Rams cut

[Pete Tooley]

And what would make you believe that anyone out there would come in and supplant a guy who had been here for 4 years?

A starting Center just doesn't walk in and learn the system (terminology:line calls;play book, etc) without greatly limiting the offense.

I honestly don't understand what a lot of you are expecting from the position. The most important job of a center is to have the ability to get everyone on the same page. He is universally considered "half a blocker" compared to everyone else on the unit.

You really want to understand how they made the decision..... Don't focus on the individual. Focus on the unit and how it performs as an entity. Go back and look at the results when Barnes played compared to the other two. It's not even close. And wasn't throughout training camp.

I agree with you coach o, but I am biased. I do find it amusing the number of message board experts have counted Tim out from day one. Once again he has proved them wrong, which is what he has done his entire career. Congratulations to Tim.

 

[woofwoofmo]

This just shows how far down the shitter our center position is.

Would like to know what brilliant observations you are basing this statement on? I would 100% disagree with your assessment.

 

[ChrisW]

Because a 3 year veteran 4th round pick who never started a game was cut? We all knew coming into camp even with 2 projected rookies starting that Center was likely to be the weak link on the line.

No because the guy that was in contention for the starting position was cut. If it's that close for all 3 guys, we don't have much talent there.

 

[OldSchool]

I agree with you coach o, but I am biased. I do find it amusing the number of message board experts have counted Tim out from day one. Once again he has proved them wrong, which is what he has done his entire career. Congratulations to Tim.

Proved them his entire career by being a career backup to bad centers? I'll celebrate for him if he is named the starter but I just don't see what he has done in his career to prove anybody wrong other than continuing to stick around.

 

[Limey]

Firstly, credit where it's due: to Coach O for calling this early, to Wagoner for proving that at least one St Lou journo knows what is going on (since he pretty much called it this morning), and to Barnes for making it from an UDFA who was effectively released at the end of last season to the starting C. This also dispels any nonsense about Fisher favouring his draft picks.

I'm in the camp that was incapable of telling the difference between Barnes and Jones at C this preseason, and favoured Jones because I hoped his smarts and his college success meant that he would continue to improve, and would prove to have a higher ceiling. He was pretty much a 3rd year rookie as far as playing time was concerned. Now Barnes has won the job, I'm rooting for him, but he always struck me as being "Just A Guy", so I'm hoping that he won the job because he improved and not because the other guys were worse.

 

[rdlkgliders]

@PressureD41 keep up with the cuts and roster here:
http://www.turfshowtimes.com/2015/9/4/9264159/2015-st-louis-rams-roster-cuts-live-updates

P.S
I am glad to see the Rams F.O making the tough decisions based on overall team improvement and not popular opinion, other than the Marquez kid.

 

[woofwoofmo]

No because the guy that was in contention for the starting position was cut. If it's that close for all 3 guys, we don't have much talent there.

Who says it was really that close? If you're going by everything you read in the media you'd get that impression. If you read what @CoachO says you'd know things were never really that close. Trust me @CoachO knows what he's talking about. A lot of people are making assertions that are simply inaccurate and flat not true.

 

[TheDYVKX]

So Isaiah Battle probably won't make the roster? That sucks. I wanted to develop him, he's extremely talented. Still, we only have up a 2016 5th so it's not like it was a huge deal.

 

[ChrisW]

Who says it was really that close? If you're going by everything you read in the media you'd get that impression. If you read what @CoachO says you'd know things were never really that close. Trust me @CoachO knows what he's talking about. A lot of people are making assertions that are simply inaccurate and flat not true.

If you have a legitimate battle for the starter position and you still haven't named a starter, then it is close. You're brushing some fan's views aside from another that might seem to have more knowledge. And while coach0 is more enlightened than most of us, he still isn't privy to the details of who's winning the battle.

 

[RamFan503]

Maybe this had something to do with it.

 

[DR RAM]

So Isaiah Battle probably won't make the roster? That sucks. I wanted to develop him, he's extremely talented. Still, we only have up a 2016 5th so it's not like it was a huge deal.

I hope we PS him too. I really don't think he will be picked up off of waivers, but he has some God given talent and size. Nobody can take that from him.

 

[hotanez]

A little off topic but any chance the Rams start Reynolds @ rt and sit Hav against the seahags?

 

[Pete Tooley]

Proved them his entire career by being a career backup to bad centers? I'll celebrate for him if he is named the starter but I just don't see what he has done in his career to prove anybody wrong other than continuing to stick around.

As I said I am biased. As for his career I am speaking of his entire career which includes his time at MU. I'd say you better get ready to celebrate for him.

 

[Dodgersrf]

Then about 80% of people drafted are busts.

If that's the rate, then, Yes.
I don't make that much of it. It's just the way it is. Some guys work out, and many don't.

 

[DR RAM]

A little off topic but any chance the Rams start Reynolds @ rt and sit Hav against the seahags?

That's a good, fair question. My 2 cents, no, but if Havenstein gets real abused, I could see Reynolds, possibly relieving him. More likely than not, we will just give him help over there.

 

[Memphis Ram]

View: https://twitter.com/jthom1/status/640301387516104704

 

[DR RAM]

View: https://twitter.com/jthom1/status/640301387516104704

Played too good his last game to PS him. Otherwise, I bet it was real close. Both, he and Hager, always around the ball. Good thing for a linebacker.

 

[BonifayRam]

I sure have no issues with Tim Barnes being our center & have always felt he would be it from the beginning. However I have plenty with Rhaney. Jones being released is a surprise for me. One would think that with two OG's being held out & injured in pre season ......that Rhaney's better than thought performance @ OG won him the spot. That's where the concern may be (injured starting OG's).

OLT Darrell Williams may have brought more to the OL than can be seen from afar. As a UDFA and playing OLT behind Greg Robinson .....might indicate some jitters in this starting OLT position too. If Battle remains on the master roster then having two rookie OLT's behind Robinson says something to me & its far from be positive.

 

[CoachO]

Firstly, credit where it's due: to Coach O for calling this early, to Wagoner for proving that at least one St Lou journo knows what is going on (since he pretty much called it this morning), and to Barnes for making it from an UDFA who was effectively released at the end of last season to the starting C. This also dispels any nonsense about Fisher favouring his draft picks.

I'm in the camp that was incapable of telling the difference between Barnes and Jones at C this preseason, and favoured Jones because I hoped his smarts and his college success meant that he would continue to improve, and would prove to have a higher ceiling. He was pretty much a 3rd year rookie as far as playing time was concerned. Now Barnes has won the job, I'm rooting for him, but he always struck me as being "Just A Guy", so I'm hoping that he won the job because he improved and not because the other guys were worse.

First of all, thank you for the kind words.

Secondly, the thing I think that happens with a lot of people, they tend to look at players and base their opinions on who said player "was". Fans look at Tim Barnes and see the same guy who was forced into starting those four games at the end of 2013. He wasn't ready then. He came to training camp last year and was noticeably bigger, stronger and much more "ready" to be an NFL lineman.

IMO, he epitomizes the term developmental player. Fans tend to use that term in a negative sense. But by definition, it means that player DEVELOPS and continues to improve year in and year out. Tim Barnes has gotten better as an NFL player every year he has been here.

Can the same be said of Barrett Jones? While most of his issues were beyond his control, with the injuries he suffered, he nonetheless just didn't improve. Now, I see Rhaney fitting into the same "developmental" role as Barnes. I will be the first to acknowledge his upside. But he just isn't there yet.

The other thing I want to discuss. When people refer to Barrett Jones, almost universally his intelligence is brought up as being one of the reasons people had as to why they felt Jones should be considered the front runner. I chuckle when I see that, because, indirectly, it infers that Barnes is not intelligent. I can tell you first hand, that couldn't be further than the truth.

Finally, to all those who continue to see this center position as the biggest issue on the offense going into the season..... I think you should will be pleasantly surprised. If you ask me, you might want to turn your attention to the left about two positions. Our future HOF to be LT better figure it out pretty soon that he can't just show up and be successful at his level. All the physical tools in the world don't mean a thing, if you don't know what you're supposed to do from one play to the next.

 

[Dodgersrf]

Williams outplayed Battle, but the guy we just spent a supplemental pick on not making the team would be pretty surprising..

Snead claimed long ago he's willing to redshirt him, so it doesn't sound like they expected much from him this year.