Nick Wagoner Talks Mark Barron’s Impact & more Rams Happenings

[RamBill]

Nick Wagoner Talks about Mark Barron’s impact & more Rams happenings with Anthony Stalter.

Listen to Wagoner Talk Barron/Rams

 

[RamBill]

Rams' Barron energized in new position
• By Jim Thomas

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/foot...cle_38d12382-5e15-546c-8ffd-8d00b6650d79.html

Not that opposing teams, or even fans, can’t see it on the field. But it’s interesting that the Rams have given up all pretense of disguising how they’re using Mark Barron these days.

There it is, in black and white on the Rams’ official depth chart: LLB Mark Barron. As in left outside linebacker.

Listed at 6 feet 2 and 213 pounds, Barron is a safety by trade. He’s 20 pounds or so on the light side for the linebacker position. But you would’ve never known it by the way he was flying around hammering people Sunday against the Cleveland Browns.

In Game 2, against Washington, Alec Ogletree gained notice by registering 18 tackles in the Rams’ 24-10 loss. It was the highest tackle total for a Rams player since 2001, when middle linebacker London Fletcher had 21 in a Week 2 victory over San Francisco.

Last Sunday against Cleveland, Barron went one better than Ogletree, the man he’s replacing at linebacker. Barron registered 19 tackles in the Rams’ 24-10 victory over the Browns, according to coaches’ review of game film.

He also was credited with forcing two of Cleveland’s four forced fumbles.

And just like Ogletree, who’s sidelined following ankle/fibula surgery, Barron played every snap on defense against the Browns. He never left the field.

“He’s filled in nicely,” coach Jeff Fisher said. “I think (defensive coordinator) Gregg Williams and his staff have done a good job. We miss Alec, but we’ve adjusted with Mark. We’ve adjusted with Akeem (Ayers). We’re getting good pressure, and Mark’s just gonna continue to get better.”

On Tuesday, the Rams made it official on Ogletree’s status, placing the talented weakside linebacker on the injured reserve/designated return list. The earliest Ogletree can return is the Rams’ Dec. 27 game, at Seattle.

That move just underscored what was clear already — that they are in it for the long haul with Barron at linebacker. In another sign that the team is all-in with Barron at linebacker, the Rams released veteran linebacker Jo-Lonn Dunbar as part of a series of moves Tuesday.

As much as Barron likes playing up in the box, and flourishes in that role, will he be able to hold up there over the course of the next 10 games for the Rams?

“Yeah, he can play more than 16 games around the line of scrimmage,” Fisher said, sounding almost amused by the question. “He’s not always in there (in the box). We’re blitzing him, and he’s playing coverage and things like that.”

Just like an outside linebacker would do.

“But often times, when he’s behind the ball, yes, he holds up,” Fisher continued. “He understands his run responsibilities and his gap fits.”

This isn’t a move that every safety could make. What in Barron’s makeup and skill set allows him to do so?

“I would refer to it as ‘football instincts,’” Fisher said. “They’re special.”

Barron looks so natural at the position, it would seem tempting just to have him add a little weight and make it a permanent position switch. But Fisher said that’s not in the works. Even so, the Rams could be at the cutting edge of a trend in the NFL, which is very much a copycat league.

Just like more teams seem to be switching cornerbacks to free safety, perhaps teams will start switching strong safeties to weakside linebacker, giving up a little size for more quickness at the position.

Actually, as Fisher points out, the Rams already have company in the NFC West in terms of bringing down safeties to play linebacker. The Arizona Cardinals are doing the same with second-year man Deone Bucannon. But Bucannon is used only as a situational linebacker in certain packages, like Barron was doing before the Ogletree injury.

Barron is for all intents and purposes now a full-time linebacker, roaming territory usually inhabited by 230-, 240-, and even 250-pounders. Barron is settling in to his expanded role there and shrugs off the size differential.

“I’m good. That’s easy to me,” Barron said. “It’s just football. You just get to run around and play football.”

In the early going, at least, Barron has shown the ability to be as productive as Ogletree when it comes to chasing down ballcarriers and receivers to make tackles. And like Ogletree, he’s had a glitch or two in coverage.

But whereas Ogletree was athletic and flashy, Barron is more of a collision player, a hammer. Playing every down, he has brought even more snarl to a Rams defense that is looking more and more like the unit Fisher envisioned when he came here in 2012.

“We most definitely had a nice start,” Barron said after the Cleveland game. “Came out and played sound football all day really. That’s what it was. We minimized mistakes.”

And they dominated what had been a productive Cleveland attack, one that entered the game tied for 10th in the league in total offense. Browns quarterback Josh McCown, for example, has been averaging 340 yards and two touchdown passes in his four previous games.

He had 270 yards passing and zero TD passes against the Rams, before getting knocked out of the game because of a shoulder injury. Browns wide receiver Andrew Hawkins was evaluated for a concussion. Tight end Gary Barnidge had a tooth knocked out and needed stitches for a cut lip at halftime.

At its best, this Rams defense pounds people. And Barron is one of the most physical pounders of the group, a group that seemed in control from start to finish Sunday.

“That’s how you want to feel when you go out and play a defensive game,” Barron said. “You always want to feel like you’re dominating, and it’s fun when you’re playing like that.

“If we play the way that we can play, I feel like you can put us up against anybody, and we can get those kind of results.”

 

[CGI_Ram]

Rams' Barron energized in new position
• By Jim Thomas

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/foot...cle_38d12382-5e15-546c-8ffd-8d00b6650d79.html

Not that opposing teams, or even fans, can’t see it on the field. But it’s interesting that the Rams have given up all pretense of disguising how they’re using Mark Barron these days.

There it is, in black and white on the Rams’ official depth chart: LLB Mark Barron. As in left outside linebacker.

Listed at 6 feet 2 and 213 pounds, Barron is a safety by trade. He’s 20 pounds or so on the light side for the linebacker position. But you would’ve never known it by the way he was flying around hammering people Sunday against the Cleveland Browns.

In Game 2, against Washington, Alec Ogletree gained notice by registering 18 tackles in the Rams’ 24-10 loss. It was the highest tackle total for a Rams player since 2001, when middle linebacker London Fletcher had 21 in a Week 2 victory over San Francisco.

Last Sunday against Cleveland, Barron went one better than Ogletree, the man he’s replacing at linebacker. Barron registered 19 tackles in the Rams’ 24-10 victory over the Browns, according to coaches’ review of game film.

He also was credited with forcing two of Cleveland’s four forced fumbles.

And just like Ogletree, who’s sidelined following ankle/fibula surgery, Barron played every snap on defense against the Browns. He never left the field.

“He’s filled in nicely,” coach Jeff Fisher said. “I think (defensive coordinator) Gregg Williams and his staff have done a good job. We miss Alec, but we’ve adjusted with Mark. We’ve adjusted with Akeem (Ayers). We’re getting good pressure, and Mark’s just gonna continue to get better.”

On Tuesday, the Rams made it official on Ogletree’s status, placing the talented weakside linebacker on the injured reserve/designated return list. The earliest Ogletree can return is the Rams’ Dec. 27 game, at Seattle.

That move just underscored what was clear already — that they are in it for the long haul with Barron at linebacker. In another sign that the team is all-in with Barron at linebacker, the Rams released veteran linebacker Jo-Lonn Dunbar as part of a series of moves Tuesday.

As much as Barron likes playing up in the box, and flourishes in that role, will he be able to hold up there over the course of the next 10 games for the Rams?

“Yeah, he can play more than 16 games around the line of scrimmage,” Fisher said, sounding almost amused by the question. “He’s not always in there (in the box). We’re blitzing him, and he’s playing coverage and things like that.”

Just like an outside linebacker would do.

“But often times, when he’s behind the ball, yes, he holds up,” Fisher continued. “He understands his run responsibilities and his gap fits.”

This isn’t a move that every safety could make. What in Barron’s makeup and skill set allows him to do so?

“I would refer to it as ‘football instincts,’” Fisher said. “They’re special.”

Barron looks so natural at the position, it would seem tempting just to have him add a little weight and make it a permanent position switch. But Fisher said that’s not in the works. Even so, the Rams could be at the cutting edge of a trend in the NFL, which is very much a copycat league.

Just like more teams seem to be switching cornerbacks to free safety, perhaps teams will start switching strong safeties to weakside linebacker, giving up a little size for more quickness at the position.

Actually, as Fisher points out, the Rams already have company in the NFC West in terms of bringing down safeties to play linebacker. The Arizona Cardinals are doing the same with second-year man Deone Bucannon. But Bucannon is used only as a situational linebacker in certain packages, like Barron was doing before the Ogletree injury.

Barron is for all intents and purposes now a full-time linebacker, roaming territory usually inhabited by 230-, 240-, and even 250-pounders. Barron is settling in to his expanded role there and shrugs off the size differential.

“I’m good. That’s easy to me,” Barron said. “It’s just football. You just get to run around and play football.”

In the early going, at least, Barron has shown the ability to be as productive as Ogletree when it comes to chasing down ballcarriers and receivers to make tackles. And like Ogletree, he’s had a glitch or two in coverage.

But whereas Ogletree was athletic and flashy, Barron is more of a collision player, a hammer. Playing every down, he has brought even more snarl to a Rams defense that is looking more and more like the unit Fisher envisioned when he came here in 2012.

“We most definitely had a nice start,” Barron said after the Cleveland game. “Came out and played sound football all day really. That’s what it was. We minimized mistakes.”

And they dominated what had been a productive Cleveland attack, one that entered the game tied for 10th in the league in total offense. Browns quarterback Josh McCown, for example, has been averaging 340 yards and two touchdown passes in his four previous games.

He had 270 yards passing and zero TD passes against the Rams, before getting knocked out of the game because of a shoulder injury. Browns wide receiver Andrew Hawkins was evaluated for a concussion. Tight end Gary Barnidge had a tooth knocked out and needed stitches for a cut lip at halftime.

At its best, this Rams defense pounds people. And Barron is one of the most physical pounders of the group, a group that seemed in control from start to finish Sunday.

“That’s how you want to feel when you go out and play a defensive game,” Barron said. “You always want to feel like you’re dominating, and it’s fun when you’re playing like that.

“If we play the way that we can play, I feel like you can put us up against anybody, and we can get those kind of results.”

That was a great read.

 

[Rmfnlt]

OK... I'm not one for tooting my own horn but I'm gonna make an exception here.

I was not that worried when Ogletree went down because I had confidence Barron could fill his place.

So far, so good.

 

[BonifayRam]

Wonder if this Mark Barron position will go to a even bigger thicker strong safety in 2nd yr player Mo Alexander?

Seems like Gregg may have been moving into this direction when he beat the drum to draft the large but green strong safety/Lb'er in the 4th rd in the 2014 draft? Then when Alexander was slow & injured early in 2014 Gregg turned to Mark Barron's trade to get his wishes on the field? Whatever is the truth this defense is working like a fine tuned defense even with all these injuries. Kudos Gregg:bow:.

 

[DaveFan'51]

With Barron in their the "D" isn't missing a beat! He's been a Killer!:boxing: Play-On Boy's!!

 

[Robocop]

thanks for the huge bargain discount on the 1st rounder Tampa!

 

[Loyal]

thanks for the huge bargain discount on the 1st rounder Tampa!

It's amazing that for a 4th and a 6th, we got this guy..Why in the blank did they dump this guy? I don't believe in luck so much, but it seemed in the last decade we got screwed in various draftings/deals (aside from the RG3 Deal).....I am giddy about this teams future!:cheers: