(Oct. 2009 article) Barron will keep his starting job with Rams

[ZeroClub]

link

Tuesday, Oct. 06, 2009

Barron will keep his starting job with Rams
Spagnuolo looks ahead to Vikings

BY STEVE KORTE - News-Democrat

ST. LOUIS -- Left tackle Alex Barron, benched during the St. Louis Rams' 35-0 loss to the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, probably will keep his starting job, coach Steve Spagnuolo said on Monday.

"I would anticipate that,'' Spagnuolo said of Barron being back with the starting unit when the team practices on Wednesday. "What happened on Sunday is not where we are going with this team. By that, I mean somebody makes a mistake, you are pulled out of the game. That's not the issue. It's something that felt like we needed to do. My reasons will remain with me.

"I still believe in Alex Barron. We're going to need Alex Barron to win games.''

Barron was replaced by John Greco after he was called for an illegal formation penalty for lining up too far off the line of scrimmage late in the second quarter.

The play negated a 19-yard pass reception by Danny Amendola.

Spagnuolo said he meet with Barron on Monday, and he also spoke to the team on the subject.

"It'll remain between Alex and I,'' Spagnuolo said of his conversation with Barron. "I had my reasons for what I did. They have been expressed to team as well as Alex. Just like I told Alex, it's over, it's done. We move on. We start Wednesday, and it's a clean slate and we worry about Minnesota.''

As he has after all four games this season, Spagnuolo talked about looking forward.

Yet, Spagnuolo also had to admit that players need to be held responsible for bone-headed plays.

"Yeah, but you don't want to hurt your football team either,'' Spagnuolo said. "There's all different ways to do it, and in that particular instance, I thought that was the way to do it.''

The Rams (0-4) were plagued by penalties and turnovers in the lopsided loss to the 49ers.

The Rams had 10 penalties for 73 yards against the 49ers. They've drawn 32 flags this season, making them the most penalized team in the NFL.

The Rams' first penalty against the 49ers came on the opening kickoff.

Smith was called for holding, causing a 92-yard return by Danny Amendola to be brought back from the San Francisco 3 to the St. Louis 32.

"Certainly, the first penalty on the kickoff return hurt us a lot,'' Spagnuolo said. "Nobody goes out there wanting to hold or wanting to get a penalty, but we can't do that anymore.''

Spagnuolo said the Rams' three turnovers were more destructive than the penalties.

All three of the turnovers directly resulted in touchdowns.

"The bottom line is you can't turn the ball over and not get any turnovers,'' Spagnuolo said. "It's hard to win the game when you do that, especially when the turnovers led directly to points.''

The 49ers' first touchdown came when a punt bounced off the leg of blocker Quincy Butler and went into the end zone.

Butler tried to pick up the ball and run out of the end zone, but he lost control.

49ers linebacker Scott McKillop fell on the ball for a touchdown.

Had Butler simply fallen on the ball, it would have been considered a touchback -- not a safety -- because it was inadvertent contact.

Asked if Butler knew that it was touchback, Spagnuolo said, "Even after, he knew. 'Coach, I should have just fell on the ball.' At the time, he realized what the issue was. He got hit with the punt, and he knew when it was bouncing around there that he had to do something. His choice was to try to pick it up. He realizes that he probably just should have fell on it.''

The 49ers also got touchdowns on a 23-yard interception return by Patrick Willis and a 11-yard fumble return by Ray McDonald.

Rams quarterback Kyle Boller threw across his body to intended receiver Keenan Burton on the interception.

"I'm not so sure I have to tell Kyle anything,'' Spagnuolo said of the interception. "He knows exactly. He has been in the league long enough. I'm sure he knows.''

Boller completed 13 of 24 passes for 108 yards in his first start since the 2007 season as a member of the Baltimore Ravens. He had a quarterback rating of 48.6.

Spagnuolo said he never considered putting rookie quarterback Keith Null in the game.

 

[Four]

bad trade, I don't think houck is a motivator of men, he is a great coach provided his players want to play.

Barron is a lazy freakish athlete, just like so many other dudes in the league.

Honestly, if this was the plan, we should have drafted Campbell.

 

[Bob Sacamano]

bad trade, I don't think houck is a motivator of men, he is a great coach provided his players want to play.

Barron is a lazy freakish athlete, just like so many other dudes in the league.

Honestly, if this was the plan, we should have drafted Campbell.

It's gonna be tough to teach him both how to be a pro and how to play OT in the NFL. At least we only have to work on one or the other with Barron.

 

[jobberone]

Barron only has to be the swing tackle this year. In the event of an injury to either tackle he should be able to more than adequately start which is perfect for his role.

 

[theogt]

bad trade, I don't think houck is a motivator of men, he is a great coach provided his players want to play.

Barron is a lazy freakish athlete, just like so many other dudes in the league.

Honestly, if this was the plan, we should have drafted Campbell.

It's a bad trade if it prevents us from getting someone better. If it doesn't and it means we get a legit backup tackle for Bobby Carpenter, then obviously it's a fine trade.

 

[ZeroClub]

Actually, I'm just struck by how much it must have sucked to play for such a bad team. It was basically hopeless.

at Seattle Seahawks L 0–28
at Washington Commanders L 7–9
Green Bay Packers L 17–36
at San Francisco 49ers L 0–35
Minnesota Vikings L 10–38
at Jacksonville Jaguars L 20–23 OT
Indianapolis Colts L 6–42
at Detroit Lions W 17–10
Bye
New Orleans Saints L 23–28
Arizona Cardinals L 13–21
Seattle Seahawks L 17–27
at Chicago Bears L 9–17
at Tennessee Titans L 7–47
Houston Texans L 13–16
at Arizona Cardinals L 10–31
San Francisco 49ers L 6–28

I'm not suggesting that Barron will suddenly become a solid player just because he's leaving a bad situation. I would expect him to feel grateful for the new opportunity, though. It'll be interesting to hear what he says to the newspapers over the next few days.

And Bobby Carpenter ... he ought to be able to appeal this trade on humanitarian grounds.

 

[Four]

It's a bad trade if it prevents us from getting someone better. If it doesn't and it means we get a legit backup tackle for Bobby Carpenter, then obviously it's a fine trade.

bobby was probably our best coverage LB, and he was unarguably a beast on special teams.

Barron won't produce. I feel like we could have resigned bobby for CHEAP and he provided us ridiculous depth at LB and is a great special teams player.

Now, all this is moot, privuded Lee is at least as good as bobby on special teams, which history would suggest that he will be.

But in terms of value, we are getting screwed. Unless Barron turns it around, which obviously I don't have much faith in.

 

[Deep_South]

Good trade. We get a starter to use as a backup and the Rams get a backup (OK, a non-starter) to use as a starter. Good move for OL depth.

 

[Joe_Fan]

bad trade, I don't think houck is a motivator of men, he is a great coach provided his players want to play.

Barron is a lazy freakish athlete, just like so many other dudes in the league.

Honestly, if this was the plan, we should have drafted Campbell.

Yeah, such a horrible trade. We got rid of a waste of a roster space for someone who provides depth at the very least in an area of need.

 

[Bob Sacamano]

bobby was probably our best coverage LB, and he was unarguably a beast on special teams.

Barron won't produce. I feel like we could have resigned bobby for CHEAP and he provided us ridiculous depth at LB and is a great special teams player.

Now, all this is moot, privuded Lee is at least as good as bobby on special teams, which history would suggest that he will be.

But in terms of value, we are getting screwed. Unless Barron turns it around, which obviously I don't have much faith in.

You gotta be realistic though. He's not a Wade Phillips' player and we drafted 3 ILBs in the last 2 years. And all 3 have coverage/nickel capabilities. Although Hodge looks about done. Still, a 3rd and 2nd round pick the last 2 years have been spent on the ILB position.

They also add special teams help, and not to mention we have Curtis Johnson for that too.

 

[AtlCB]

bobby was probably our best coverage LB, and he was unarguably a beast on special teams.

Barron won't produce. I feel like we could have resigned bobby for CHEAP and he provided us ridiculous depth at LB and is a great special teams player.

Now, all this is moot, privuded Lee is at least as good as bobby on special teams, which history would suggest that he will be.

But in terms of value, we are getting screwed. Unless Barron turns it around, which obviously I don't have much faith in.

You have to be joking. Alex Barron isn't that bad (he's a marginal starter), and he provides good depth at both tackle positions. We get him in a trade for a LB who probably would not have made the team this season.

 

[Four]

Yeah, such a horrible trade. We got rid of a waste of a roster space for someone who provides depth at the very least in an area of need.

umm in case you didn't notice, linebacker is an injury away from being a position of need.

Bobby could play any LB spot, I really feel like Lee will be able to do that too, and better than Carp.

But, outside of Lee, I have ZERO confidence in our backup LBs, they are completely unproven "hope they are goods".

Our line is in better shape actually, Bigg could play LT better than I think Barron could, that fat kid is a good back up guard and watching film on Brewster, I think he can play. Never mind that Young was a 4 year starter at Notredame under Weiss, I have zero doubts he could play RT right now if he had to.

Our line depth is overblown, we have two proven middle LBs on the roster(and they are both old, one is REALLY old), and no one behind them that has proven anything. We have ware, and spencer on the outside, and no clue who is going to end up their backups.

LB is a need. The line is in better shape.

 

[theogt]

bobby was probably our best coverage LB, and he was unarguably a beast on special teams.

Barron won't produce. I feel like we could have resigned bobby for CHEAP and he provided us ridiculous depth at LB and is a great special teams player.

Now, all this is moot, privuded Lee is at least as good as bobby on special teams, which history would suggest that he will be.

But in terms of value, we are getting screwed. Unless Barron turns it around, which obviously I don't have much faith in.

Carpenter was going to get cut, so he wouldn't have provided anything. Depth at tackle was extremely scary.

 

[67CowboysFan]

Actually, I'm just struck by how much it must have sucked to play for such a bad team. It was basically hopeless.

at Seattle Seahawks L 0–28
at Washington Commanders L 7–9
Green Bay Packers L 17–36
at San Francisco 49ers L 0–35
Minnesota Vikings L 10–38
at Jacksonville Jaguars L 20–23 OT
Indianapolis Colts L 6–42
at Detroit Lions W 17–10
Bye
New Orleans Saints L 23–28
Arizona Cardinals L 13–21
Seattle Seahawks L 17–27
at Chicago Bears L 9–17
at Tennessee Titans L 7–47
Houston Texans L 13–16
at Arizona Cardinals L 10–31
San Francisco 49ers L 6–28

I'm not suggesting that Barron will suddenly become a solid player just because he's leaving a bad situation. I would expect him to feel grateful for the new opportunity, though. It'll be interesting to hear what he says to the newspapers over the next few days.

And Bobby Carpenter ... he ought to be able to appeal this trade on humanitarian grounds.

It should at least motivate him to train and play lights out.

 

[Joe_Fan]

LB is a need. The line is in better shape.

Our OL is in better shape than our LBs?

Wow, I'm sorry but you're wrong on that.

Bobbeh was going to be cut anyways. That was pretty much determined the minute that Lee was drafted.

To get depth at OL, which in case you didn't watch the playoff game against the Vikings, was the reason we were knocked out of the playoffs. Not because of our LBs.

The fact that we got a backup swing tackle for a player we were going to cut makes it a darn good trade.

 

[Bob Sacamano]

Carpenter was going to get cut, so he wouldn't have provided anything. Depth at tackle was extremely scary.

Even if he wasn't going to get cut this year. He obviously isn't in the future plans. While we can kind of redshirt Barron this year (God willing Free doesn't go down due to a debilitating injury or just really sucks) and we could extend him after the season.

Might as well get something for Carp than just letting him walk at the end of the season, and get nothing.

 

[mldardy]

bobby was probably our best coverage LB, and he was unarguably a beast on special teams.

Barron won't produce. I feel like we could have resigned bobby for CHEAP and he provided us ridiculous depth at LB and is a great special teams player.

Now, all this is moot, privuded Lee is at least as good as bobby on special teams, which history would suggest that he will be.

But in terms of value, we are getting screwed. Unless Barron turns it around, which obviously I don't have much faith in.

What in the hell are you talking about. Bobby was not the best at anything. Complaining about trading away a backup LB who did next to nothing since he has been in the NFL for a starting offensive lineman with some flaws who will be used as a backup is about the best you are going to get. We will not miss Carpenter at all.

 

[Four]

You gotta be realistic though. He's not a Wade Phillips' player and we drafted 3 ILBs in the last 2 years. And all 3 have coverage/nickel capabilities. Although Hodge looks about done. Still, a 3rd and 2nd round pick the last 2 years have been spent on the ILB position.

They also add special teams help, and not to mention we have Curtis Johnson for that too.

bobby was a proven player, he was good in coverage and great on special teams.

I don't agree with trading a proven player for a player that needs to turn a corner.

I get that bobby sucks to most, and was a first rounder a lot of people are bitter about, but I think his contribution to the team will be much more than Barrons. Now, if Barron turns it around, we raped the Rams. But, realistically, nothing points in that direction.

P.s. I want to punch you in the face.

 

[Four]

What in the hell are you talking about. Bobby was not the best at anything. Complaining about trading away a backup LB who did next to nothing since he has been in the NFL for a starting offensive lineman with some flaws who will be used as a backup is about the best you are going to get. We will not miss Carpenter at all.

bobby is a really good coverage linebacker, watch the film.

 

[Bob Sacamano]

bobby was a proven player, he was good in coverage and great on special teams.

I don't agree with trading a proven player for a player that needs to turn a corner.

I get that bobby sucks to most, and was a first rounder a lot of people are bitter about, but I think his contribution to the team will be much more than Barrons. Now, if Barron turns it around, we raped the Rams. But, realistically, nothing points in that direction.

I'm not arguing that Carp isn't proven. Just saying there's no room for him, and that there was an opportunity to get something for him to help shore up the depth on the OL. As opposed to just letting him walk next year and getting nothing in return.

P.s. I want to punch you in the face.

Why? So I can look ugly just like you? It'll only be temporary though i.e. Pyrrhic victory.