Mark Barron has become one of the best linebackers in the NFL

This topic has 6 replies, 5 voices, and was last updated 7 years, 1 month ago by InvaderRam.

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October 29, 2017 at 3:50 am #76628

Agamemnon
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Mark Barron has become one of the best linebackers in the NFL

By: Tanya Ray Fox | 11 hours ago

Just five years ago, Mark Barron was a rookie safety out of Alabama’s powerhouse defense who’d been taken seventh overall in the draft but was floundering in Tampa Bay. Now, as an inside linebacker on Wade Phillips revamped Rams defense, he’s proving himself worthy of that top ten draft pick.

Back in May, Pro Football Focus already had their eyes on Barron as a leader in defensive stops among all NFL linebackers, as he’d recorded more than all but two linebackers since Week 5 of the 2015 season.

Mark Barron appears likely to stay at LB for the Rams. Since Week 5 of '15, only two LBs have registered more defensive stops. pic.twitter.com/fmpe3KHOaa

— Pro Football Focus (@PFF) May 15, 2017

However with Phillips playing him as a more traditional inside linebacker – he’s actually stepped up as a run stopper in addition to his exceptional abilities in pass coverage. Barron is the league’s second most efficient run-stopping linebacker through Week 7.

The most productive run stopping LBs pic.twitter.com/iyKTDglWTD

— Pro Football Focus (@PFF) October 28, 2017

The crazy part is, he’s still one of the best linebackers in coverage in the NFL as well. He already has two interceptions, his career-best for a season, and the Rams have only played seven games.

Barron’s overall PFF player grade of 83.7 makes him the 7th highest-graded linebacker on the season thus far. After two pretty good seasons on Jeff Fisher’s talented yet underachieving defense, he’s having the best year of his NFL career thus far – and as the defense continues to jell in Phillips’ system, it’s fair to expect that he’ll only continue to get better.

Agamemnon

October 29, 2017 at 7:35 am #76634

InvaderRam
Moderator

well. that’s surprising. i’m guessing ogletree and barron are set at inside linebacker for awhile.

dare i say that combo is better than what he had at denver?

October 29, 2017 at 10:59 am #76638

InvaderRam
Moderator

i’ll be honest. i was thinking they were gonna need to cut him.

i mean i don’t know how accurate pff is, but he’s obviously doing something right. this defense looks better and better each week.

now if only quinn can have a resurgence. i’ve seen that he’s been getting pressure on the qb. maybe he can start converting those pressures into sacks.

i’ve also noted that barron is a solid 225 pounds. also interesting is they had ogletree lose weight from 250 to 235 pounds.

October 29, 2017 at 11:38 am #76640

Herzog
Participant

Maybe Barron was a born linebacker miscast as a safety. I’ve always wanted a great linebacker and was so disappointed they missed out on Wagner.

A lot of interesting things happening. Joyner is absolutely lights out at safety. Johnson can flat out play too.

October 29, 2017 at 12:04 pm #76641

zn
Moderator

Herzog wrote:

A lot of interesting things happening. Joyner is absolutely lights out at safety. Johnson can flat out play too.

I honestly don’t know how Walker and Smart are doing at NT though I assume it’s fine.

They have Donald, Brockers, the ILBs, the safeties, and the corners are just fine.

The only real area crying out for an upgrade is OLB.

The Rams blitz a lot and I don’t think that was the plan going in. The blitzing looks like it’s making up for weak areas at OLB.

Maybe Quinn comes along, as some are suggesting. But that in itself won’t be enough.

Wade adjusted this D on the fly. He began with using the ILBs one way and counting on the OLBs and not knowing what he had in Donald (not really, not hands on knowing).

Now he is using Donald better and better, shifted Brockers to DE, altered how he uses his ILBs (which is way beyond normal for ILBs) and makes up for the OLBs by blitzing.

The week 1 defense and the week 7 defense were different animals.

He did that under fire, in the heat of the season. Some guys can’t fix a defense with a whole off-season to work with.

…

October 29, 2017 at 12:13 pm #76642

wv
Participant

InvaderRam wrote:

i’ll be honest. i was thinking they were gonna need to cut him.

i mean i don’t know how accurate pff is, but he’s obviously doing something right. this defense looks better and better each week.

now if only quinn can have a resurgence. i’ve seen that he’s been getting pressure on the qb. maybe he can start converting those pressures into sacks.

i’ve also noted that barron is a solid 225 pounds. also interesting is they had ogletree lose weight from 250 to 235 pounds.

================

I never liked the idea of getting rid of Barron cause ‘he didnt fit’ the new scheme. I thought Barron was a ‘special’ player, and when ya have one of those, you change the scheme to fit the special-player, and not the other way around.

He can play on my team anyday.

What’s intriguing is this J.Johnson guy. IF he turns out to be a solid player
and Joyner can stay healthy…well…damn. Ca
use they can use draft picks for the BPA…

Gotta make Aaron Donald happy though. The D starts with Aaron Donald. It ends with Aaron Donald. The middle part, i dunno.

w
v

October 29, 2017 at 12:39 pm #76645

InvaderRam
Moderator

wv wrote:

What’s intriguing is this J.Johnson guy. IF he turns out to be a solid player

yeah. jj and kupp were by far my 2 favorite picks from that draft. he’s a lot like joyner in that he can play both safety spots as well as corner. if they can re-sign joyner, that’s a helluva safety combo they have there.

i don’t think they re-sign johnson, so at this point, i still say corner and olb are huge needs. maybe ebukam is one of those guys, but i think it’s still a slight possibility that they have to replace both outside linebackers.

i’ll say this about sonofbum. he quickly recognized the strengths of his players and adapted his system like you said. what a hire!
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