Rams still talking to Barksdale
By Nate Latsch
http://stl.scout.com/story/1541876-rams-still-talking-to-barksdale?s=124
ST. LOUIS — The Rams still have a hole at right tackle that Joe Barksdale used to occupy and Barksdale is still without a team as one of the top remaining unrestricted free agents this offseason.
When Rams coach Jeff Fisher met with the media on Tuesday for his annual pre-draft press conference, along with general manager Les Snead, he mentioned Barksdale when talking about the team’s remaining needs along the offensive line.
“We are in constant communication with Joe Barksdale,” Fisher said.
The Rams currently have just two starters returning along the offensive line from last season in young left tackle Greg Robinson and versatile veteran Rodger Saffold, who has played every position except center for the Rams during his career and is expected to fill one of the guard spots in 2015.
The prospect of breaking in three new starters on the offensive line next season probably doesn’t help the team’s chances of bouncing back with a winning record and competing for a playoff spot, so Barksdale returning to wear the horns next season could be a big boost for Fisher’s club.
Barksdale started 29 of 32 games over the past two seasons at right tackle, emerging as the starter there after an injury to Saffold early in the 2013 campaign. The former third-round pick of the Oakland Raiders has been with the Rams for the past three years and expressed interest in returning at the end of last season.
The Rams’ conversations with Barksdale this offseason would indicate that the two sides will eventually figure out a way to bring him back for next season.
“We have interest in Joe,” Fisher said. “Things may not have worked out for them from the perspective of what they thought was going to happen, but we have interest in Joe because he played some good football for us.”
Barksdale had made a free agent visit to the Tennessee Titans earlier this offseason, but the Titans recently signed offensive tackle Byron Bell to a free-agent deal. Bell played both left tackle and right tackle during his four years with the Carolina Panthers.
Bell and Barksdale were the top two rated remaining free agents at offensive tackle, according to Scout.com’s free agent rankings.