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Barron is sent to the bench
BY BILL COATS
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
Monday, Oct. 05 2009
SAN FRANCISCO — A former first-round draft choice getting the opportunity of
his NFL career this year, Rams tackle Alex Barron appears to floundering rather
than flourishing.
Barron, the 19th overall selection in the 2005 draft, was banished to the
sideline by coach Steve Spagnuolo just before halftime Sunday in the Rams' 35-0
loss to the San Francisco *****. Barron was yanked after failing to line up
properly, prompting an illegal-formation penalty that negated a first-down pass
play and snuffed a promising drive.
John Greco, a third-round draftee in 2008, finished the game at left tackle.
Although offering little elaboration about the move, Spagnuolo cautioned about
drawing any conclusions from it.
"I told the group I have a tremendous amount of confidence in Alex Barron,"
Spagnuolo said. "I just felt that was something we had to do at that particular
point."
The Rams trailed 7-0 at the time. Barron was a spectator during the second
half, when the ***** turned the NFC West contest into a rout.
"It was just a decision made by the coach, and that was that," Barron said.
"You don't want to get pulled, but it happens."
It hadn't happened to Barron in his first four seasons, though. He'd started 62
of 64 games, the vast majority of them at right tackle. After the offseason
release of seven-time Pro Bowler Orlando Pace, Barron took over at the
all-important left tackle spot, on a righthanded quarterback's blind side.
That's where the money is among NFL linemen. In the final season of his
original contract, Barron figured to cash in heavily in 2010 — either by
re-signing with the Rams or in free agency — if he put together a solid
season.
With the Rams 0-4, averaging a moribund six points a game, and Barron benched,
that big payday could be slipping away.
"You can't do much about a guy getting pulled," left guard Jacob Bell said.
"The head coach has his reasons; you never know exactly what he's thinking.
You've just got to work with what you've got."
In Greco, the Rams have a 6-foot-4, 329-pounder who is just getting back into
form after having wrist surgery a month ago. A left tackle at the University of
Toledo, Greco had been working at that position only recently with the Rams.
"I wanted to show that I could play anywhere," he said. "I was kind of getting
ready for it this week (in practice). I got an opportunity to get in there, and
hopefully I did my job."
He did, according to center Jason Brown.
"John did a very good job out there; we're proud of him," Brown said. "We never
like to call each other backup players; we like to say we have solid depth.
Whenever a man goes down, the next guy called to duty has to come in and
perform at a level that'll help us win the game. He did that today."
Even Barron provided a strong review. "Give credit to John Greco. He came in
and did a good job," said Barron, a two-time consensus All-American at Florida
State. "He was out there trying to win a football game."
Greco acknowledged that he was surprised when summoned into the fray. "Yeah,
but I was ready," he said. "That's how it always is. If you're dressed and you
put the pads on, you've got to be ready. So, I didn't skip a beat, just went in
there."
Despite the praise, the bottom line is that the Rams' offense was shut out for
the second time this year — in just four games. No Rams outfit had been blanked
twice in a season since 1942, when the club was based in Cleveland.
"It felt good to get in," Greco said, "but I'm kind of sick about the loss."
Declining to say whether he felt that he deserved to be demoted, Barron
insisted that he wouldn't necessarily bring any extra motivation to practice
this week just to win his job back.
"You've got to be motivated anyway," he explained. "We've got a game Sunday.
We've got to play against a good team. Our focus is toward the Vikings."
BY BILL COATS
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
Monday, Oct. 05 2009
SAN FRANCISCO — A former first-round draft choice getting the opportunity of
his NFL career this year, Rams tackle Alex Barron appears to floundering rather
than flourishing.
Barron, the 19th overall selection in the 2005 draft, was banished to the
sideline by coach Steve Spagnuolo just before halftime Sunday in the Rams' 35-0
loss to the San Francisco *****. Barron was yanked after failing to line up
properly, prompting an illegal-formation penalty that negated a first-down pass
play and snuffed a promising drive.
John Greco, a third-round draftee in 2008, finished the game at left tackle.
Although offering little elaboration about the move, Spagnuolo cautioned about
drawing any conclusions from it.
"I told the group I have a tremendous amount of confidence in Alex Barron,"
Spagnuolo said. "I just felt that was something we had to do at that particular
point."
The Rams trailed 7-0 at the time. Barron was a spectator during the second
half, when the ***** turned the NFC West contest into a rout.
"It was just a decision made by the coach, and that was that," Barron said.
"You don't want to get pulled, but it happens."
It hadn't happened to Barron in his first four seasons, though. He'd started 62
of 64 games, the vast majority of them at right tackle. After the offseason
release of seven-time Pro Bowler Orlando Pace, Barron took over at the
all-important left tackle spot, on a righthanded quarterback's blind side.
That's where the money is among NFL linemen. In the final season of his
original contract, Barron figured to cash in heavily in 2010 — either by
re-signing with the Rams or in free agency — if he put together a solid
season.
With the Rams 0-4, averaging a moribund six points a game, and Barron benched,
that big payday could be slipping away.
"You can't do much about a guy getting pulled," left guard Jacob Bell said.
"The head coach has his reasons; you never know exactly what he's thinking.
You've just got to work with what you've got."
In Greco, the Rams have a 6-foot-4, 329-pounder who is just getting back into
form after having wrist surgery a month ago. A left tackle at the University of
Toledo, Greco had been working at that position only recently with the Rams.
"I wanted to show that I could play anywhere," he said. "I was kind of getting
ready for it this week (in practice). I got an opportunity to get in there, and
hopefully I did my job."
He did, according to center Jason Brown.
"John did a very good job out there; we're proud of him," Brown said. "We never
like to call each other backup players; we like to say we have solid depth.
Whenever a man goes down, the next guy called to duty has to come in and
perform at a level that'll help us win the game. He did that today."
Even Barron provided a strong review. "Give credit to John Greco. He came in
and did a good job," said Barron, a two-time consensus All-American at Florida
State. "He was out there trying to win a football game."
Greco acknowledged that he was surprised when summoned into the fray. "Yeah,
but I was ready," he said. "That's how it always is. If you're dressed and you
put the pads on, you've got to be ready. So, I didn't skip a beat, just went in
there."
Despite the praise, the bottom line is that the Rams' offense was shut out for
the second time this year — in just four games. No Rams outfit had been blanked
twice in a season since 1942, when the club was based in Cleveland.
"It felt good to get in," Greco said, "but I'm kind of sick about the loss."
Declining to say whether he felt that he deserved to be demoted, Barron
insisted that he wouldn't necessarily bring any extra motivation to practice
this week just to win his job back.
"You've got to be motivated anyway," he explained. "We've got a game Sunday.
We've got to play against a good team. Our focus is toward the Vikings."
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