why Barnes?

wv wrote:

. So, i still
am in a quandary as to how CoachO evaluates centers.

Well except see there’s no such thing as “one way” to play center.

Look at what the Rams, ie. Boudreau’s Rams, value at center. It’s not being able to maul a defender one on one, which unfortunately is about the only criterion many of Barnes critics refer to. He has to have smarts, AND movement skills.

Think of Barnes’s best moments, the ones that stood out and got praised–he got to the second level, eg. in the great blocks he made downfield for Gurley last year.

That means that you trade that off for needing guard help on in-line blocking. And Coach is absolutely right about that—Barnes looked better last year when either he had experienced guards next to him, or Wichman improved across a few games.

It’s an old pattern with Boudreau.

Barnes is the perfect size for a center who needs to get out and move and get to the second level. Wells was signed because of that. Jackson used to say he never played for a center before who got to the second level so quickly.

Here are Boudreau centers over the years…and in terms of their weight, they are all in “if that” territory:

Barnes 6’4 297
Wells 6’2 300
McClure 6’1 286
Romberg 6’3 293
Meester 6’3 300
Mitchell 6’4 300
Ruddy 6’3 295
Wohlabaugh 6’3 296
Glover 6’2 278
Hilgenberg 6’3 250

There’s 3-4 pro bowl years mixed in there btw.

They are never big maulers.

They won’t look good in one on one drills going against a DT. But that’s not as important as their smarts + movement skills.

…

from off the net

—

woofwoofmo

Rams are investing up to $9M in Barnes the next two years. That’s enough to tell me they like what they see.

If Barnes pass protection is so bad, as some claim, explain to me how he is one of the top rated centers in the league in sacks allowed per game. Did you know that Barnes ranked 3rd in the league for starting centers in 2015 for “sacks allowed/penalties incurred” per game. And for all centers in the league with more than 10 career starts he ranks 4th. Not bad. His numbers are better than Mack, Frederick, Mangold among others. Barnes did get a game ball for the Tampa game, as well as the Seattle game. Coaches don’t do that for missing blocks, being passed by etc. those are given because they’re earned. I watched the Seattle game, I was there and didn’t see what the Barnes critics are seeing and obviously the coaches didn’t either. According to JT Rams coaches graded him as their best lineman last season:

JIM THOMAS, 5/11 chat: I know of one internal review that had Barnes rated as the team’s best offensive lineman in 2015. Barnes was a lot better over the second half of last season.

Barnes was a very good signing giving further stability to an up and coming line. Many of us feel he’s a good solid player who made good progress thru his first year as a starter working with a constantly shifting line.

Paul Boudreau is known throughout the league as one of the best O-Line coaches in the game. The players love him and IMO, he’s doing an excellent job developing the talent he’s been given to work with. My belief is the Rams are lucky to have “Boo” as a coach. This line given more time together with a full off-season & training camp has a chance to be a really good unit.