

If McCluster was actually quick he'd make people miss.

It was worse, IMO, than his rookie year because he turned the ball over so ****ing much.

When you're literally responsible for five interceptions because of balls going off your hands or poorly run routes, and you don't produce a single TD outside garbage time, that's catastrophic. And throw in the two fumbles.

If McCluster had a horse on the side of his helmet rather than an Arrowhead not one person would see anything of value from him.

If you're going to be that small in the NFL, you had better have blazing speed, especially if you're prone to turning the ball over and injury.

I'd rather see what Devon Wylie can do in Reid's system.

The entire passing game sucked ass.

run,run,pass,punt

the offense was predictable and sloppy

I know he's flawed. I don't like the turnovers, the dancing around, that he's not a downfield threat, or that he hasn't matured as quickly as you'd like.

But it's interesting that you point out how a shitty team pumps up his stock and not how he might improve as the team improves. I don't care about statistics. What I see is that when given space, he's shown flashes of ability that need to become more consistent. But the idea that he doesn't have talent or that all he's flashed is a punt return is just plain wrong.

Every single one of us would be up Knowmo's ass every time that he'd tell us how McClster is a great security blanket for Peyton.

He's too slow and can't break a tackle.

Exactly what do you think Reid's offense is? McCluster could be the key feature on HB screens, slants from the slot, and draws from a 4 WR set.

They'll be used for different purposes. It's like comparing Mike DeVito to Kris Jenkins. In a game of no-huddle and spread, it's valuable to have a guy who can play all across the field. But to do that, he has to mature as a receiver. If he gets better as a receiver and if Reid's system is smarter about finding (not forcing) ways to get him the ball in space, McCluster has a chance to be decent. I think there's a good chance of that happening.

It's not like Reid has been shy about cutting guys he doesn't like. He obviously sees something in the kid and he has pretty good instincts.

Bunch of Black Bobs in this thread.

McCluster is NOT quick. He's very pedestrian (both meanings apply here).

I wish he'd do us all a favor and get raped. That seems to be the only way to rid ourselves of him.

He's not a guy you want taking on defenders nor is he a downfield threat. He is a guy who accelerates extremely fast and has agility that graded as one of the best in the combine.

The idea that he's not fast is ridiculous. I don't think he attacks runs as confidently as you'd like (yet) and he tries to get too cute instead of just relying on quick bursts and cuts. But some of that is also because he isn't given the space or blocking to do that. When teams are crowding the line, that takes away his entire space where he can be used effectively.

I'd rather a guy like with some speed, some actual ability to make people miss, to read blocks, and to break a tackle every now and then, get those touches.

Sure wish we had someone like that on the roster.

He played with a frickin cast on his arm and a shitty cast of qbs. Geesh!
When the only thing you do is run him into the flat and allow a db to pick his tiny ass up and plow him into the ground what do you expect? I think he'll be much improved this year.

Do you feel bloated when you are full of shit?

Yeah, I'd rather just see Jamaal take on those responsibilities.

Oh and being tackled by a pinky.......never saw that. Show me a clip of a pinky tackle on McCluster please.

There are a million and a half clips where he outruns defenders on a home run run, between college and the pros. The idea that he is slow is laughable and something haters want to use in their crusade against the guy.

There's a lot of stuff I don't like about McCluster and that could seriously limit how good he ever becomes. Speed and ability to make people miss aren't on that list. Has he used those things as well as he should? Absolutely not.

McCluster's value, if he ever realizes it, is completely different from what Charles and Wylie offer. He is not supposed to a substitute for Charles or Wylie.

this right here ... it's just some stupid shit.

it's letting anger about all sort of shit OTHER than McCluster spill into the DmC discussion.

McCluster was drafted too high, let it go

I prefer all the RB stuff go to Charles instead of DmC but that doesn't mean McCluster can't be productive


If McCluster loses his roster spot i'm ok too though ... i'm not invested in him.

McCluster is filling the Luke Hochever role nicely.

So secret that none of us will ever see it happen.

He has no value. Guys who 1. Don't make plays and 2. Turn the ball over at an absurd rate are worthless.

He's also suffered horrible injuries two of his three seasons in the league. If you think that's going to get better as he gets older, roll another blunt.

Madded 2014
McCluster, Dexter
Catch: 46
Strength: 27
Truck: 7
Spin: 99

Or that could be a HB w/ better hands, speed, agility, and strength: Jamaal Charles.

I watched a shit load of You Tube stuff when McCluster was in wide open spaces with no one near enough to catch him, and he wasn't making anyone miss.

He got lost by defenders because of his stature.

He did nothing special.

And that has played out against the superior talent that he's faced in the NFL.

I don't like the guy but how many turn overs did he actually have?

And I'm not talking about in your mind.
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He caused 7 turnovers.

There is absolutely zero question.

If you actually go back and rewatch the games you'd know this.

PFF credited him with 7 turnovers, too.

lol. Did you count the balls that went off bowe's hands and were ints as caused by Bowe as well?

I could give a **** less about pff too.

Now how many turnovers did he actually have?
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