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Does Barron get another contract?

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  • #1

    Does Barron get another contract?

    well the question is do we give him a long term deal,give him the franchise tag or let him walk?


    i know its still early in the season and if you think its too early to tell then just dont vote... but what are your views goin into week 4?
    30
    Sign him long term
    36.67%
    11
    Sign him to the franchise tag
    20.00%
    6
    Let him walk
    43.33%
    13

    The poll is expired.

    Tags: None
  • #2
    Re: Does Barron get another contract?

    I say sign him long term only if the price is right, i wouldn't want to break the bank but if he walked it would only be another hole on the team that needed filling.

    Comment

    • #3
      Re: Does Barron get another contract?

      Technically letting him walk creates another hole. However, you could make a reasonable argument that we have a hole at that position with him. There are saner players to be had at that position.

      Comment

      • #4
        Re: Does Barron get another contract?

        I don't know if I'm ready to answer that question yet.

        My gut tells me that we let him go. Given the premium price paid for middle of the road players at positions like OT, I suspect his asking price will be way too high.

        As long as the team is confident that Smith can handle the LT spot (which I think will be the case), finding a new RT should not be that difficult. There are good RTs in the 3rd-5th round of every draft.

        Comment

        • #5
          Re: Does Barron get another contract?

          Originally posted by AvengerRam View Post
          I don't know if I'm ready to answer that question yet.

          My gut tells me that we let him go. Given the premium price paid for middle of the road players at positions like OT, I suspect his asking price will be way too high.

          As long as the team is confident that Smith can handle the LT spot (which I think will be the case), finding a new RT should not be that difficult. There are good RTs in the 3rd-5th round of every draft.
          damn...i voted sign him long term and now youve changed my mind..i gotta quit drinking Wild Turkey on a thursday...

          he has impressed me this season tho..

          Comment

          • #6
            Re: Does Barron get another contract?

            My answer is that if the team is sold before we have to make a decision, we pay him. Under current ownership, we let him walk. I dont believe that current ownership is going to increase the payroll or make long term big money commitments unless its a slam dunk. I am not even sure we will sign OJ, i suspect we tag him again. Its Mergers and Acquisitions 101, you keep the costs as low as possible when the business is for sale. I also agree that its important to evaluate Smith's progress, but looking at the long run, i dont think we will pay a ton of guaranteed money to Barron just because Smith develops a little slower than we have hoped (if that turns out to be the case)

            A new owner is more likely to overpay to keep him in my view. Given the premium on tackles, if next year is indeed an uncapped year, barron is the kind of guy that is going to hit the jackpot. WHile not an all pro, i personally think he is a lot better than people give him credit for. There are guys that are better than him for sure, but all of them make a TON of money. The demand for the position exceeds the supply. Barron is also healthy and pretty young for the position. He still has plenty of upside. The Rams have a ton of problems. Barron, in my opinion, is not one of them.

            Ramming speed to all

            general counsel

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            • #7
              Re: Does Barron get another contract?

              Let him walk, Smith is the LT of the future and he isn't as good of a RT as he is a left tackle. He has cut down the penalties but he is still in top 5 in the NFC west with 3

              Comment

              • #8
                Re: Does Barron get another contract?

                If he is willing to take a pay cut, then ya sign him to a deal. Outside of that, all he does is attract false starts. Didn't he lead the league in false starts like two years ago?

                Comment

                • #9
                  Re: Does Barron get another contract?

                  Originally posted by Ahmedrams81 View Post
                  If he is willing to take a pay cut, then ya sign him to a deal. Outside of that, all he does is attract false starts. Didn't he lead the league in false starts like two years ago?
                  I am not sure if he did or didn't lead the league but you let a good tackle go for something that happened 2 years ago ? I agree with GC on Barron,doesn't get enough credit,jumps offsides once in awhile and people lose there mind,I think of him like London Flecther,we let him go thinking we could replace him and until this year we had not found that suitable replacement,same could happen with Barron.

                  Comment

                  • #10
                    Re: Does Barron get another contract?

                    Living in South Florida means getting teased by all of my Dolphin friends. But, one point is valid in my opinion. That is the when Alex Barron played at Florida State, he was a very dominant player and made very few mistakes. I know that when he is focused, he's really tough by anyone's measure.

                    Ok, present time. Here we are with another 0-3 start. The Offensive line had shown signs of improvement until the injuries started haunting us. A few changes later, and Steven Jackson is having to fight like crazy to get into a hole. I'm not saying that the line doesn't work hard, but other teams will lesser quality of Running Backs, are putting points on the board. And so should we.

                    I think that perhaps a trade with one of the Florida teams might help Alex and us. I'm just guessing, but I am not 100% sure that he is fully committed. Sorry if I offended anyone, but Mr. Jackson deserves a better front line to help spring him.

                    Lastly, I want to say, that Alex has improved on the false-starts that also seemed to plague us. The Rams have a lot of potential, and are better than their record would indicate. But, something's gotta give here. I'm tired of "Next Year."

                    Let's get goin' Rams !!! Turn it around !!!

                    Best to all

                    Comment

                    • #11
                      Re: Does Barron get another contract?

                      I'm a tweener on that one. On one hand I agree with General that he is better than given credit for, but on the other hand, how much will he ask for?

                      I don't know if he's worth a long term deal, particularly at a LT's price. I'd prefer to give him a short deal (2 or 3 years) at a moderate price, but no doubt he'll decline that and look to cash in big, particularly if he's had a nice season.

                      The other question is whether he'd be willing to return to RT, because there's no doubt we drafted Smith to be the LT and I'm betting the braintrust would like to start that transition no later than next year.

                      If we let him walk, there's certainly no guarantee that we could draft anybody as good as Barron, even if we took a Tackle with our 1st round pick again. And who would be happy with that prospect? Certainly not I.

                      So what do we do?

                      I think we all just hope Alex makes it an easy decision one way or the other.
                      Last edited by Fortuninerhater; -10-01-2009, 07:25 PM.

                      Comment

                      • #12
                        Re: Does Barron get another contract?

                        Originally posted by Fortuninerhater View Post

                        I think we all just hope Alex makes it an easy decision one way or the other.
                        Back to square one? ;)
                        Originally posted by Fortuninerhater View Post
                        If we let him walk, there's certainly no guarantee that we could draft anybody as good as Barron, even if we took a Tackle with our 1st round pick again. And who would be happy with that prospect? Certainly not I.
                        Exactly what I was thinking.
                        If a team won their division seven straight times, that would be a NFL record. Now add on that team did it with seven different QB's in seven straight years,that record is unbeatable. To do that feat, you must of had a great Defense. Jack Youngblood was the captain of that defense.

                        Comment

                        • #13
                          Re: Does Barron get another contract?

                          There is a fourth option that none of you have mentioned yet. If next year is an uncapped year, Barron, with only five years credited to him, will still be a restricted free agent. We can keep him on the cheap for one more year and hold off this discussion for one more year.

                          That said, if the league comes to an agreement on the CBA, then I would say we franchise him and trade him for a relatively cheap price like a high third or low 2nd rounder that we could use on a highly touted RT prospect.
                          I believe!:ram:

                          Comment

                          • #14
                            Re: Does Barron get another contract?

                            He's a decent blocker, I don't know if his penalties are worth the troubles, I mean if we let him go, we have to go after another lineman, our achilles heel.

                            Comment

                            • #15
                              Re: Does Barron get another contract?

                              Originally posted by Fortuninerhater View Post
                              The other question is whether he'd be willing to return to RT, because there's no doubt we drafted Smith to be the LT and I'm betting the braintrust would like to start that transition no later than next year.
                              If he went back, the false starts would go back up, because he has a hearing problem, which was a major contributor to the problem. That leads me to wonder whether they drafted Smith to be his replacement with plans on letting him go anyway.
                              sigpicThis is for Randy! GO BRM!

                              Comment

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                              • AvengerRam_old
                                The Curious Case of Alex Barron
                                by AvengerRam_old
                                How would you sum up Alex Barron's years with the Rams so far?

                                Calling him a "bust" would be a mistake. He has been a full-time starter, fairly durable, and has played well at times.

                                Calling him a "success" would be a mistake as well. He has had way too many false start penalties, and occasional lapses in pass protection.

                                Barron certainly has the physical tools to be an elite NFL OT. In fact, if you were building a prototype LT, he would look something like Barron.

                                The problem lies elsewhere. Call it laziness, lack of heart, lack of motivation, lack of passion... something is missing. My conclusion has always been that Barron has so much physical ability that he's been able to phone it in most of his life. Unfortunately, while that is good enough to get him a first round contract and a starting NFL job, its not enough for him to realize his potential.

                                This is a big year for Barron. Its the final year on his rookie contract, and the Rams have already obtained their LT of the future in Jason Smith. Barron currently has a foothold on the LT spot, though I would not presume that he won't be back on the right side by opening day. Whichever side he plays on, this is a make or break year for Barron financially. If he plays well, and the overall improvment in the Rams' O line translates to big seasons from Steven Jackson and Marc Bulger, he'll be able to name his price next year. That's the kind of demand there is for extablished OTs in this league.

                                Will that light a fire under Barron? I'm not sure.

                                If Barron has a bad year, the Rams will have a simple decision in 2010. Let Barron go (someone else will still probably overpay him), move Smith to LT (if he's not there already) and find a RT either from the existing players (Greco?) or draft one (RTs can be obtained in Rounds 3-4, generally).

                                If he has a good year, the Rams will have a tough choice. I, for one, would be hesitant to give Barron a big contract, for fear that, once paid, he'll revert back to his old nonchalant ways.

                                So what will Barron's legacy with the Rams be? I'm thinking he'll always be a "what might have been" kind of guy.

                                Time will tell.
                                -05-04-2009, 08:25 AM
                              • AvengerRam_old
                                The Alex Barron Situation Has Become More Intriguing
                                by AvengerRam_old
                                At the start of the season, I thought the plan for Alex Barron was pretty clear... play him at LT so that Jason Smith could cut his NFL teeth at the RT spot, let him sign elsewhere at the end of the season, move Smith to LT, and find a new RT in FA or the draft.

                                That still might be the plan, either by design (because Smith clearly is the intended LT of the future) or by necessity (because Barron will seek LT $ in FA). But, given Barron's play lately, I have to wonder if the Rams might need to rethink the plan.

                                Simply stated, right now Barron is doing an above-average job as a starting LT. In fact, he may very well be the #2 LT on the FA market next year, behind San Diego's Marcus McNeil.

                                The question is... how do the Rams get value from the commodity? I don't see the Rams signing Barron to a big contract and keeping Smith at RT. I also don't see Barron taking RT money and switching sides once again.

                                The real issue will be the state of the FA system in 2010. If it continues as currently structured, the Rams could make a francise player offer and then try to trade Barron. Would there be any takers? Not sure. Despite Barron's improved play, I'm not sure there are too many teams who would part with a high draft cholce for the privilege of paying Barron LT $ on a long-term contract.

                                I don't have the answer here. Thoughts?
                                -11-03-2009, 07:52 AM
                              • AvengerRam_old
                                The one person who holds the key to the Rams' draft...
                                by AvengerRam_old
                                It's not who you might expect.

                                The person who holds the key to who the Rams will draft with the #2 pick is...

                                Alex Barron.

                                Not that he has any vote, but rather, those who do will likely make their decision, in large part, based upon their opinion of Barron.

                                If they see Alex Barron as a long-term starter (i.e. someone who would be a priority to re-sign when his contract runs out) at LT, then taking J.Smith or Monroe in Round 1 to play RT would make little sense. They'd be better off finding a RT in Round 2 or 3.

                                I doubt that is how they view him.

                                If they see Barron as a mere stop-gap who they'll milk for one year at RT and, absent a major improvement, will let go at the end of his rookie contract, then it would make no sense NOT to take J.Smith or Monroe in Round 1. In fact, under those circumstances, they might even think of taking another OT later in the draft for the future.

                                Again, I don't think their view is that extreme.

                                The Rams almost certainly view Barron as a player who falls between these extremes. The question is... where in the spectrum do they see him? I think that, more than any other issue, will impact their choice at pick #2.

                                In my opinion, Barron is a serviceable starting NFL RT. If you could reduce his false start penalties, you might even call him above average at that position. He could also probably fill the role of LT for a year without being a significant liability.

                                That said, I think it is unlikely he'll be a Ram after his rookie deal ends. Its a Catch-22. If he plays well, he'll demand elite OT money - but won't deserve it. If he does not play wel, he'll have to be replaced.

                                Thus, the bottom line is... the Rams need to find a long-term LT solution. In my opinion, you pretty much have to do that in the first round (unless you are very lucky to find a gem later in the draft). Consequently, the Rams will have to either take an OT this year, or try to buy a year with a Barron and a later pick, leaving OT as a likely target for the first round of the 2010 draft.

                                At this point, I'm thinking it will be Barron and Monroe in 2009, and Monroe and someone else in 2010.
                                -03-24-2009, 07:42 AM
                              • eldfan
                                Re-evaluating Alex Barron
                                by eldfan
                                Re-evaluating Alex Barron
                                by VanRam on Feb 10, 2009 6:56 AM CST in 2009 Off-Season (SI)

                                Rejuvenated with a straight six hours of sleep, no small accomplishment for a new father, I'm going to start the morning with a little devil's advocate. No, not that horrible movie with Al Pacinio (remember when he did movies for more than just a paycheck?), but with a question about a Rams player without much standing 'round these parts. So let's ask, does Alex Barron deserve yet another chance?

                                All the o-line talk lately has focused on the Rams potentially cutting future Hall of Famer Orlando Pace. What goes unsaid in those conversations is parting ways with Pace means Alex Barron is definitely part of the Rams plans for 2009, and possibly beyond, even if they do draft an OT with the second overall pick in the draft. Let's look at the pros and cons.

                                Pros & Excuses

                                Barron has been healthy, the one Rams lineman who hasn't been forced to the sidelines for any amount of time in the last three years because of injury. That's no small feat given the context. Barron's also decent in run blocking and adequate in pass protection. No Pro Bowler, but a starting level OT.

                                Being healthy in the midst of the line's injury epidemic forced Barron to move back and forth between the left and right OT spots, doubtlessly confusing a young man suffering from a lack of coaching to begin with. Lack of coaching? Sure, think about it. Barron's rookie season was 2005, a year of turmoil at Rams Parks, where attention to on-field matters was minimal. After that came the overwhelmed Scott Linehan, unable to instill a winning mentality in his players and soon beset by veterans openly questioning him. Those conditions aren't particularly conducive to developing the latent talent in a young player.

                                Cons

                                Barron never met a false start he didn't like. I'm not a player, but it still seems strange that a guy just can't get the snap count figured out after four seasons. Sure, Barron was much better this season, losing the team penalty crown to Richie Incognito. Nevertheless, he still had 9 penalties (11 when you count the ones declined), 7 false starts. How much damn coaching does it take?

                                Bad teams pay a price for hanging on to unrealized potential, waiting for a player's talent to manifest itself while it never does. And the Rams are certainly in that territory with Barron. However, Barron is relatively cheap and you can argue that his shortcomings don't outweigh the benefit of him being a competent everyday starter.

                                Ideally, the team would have someone to push him, a competitor threatening to take his livelihood. That could be John Greco, but he seem more suited to the middle of the line. And if Pace's salary and age have put a target on his back, that most certainly means Barron's going nowhere. The Rams limited resources combined with lots of...
                                -02-10-2009, 06:22 PM
                              • Richbert88
                                Barron
                                by Richbert88
                                He was on the block, we know that. I am wondering how close we came. Seems like the pickup of Trautwein could have been in anticipation of Barron being gone.

                                Regardless, good developmental OT for the future, a future that Barron most likely won't be in.
                                -10-20-2009, 09:33 PM
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