So the great debate continues to divide Ramdom — how good is Barksdale?

he’s good enough. the problems were elsewhere. i’ve said it before why i think the rams should re-sign him.

that way the rams can move onto finding a guard and a center. and also hope that robinson can begin to fulfill his potential at left tackle.

Agamemnon wrote:

<span class=”d4pbbc-font-color” style=”color: blue”>The Rams could sign Barksdale to any reasonable high end contract, even up to, ~5 million/yr with 8-10 million guaranteed. They just have to manage the contract this year to fit under a cap number of ~3 million. Whether Barksdale has another offer or not, this indicates that there is a point the Rams will not go past and that it isn’t good enough to get Barksdale signed. Maybe he figures that later on some team will be more desperate for a tackle?.</span>

<span class=”d4pbbc-font-color” style=”color: blue”>The Rams will be committed to running the ball. (They signed Kendricks to a 4yr/18million contract.) Even with Barksdale back this will take more than drafting a starting guard in the 2cd or 3rd round. Cause they could always sign Blalock and not draft any offensive linemen, if that was the answer. imo</span>

<span class=”d4pbbc-font-color” style=”color: blue”>It would take an extraordinary player, Cooper is the only one that fits that, for them to not pick Scherff or Collins at 10. I see Scherff and Collins on par with every other player that might fall. The rest of the candidates are merely trade bait. imo</span>

<span class=”d4pbbc-font-color” style=”color: blue”>I know other posters have different opinions. This is how I see it.</span>

It’s weird when an offensive lineman’s play degrades (without playing through an injury). I hope they sign him. It’s not like the Rams are overflowing with offensive lineman depth.

zn wrote:

wv wrote:

you can judge an OT
without regard to the Guard next to him.

I don’t do the “guard next to him” argument. It was the entire line.

Ok, but i dunno. I’m just not sure how much the rest
of the line affects a Tackle. Just seemed like he was
getting physically beat too much. But I’m not sure.

Again though — if he’s a good solid Tackle,
why aint they signed him?

w
v

I think he is probably somewhere in the top 20 or so right tackles in the league. Maybe top 25 but he does know our scheme coaches and players. Good enough to not be a hindrance if the rest of the law line is solid.

I’d give him 4 million a year if I was a billionaire and had that much pocket change and Space.

Agamemnon wrote:

The Rams could sign Barksdale to any reasonable high end contract, even up to, ~5 million/yr with 8-10 million guaranteed. They just have to manage the contract this year to fit under a cap number of ~3 million. Whether Barksdale has another offer or not, this indicates that there is a point the Rams will not go past and that it isn’t good enough to get Barksdale signed. Maybe he figures that later on some team will be more desperate for a tackle?.

The Rams will be committed to running the ball. (They signed Kendricks to a 4yr/18million contract.) Even with Barksdale back this will take more than drafting a starting guard in the 2cd or 3rd round. Cause they could always sign Blalock and not draft any offensive linemen, if that was the answer. imo

It would take an extraordinary player, Cooper is the only one that fits that, for them to not pick Scherff or Collins at 10. I see Scherff and Collins on par with every other player that might fall. The rest of the candidates are merely trade bait. imo

I know other posters have different opinions. This is how I see it.

if it came down to scherff or collins at the #10 spot i prefer collins. although i also have to say i prefer that they trade down and draft erving. shoot i even like erving at #10.

Joe Barksdale, Right Tackle. Starter?
http://www.turfshowtimes.com/2013/10/17/4816122/st-louis-rams-joe-barksdale-jaguars-texans-jj-watt
By Eric Nagel

@Eric_nagel on Oct 17, 2013, 10:00a 58

The Rams haven’t had much luck when it comes to developing offensive lineman. It’s becoming evident, however, that they may have finally succeeded.
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Trouble with the offensive line has been a common problem for the Rams. For the past few years, they’ve brought in player after player trying to open up holes and keep the quarterback upright. With the exception of Rodger Saffold-whose career appears to be a perennial rehab project- not one of Rams starters was drafted by the team.

It’s become a honored tradition to speculate on which big name the Rams will bring in during the offseason. This outsourcing of the offensive line isn’t anything new – Harvey Dahl is a remnant of Billy Devaney’s tenure, after all. For Jeff Fisher’s Rams, Scott Wells joined two years ago and Jake Long not far behind him. One fact that is swept under the rug by this constant splurge? The Rams are seemingly incapable of developing offensive lineman.

This is changing with the emergence of Joe Barksdale.

John Breitenbach from Pro Football Focus highlighted Barksdale in his recap of the Jaguars game , saying, “With Rodger Saffold sidelined with injury, Barksdale has seized his opportunity and graded positively in every game. There’s been a steady improvement in his grades since Week 1 and his performance against the Jaguars was probably his best to date.”

It’s one thing to talk about his play, another to watch it. Here’s one play Breitenbach highlights specifically:

Barksdale’s job is to get out to the second level and keep that hole open for Zac Stacy (also, you’ll notice Jared Cook ‘blocking’ – at this point I’d rather have Alex Barron):

It works, and Stacy blasts through for six yards, nearly double the Rams season average.

It’s more or less of the same throughout the match-up. Barksdale game isn’t flawless; he has issues with speed and finesse moves. He needs to improve his footwork so he can keep up with those speedsters, but he’s become much more comfortable than he was a month ago.

Against J.J. Watt and the Texans, his improvement is even more telling. Watt is the best defensive player in the league, and Barksdale held him to only a 55% success rate in influencing the play- when single teamed, no less. The Rams also did an excellent job of scheming out Watt, using Harvey Dahl and Barksdale to effectively neutralize him – according to PFF Metrics, he posted his first negative graded game ever – quite a feat by the right side of the offensive line.

Examining Barksdale’s future at right tackle
1/7/2014

http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/4912/examining-barksdales-future-at-right-tackle

ST. LOUIS — Of the many questions awaiting the St. Louis Rams along their offensive line heading into the offseason, one player they know will be back in the mix is offensive tackle Joe Barksdale. What remains to be seen is how the team views his role long term.

Barksdale was an important cog to the offensive line in 2013, initially stepping in for injured starter Rodger Saffold at right tackle in Week 2 against Atlanta. From there, he made the most of his opportunity, playing well enough in Saffold’s absence to mostly keep the job even after Saffold returned to the mix.

Claimed on waivers from Oakland in 2012 on the recommendation of special teams coach John Fassel, who had worked with Barksdale with the Raiders, Barksdale has been yet another in an increasingly large group of line coach Paul Boudreau specials.

With Saffold set to become an unrestricted free agent and Barksdale playing well and under contract, it made plenty of sense for the Rams to take a long look at Barksdale to determine his long-term viability. Barksdale started 13 games, and though he split time with Saffold in a few before Saffold moved to guard, he was clearly the team’s primary right tackle in playing 794 offensive snaps on the season.

Was that enough to ensure Barksdale a starting job moving into 2014?

“I don’t know,” Barksdale said. “That’s all speculation. All I know is I’ll come back with the same work ethic I’ve had the last three years, done the best I can every day and try to become the best player I can to help the team out.”

The 6-foot-5, 326-pound Barksdale seemed to fit the mold of what the Rams are looking for at tackle. Although he’s not the most athletic or strongest tackle you’ll find, Barksdale competed well and was mostly a net positive in 2013. For what it’s worth, Pro Football Focus gave Barksdale an overall grade of 12.2 for the season, with an 11.9 in pass protection. Barksdale earned a negative grade just three times.

Considering that Saffold and guard Shelley Smith are headed for unrestricted free agency, left tackle Jake Long has a long road back from a torn ACL and MCL, and center Scott Wells and guard Harvey Dahl are potential cap casualties, the presence of Barksdale is made even more important.

It’s entirely possible the Rams could be facing up to 80 percent turnover on the line for opening day 2014. Teams often talk about the importance of continuity, especially on the offensive line which also plays in Barksdale’s favor.

On the other side of the coin, the Rams are armed with a pair of first-round draft picks at Nos. 2 and 13 and would be well served to draft a top tackle. Whether it’s Texas A&M’s Jake Matthews, Auburn’s Greg Robinson or some other top tackle, a player capable of stepping in and playing right away and eventually being Long’s replacement at left tackle would make sense with an early pick.

Of the many possibilities and permutations the Rams’ offensive line could take on in 2014, at least they know that Barksdale fits into the picture whether he’s a starter or not.

Tennessee Titans: Will they sign Joe Barksdale later?

by Joe Soriano 1w ago

http://nflspinzone.com/2015/04/10/tennessee-titans-will-they-sign-joe-barksdale-later/?utm_source=FanSided&utm_medium=Network&utm_campaign=Around%20the%20Network

The Tennessee Titans took an elite offensive tackle prospect in last year’s draft, as they believed Taylor Lewan‘s ability on the field outweighs the concerns against him off of it. Based on a quality rookie season that was clearly better than the other two touted rookie prospects, it looks like they definitely made the right choice, and Lewan was clearly a dominant player in all phases of the game as a college prospect. Some people have criticized Lewan’s rookie year, but I’m confident he has a place in this league.

Lewan is safely locked in as the Titans starting left tackle, and he should earn the “franchise left tackle” label sooner rather than later. However, the Titans have a rather large hole at right tackle, and it’s clear that neither Jamon Meredith nor Byron Stingily are good enough to fill that void. The Titans have to add a starting RT, regardless of whether they draft Marcus Mariota or choose to stick with Zach Mettenberger.
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In fact, the need to have a strong offensive line is more pronounced if Mettenberger is at the helm, since he’s far less mobile, needs time to take the deep shots he’s known for, and doesn’t have as good pocket awareness as the former Ducks superstar.

There aren’t many options out there on the open market, but one quality choice is former St. Louis Rams right tackle Joe Barksdale, who still has some interest from the OL-needy club. It’s weird to see how little interest there is in a player who broke out in 2013 and wasn’t half bad in 2014 either, but maybe NFL teams see something us outsiders don’t.

In any case, Barksdale is the best man available, and that’s why it wasn’t surprising to see the Titans bring him in for a visit this week. This trip, however, didn’t amount to anything, as the St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s Jim Thomas reports that he left Tennessee without an offer with the Rams maintaining their slight level of interest in bringing him back for the 2015 season.

At this stage, Barksdale is looking at a one-year deal despite the fact that he’s 27 and plays an in-demand position, and it’s because teams evidently don’t trust him after his emergence in 2013 in which he was a no-name-to-starter story as Rodger Saffold‘s injury replacement.

Barksdale struggled last season in pass protection, allowing seven sacks and more pressures than any other player on the Rams, according to Pro Football Focus. Some quietly positive run blocking on an offensive line that didn’t generate much push in the ground game didn’t save him, as it’s hard to ignore the fact that just three offensive tackles (Ja’Wuan James, Matt Kalil, and fellow free agent Byron Bell…not exactly good company) allowed more pressure than him last season.
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In a “what have you done for me lately” league, Barksdale did a whole lot of nothing in his most recent season, and that completely undid all of the work he did in 2013, which might be seen as a fluky season by some. Of course, it’s important to note that his teammates on the Rams offensive line didn’t exactly fare out so well either, and a bad offensive line has a way of making the bright spots look worse than they really are.

The Tennessee Titans have two very good building blocks up front in Lewan and guard Chance Warmack, and both were among the top prospects in the 2013 and 2014 draft classes. There’s always hope left guard Andy Levitre finds his Buffalo Bills form, because he’s been a question mark ever since signing a big contract with the Titans that initially looked like a good bit of business by the front office (I never saw this slump from Levitre coming).

That said, the Titans line is a below-average unit as a whole, and they desperately need some sort of an upgrade at right tackle. Even though Barksdale was torched last season, he’d still be a huge improvement over Stingily or Meredith, especially when it comes to their impact in the running game (Bishop Sankey could use some help in his second season).

After drafting a top tackle in last year’s draft, the Titans could look to take another OT this year after the No. 2 overall pick, but it’s so hard to feel safe with any tackle, much less one drafted after the first round.

I mean, elite prospects like Luke Joeckel, Eric Fisher, and Jake Matthews have failed to meet expectations to this very early point in their careers, which means that if the Titans are looking to find an immediately solid tackle, then they most likely won’t find that player in the draft.

If the Titans decide to sign Barksdale as a cheap, experienced option on a one-year contract, then it would almost certainly be after the draft. Teams rarely sign future starters this close to the draft, and the Titans would probably like to see what happens in the draft before making a decision on adding a veteran capable of starting.

I don’t anticipate the Titans nabbing a better tackle in the draft, so don’t be surprised if Barksdale circles back to Tennessee, since I’m also not sure he ends up back in St. Louis.
Next: How good was Delanie Walker last year?

It is like Barksdale was on his way to being a good tackle, then, puff! He is only filler?

zn wrote:

You know my theory right. He played fine until in 2014 when the entire OL fell apart in one day (Chiefs game). He was the only healthy competent vet on a line with Robinson, an injured Saffold, an injured Wells, and Joseph. Under those conditions he was much more exposed and went all Miller v. Kearse on us. But I think he is a good solid piece on a line that is at least relatively healthy.

That is my theory too, but it doesn’t seem adequate to explain the magnitude of the change in performance. imo