When this happened , it was a sure sign that this was inevitable...

Dan Klecko is a fullback no more. At Monday's OTA, Klecko was moved back to defensive tackle, which is where he will now play.

Klecko was signed by the Eagles in March to play fullback on a full-time basis for the first time in his career. However, when the Eagles acquired Klecko's former teammate in Indianapolis, Luke Lawton, on Friday for a conditional draft pick, Klecko went back to a more familiar post.

Obviously the Eagles saw that Klecko, even without pads, was not moving well enough to actually play fullback full time. Good news for Klecko is that the 4th(and likely final) DT spot is basically wide open. Patterson, Bunkley, and Laws are all locks but any number of guys could win that final DT slot and Klecko will have as good a shot as any.

I suppose if he did make the team, there's a chance he could still play a goal line FB role like Nick Cole did last year.

Bob Grotz in the Delco Times talked about Lawton's versatility.

Lawton can play running back and H-back as well as special teams. He also can long-snap and even return kickoffs, having clocked a 4.52 in the 40-yard dash at 240 pounds a few years ago at his pro day, according to his recollection.

The ability to long snap is interesting. As nice a guy Dorenbos is, I've said several times how I think he's basically a wasted roster spot because he does nothin

g outside of long snapping. At least back when we had Mike Bartrum he was a pretty good red zone TE. I'd love it if a guy like Lawton who might be able to make some sort of contribution elsewhere could win the long snapping job.

The conclusion most of us came to when the this trade came down was that the Eagles must not be overly impressed with Dan Klecko as a FB. It seems he may have gotten the same impression.

Maybe that was why Klecko didn't seem particularly eager to discuss the matter with reporters yesterday.

"He's a good player . . . works real hard, good guy in the locker room," Klecko, a former Temple star as a d-lineman, said of Lawton

Klecko was asked whether adding Lawton would make the fullback situation a bit crowded.

"I don't know. You'll have to ask coach [Andy] Reid," he said.

Klecko repeated the same answer when asked whether anyone had expressed dissatisfaction with the fullbacks.

The other guy vying for the FB spot, Jason Davis, didn't seem all that upset.

"You got to get yourself an opportunity if somebody goes down, or if something doesn't work out, you have a backup plan," he said. "It ain't no slap in the face to myself or Klecko or Jedediah (Collins). Another guy coming, we're going to teach him the offense and get him ready, and we're all gonna compete."

I'm not sure what the "conditional" draft pick trade for Lawton was, but my guess is that if he doesn't make the team that it's possible no picks change hands.

Didn't see this one coming...

INDIANAPOLIS -- Colts reserve running back Luke Lawton was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles for a conditional 2009 draft choice.

Lawton played in 11 games last season at running back and special teams. He had five rushes for 13 yards and four receptions for 29 yards, including a one-yard scoring reception against Jacksonville on Dec. 2 for his lone career touchdown.

Lawton spent part of the 2006 season on the Colts' practice squad. He played for the New York Jets in 2005.

Lawton is a big back, at 6-0 240 lbs and hails from McNeese State... which means the Eagles have to be the only team in the NFL with 2 players from McNeese State.

The Eagles trading for another fullback seems like a pretty clear signal that the Dan Kleck experiment hasn't worked..

For now, the Eagles are saying that Lawton is here to compete with Klecko and Davis for the full back job. Between former Colts and McNeese State players, Lawton has several friends on the team.

"This isn't my first rodeo relocating and having to start all over with a new group of guys," Lawton said. "It's going be really good to have Rocky there and Bryan Smith and even Dan Klecko, we were teammates last year, too. Those guys are definitely going to help in the process."

The best part? If he does make the team, fans can convert the old "DUUUUCE" cheer to "LUUUUKE"

Oh and just a small part of me thought of Luke Walton when I read this headline... I don't know why.

Thanks to Shake and Bake for tip