I think Barksdale

[So Ram]

He was serviceable until oppositea premier pass rusher,then, he was beaten like a rented mule. I wanted to re-sign him a couple of months ago, but this whole process has made me sour about him. Who plans a wedding/honeymoon during a business crunch time, AHEAD of time? He is making me not care so much anymore, especially if someone else that's about as good is available.

Yeah -Inquestion his dedication(other interest) to playing in The NFL.He was interviewing players after practice during the season.He was giving a player guitar lessons,mean while losing his battles on Sunday.Just not sure what you would pay him.

 

[Noregar]

At this point I think it best to wait until after the draft to bring in any more FA's. The draft is unpredictable at best so perhaps a talented lineman falls in their laps or perhaps they miss out on a player they are targeting. The Rams should stay true to their board and once the draft is done any gaping holes can then be filled with Free Agents.

The fact remains that Rams only have 9 linemen under contract and they will need at least 15 for the camp roster so they still need to bring in at least 6 more offensive linemen (be it by Draft, FA, Trade, or skullduggery). My first choice would be to see what the draft and undrafted rookie FA crop yields and then fill in the blanks from there. I do not see them starting two rookies but I could easily foresee one rookie starter along the line in 2015.

For many fans it seems the worst case scenario (for the shot term) is that the draft plays out poorly for the offensive line and they do not draft anyone with first-year starter potential. If that is how things play out other positions should benefit and be even stronger.

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

Give Joe a one year deal. Maybe then he will turn it up a notch like he should have done in his contract year.

The one year deal should make both sides happy.

 

[Rmfnlt]

I hope your wrong I want no parts of Barksdale. Also we can find a Rt in 2nd Or 3rd

I don't feel this strongly about Barksdale... but I defininitely don't see him as a permanent solution on the line.

Maybe depth.

 

[Rmfnlt]

He was up and down I'll admit it, but I have to wonder how much of it had to do with inferior play by line mates. With solid players around him maybe he looks better too.

Serious question... what solid players would you envision surrounding him this year?

 

[LACHAMP46]

All good points but I still would rather see 3 top notch rookie combo's_ Flowers-Marpet, D. Smith-Cann, Humphries-Tomlinson, at the LG-RT spots than retread FA's...Any combination of rookies...ANY...

 

[Akrasian]

I want no more than one rookie starting on the OL game 1 - and preferably none. As the season goes on the rookies will get to play if they are any good. As it is I expect a center with little experience.

First choice is Barksdale, since it's harder to find a tackle ready to play at the opening gun. But he has to be willing to sign a contract that makes sense for the team.

 

[jrry32]

He was serviceable until oppositea premier pass rusher,then, he was beaten like a rented mule. I wanted to re-sign him a couple of months ago, but this whole process has made me sour about him. Who plans a wedding/honeymoon during a business crunch time, AHEAD of time? He is making me not care so much anymore, especially if someone else that's about as good is available.

A few issues for me here:
1. Should he not have planned his wedding and honeymoon during the off-season? Isn't that the time to do it?
2. I'm fairly sure he mentioned before that he's been planning this thing for well over a year. I doubt he knew at the time he scheduled it that he wouldn't have his contract situation figured out. And it's not like it's something you can change at the last moment.
3. He was serviceable overall...good when facing normal competition but yes, he did struggle against top pass rushers. That all said, we weren't able to give him much help which you typically try to do against a top tier pass rusher...but our other issues on the OL kind of prevented that.
4. I still want us to re-sign him on a prove it deal so we won't be as desperate heading into the draft.

 

[Loyal]

A few issues for me here:
1. Should he not have planned his wedding and honeymoon during the off-season? Isn't that the time to do it?
2. I'm fairly sure he mentioned before that he's been planning this thing for well over a year. I doubt he knew at the time he scheduled it that he wouldn't have his contract situation figured out. And it's not like it's something you can change at the last moment.
3. He was serviceable overall...good when facing normal competition but yes, he did struggle against top pass rushers. That all said, we weren't able to give him much help which you typically try to do against a top tier pass rusher...but our other issues on the OL kind of prevented that.
4. I still want us to re-sign him on a prove it deal so we won't be as desperate heading into the draft.

bro...Free Agency happens the same time, every year..without fail. It's been happening before he ever met the current Mrs Barksdale, and maybe before Barksdale was born. As for him mentioning it, I don't know if that matters with a hard and fast window when top tier FA are signed, which it seems he wanted to be paid like. As for his play on the field in a couple of those games, maybe he could have used some help..most definately...But decent RT don't often get embarrased like he was..A couple of games, it was like he was helpless....jmo

 

[jrry32]

bro...Free Agency happens the same time, every year..without fail. It's been happening before he ever met the current Mrs Barksdale, and maybe before Barksdale was born. As for him mentioning it, I don't know if that matters with a hard and fast window when top tier FA are signed, which it seems he wanted to be paid like. As for his play on the field in a couple of those games, maybe he could have used some help..most definately...But decent RT don't often get embarrased like he was..A couple of games, it was like he was helpless....jmo

If decent RTs didn't get embarrassed from time to time, the top DEs wouldn't have a ton of sacks.

Free agency may happen every year but that doesn't mean Barksdale was expecting to hit FA. Especially if he was planning the wedding 12 to 18 months ahead of time. It baffles me that people are actually criticizing the guy based on when he chose to get married. If it were during the season, I could understand that. But criticizing him for doing it in the off-season? That's ridiculous.

And to make things even more ridiculous, his wedding was March 14th. The negotiating window started on March 7th with free agency opening on the 10th. So the bold doesn't even make logical sense. If Barksdale were offered like the top FAs during that window, he would have had a new contract agreed to before his wedding.

 

[Loyal]

If decent RTs didn't get embarrassed from time to time, the top DEs wouldn't have a ton of sacks.

Free agency may happen every year but that doesn't mean Barksdale was expecting to hit FA. Especially if he was planning the wedding 12 to 18 months ahead of time. It baffles me that people are actually criticizing the guy based on when he chose to get married. If it were during the season, I could understand that. But criticizing him for doing it in the off-season? That's ridiculous.

And to make things even more ridiculous, his wedding was March 14th. The negotiating window started on March 7th with free agency opening on the 10th. So the bold doesn't even make logical sense. If Barksdale were offered like the top FAs during that window, he would have had a new contract agreed to before his wedding.

So things always go right with plans? Come on man, it's not ridiculous that maybe the biggest year financially that affects everything in his working and personal life, he chose THIS time to do the wedding? THIS is his last decent pay day and he treated it as something not that serious to him, as he could have planned it out so neither event conflicted. Why not get Married on the 7th? Why not get married closer to the draft? When I drove for a living (Tour Bus), my money time was a three month window..It happened that way every year, and so did not plan personbal events during that time. I made 3/4ths of my money during that time...I don't understand ...

 

[jrry32]

So things always go right with plans? Come on man, it's not ridiculous that maybe the biggest year financially that affects everything in his working and personal life, he chose THIS time to do the wedding? THIS is his last decent pay day and he treated it as something not that serious to him, as he could have planned it out so neither event conflicted. Why not get Married on the 7th? Why not get married closer to the draft? When I drove for a living (Tour Bus), my money time was a three month window..It happened that way every year, and so did not plan personbal events during that time. I made 3/4ths of my money during that time...I don't understand ...

And he makes his money during the season. This is the time of year where he doesn't. His wedding didn't affect his contract negotiations. If teams had been hot after him, they wouldn't have let a week or two stand in the way. And they would have been on him before the wedding if he were considered in that top tier.

This is the man's personal life. Unlike some other guys, he's not getting arrested or failing drug tests. He's doing the opposite. He's getting married on his own time. What gives people the right to criticize him for that? I'm sorry that this is going to come off as brash but I think people should butt out. You wouldn't want people digging into and criticizing your personal life. Why do that to someone else?

 

[Dodgersrf]

It doesn't matter where Barksdale is or what he's doing with his time.
He has an agent and his his agents job to get something done.
It's not like we have to bring him in for a visit.

 

[LesBaker]

Serious question... what solid players would you envision surrounding him this year?

Incognito, Barron and St. Clair.

 

[Demand n 1]

That's certainly one way his agent might be looking at it but let me posit this: What if the draft doesn't fall like Snisher (or this is how he wants it to fall) wants and we wind up with Amari Cooper, an OG in the 2nd round and a QB in the third? Now, knowing that we probably didn't get a starting caliber OT in the draft, doesn't his leverage improve dramatically?

Alan Count me on board. I can totally see Cooper, White, Parker WR or Beasley, Ray, Dupree DE (don't tell me they will all be gone and don't tell me we don't need a DE) before we draft a ROT/swing OG.
Bringing Barksdale home is far from the worst idea the front office could come up with. Greatest ROT ever? Serviceable place holder. More likely.
When I was a gifted rookie ROT for the P-field Saukee Indians I was not near as good as the junior placeholder.

 

[Alan]

RamzFanz seeing the history:
If he's willing to roll the dice. Once the draft hits, teams fill those holes and are running out of money so it could go either way. The offers could get smaller post draft.

Snisher won't blink pre-draft I don't think. It sets a bad precedent. I think Barksdale signs somewhere pre-draft so he doesn't end up in a worse position. Bird in the hand.

You're right about that but that's the position that marginal players frequently find themselves in. As you say, could go either way.

As or the precedent thing, I think he might be more worried about continuing the precedent of getting fired as a HC. Which is what might/could happen if he goes into the season without a viable option at RT. I think a lot of the experts are wondering just what the hell the plan is. Me too. I can't wait to see what we go into TC with.

 

[DCH]

I want him back and would give him a 3-4 year deal for reasonable money ($4mm/year). Lined up next to Saffold, with a decent center so the RG doesn't have to cheat inside, and Barksdale is a solid, valuable, dependable player.

 

[lockdnram21]

I want him back and would give him a 3-4 year deal for reasonable money ($4mm/year). Lined up next to Saffold, with a decent center so the RG doesn't have to cheat inside, and Barksdale is a solid, valuable, dependable player.

He's mediocre and no way I give him more than 2 mill and no more then a year deal he's not worth it

 

[LesBaker]

He's mediocre and no way I give him more than 2 mill and no more then a year deal he's not worth it

For 2 million you get bupkis for OL these days.

 

[DCH]

He's mediocre and no way I give him more than 2 mill and no more then a year deal he's not worth it

Can you define "worth it"? I think a guy who has made, I believe, 32 consecutive starts for this team is worth a multi-year deal at $4mm per.