- Joined
- Jul 31, 2010
- Messages
- 8,874
Rams' Tim Barnes hoping to parlay experience into starting center job
By Nick Wagoner
http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-ra...to-parlay-experience-into-starting-center-job
EARTH CITY, Mo. -- After the St. Louis Rams declined to extend a restricted free agent offer sheet to center Tim Barnes in March, Barnes got his second taste of what it's like to go searching for an NFL home.
The first had come back in 2011, when Barnes went undrafted out of Missouri. Given a chance to take control of his football fate, Barnes sought the place that provided him the greatest opportunity to stick on a roster. He eventually landed in Baltimore, where he spent training camp before the Rams took a shot on him.
This time around, the situation was similar but the stakes much higher. Barnes has been on the Rams active roster for the past three seasons, playing 45 games and even starting four in 2013. Although he previously offered valuable depth, Barnes hadn't done enough to stake a claim to a starting spot.
But after Barnes looked around for potential options, including a visit with the Kansas City Chiefs, he came to the conclusion that the place that offered him his best chance to stick around was the same place that's offered him all of his previous NFL playing experience.
"I have been a backup for a few years now, and I know I'm getting older and it’s time," Barnes said. "It could be do or die, you never know. So this was a great opportunity, and that was our goal to find a place to give me an opportunity to start and play."
Indeed, the center position represents a vast land of opportunity for Barnes, Barrett Jones and Demetrius Rhaney. That trio is competing for the job vacated by the March release of veteran Scott Wells.
Although Barnes only has four NFL starts to his name, he's the only one of the three to have any starting experience in the NFL. Taking it further, of the offensive linemen currently on the roster, only guard Rodger Saffold has been with the team longer or appeared in more games than Barnes. It's that experience that Barnes hopes will help give him a leg up in the competition for the job.
"This is going to be my fifth year here," Barnes said. "So only a few other guys have been here longer, or as long. So you’re familiar with the coaches and whenever young guys come in, I am more comfortable giving them advice and more comfortable taking on that role of trying to be a leader and trying to get everyone going. Whatever it is, it's one of those things as you get older you get accustomed to."
It's a role that Barnes has taken to, even with the knowledge that sharing his wisdom with his competitors could help them steal the starting job he covets.
"The great thing about the competition and playing there is if someone asks a question and I give them the right answer, it means I know what I'm doing," Barnes said. "That helps me. Maybe they asked a question I didn't think about but if I can figure it out, it helps us both. That makes us better as a team. The great thing about having competition is whoever wins the job, I know I'm doing my part to try to make the team better. So if I were to start, great, if someone else did, I know I pushed him and the team is going to be better for it."
By Nick Wagoner
http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-ra...to-parlay-experience-into-starting-center-job
EARTH CITY, Mo. -- After the St. Louis Rams declined to extend a restricted free agent offer sheet to center Tim Barnes in March, Barnes got his second taste of what it's like to go searching for an NFL home.
The first had come back in 2011, when Barnes went undrafted out of Missouri. Given a chance to take control of his football fate, Barnes sought the place that provided him the greatest opportunity to stick on a roster. He eventually landed in Baltimore, where he spent training camp before the Rams took a shot on him.
This time around, the situation was similar but the stakes much higher. Barnes has been on the Rams active roster for the past three seasons, playing 45 games and even starting four in 2013. Although he previously offered valuable depth, Barnes hadn't done enough to stake a claim to a starting spot.
But after Barnes looked around for potential options, including a visit with the Kansas City Chiefs, he came to the conclusion that the place that offered him his best chance to stick around was the same place that's offered him all of his previous NFL playing experience.
"I have been a backup for a few years now, and I know I'm getting older and it’s time," Barnes said. "It could be do or die, you never know. So this was a great opportunity, and that was our goal to find a place to give me an opportunity to start and play."
Indeed, the center position represents a vast land of opportunity for Barnes, Barrett Jones and Demetrius Rhaney. That trio is competing for the job vacated by the March release of veteran Scott Wells.
Although Barnes only has four NFL starts to his name, he's the only one of the three to have any starting experience in the NFL. Taking it further, of the offensive linemen currently on the roster, only guard Rodger Saffold has been with the team longer or appeared in more games than Barnes. It's that experience that Barnes hopes will help give him a leg up in the competition for the job.
"This is going to be my fifth year here," Barnes said. "So only a few other guys have been here longer, or as long. So you’re familiar with the coaches and whenever young guys come in, I am more comfortable giving them advice and more comfortable taking on that role of trying to be a leader and trying to get everyone going. Whatever it is, it's one of those things as you get older you get accustomed to."
It's a role that Barnes has taken to, even with the knowledge that sharing his wisdom with his competitors could help them steal the starting job he covets.
"The great thing about the competition and playing there is if someone asks a question and I give them the right answer, it means I know what I'm doing," Barnes said. "That helps me. Maybe they asked a question I didn't think about but if I can figure it out, it helps us both. That makes us better as a team. The great thing about having competition is whoever wins the job, I know I'm doing my part to try to make the team better. So if I were to start, great, if someone else did, I know I pushed him and the team is going to be better for it."
