Rams top pick Barron ends holdout, signs deal

By John Onan  |   Thursday, August 11, 2005  |  Comments( 0 )

St. Louis Rams
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After a two-week holdout, St. Louis Rams offensive tackle Alex Barron has inked a five-year deal with the team. Because of the holdout and the time it takes to learn blocking schemes, Rams coach Mike Martz said he doesn't expect Barron to be an opening day starter for the Rams when they begin their regular season on September 11th against the San Francisco 49ers.

In recent days, Martz had been highly critical of Barron's agent, Roosevelt Barnes for not getting a deal done so that Alex Barron could get into camp. Towards the end of last season, Martz got into a physical confrontation with the man that Barron is hoping to replace at right tackle, Kyle Turley. Turley missed all of the 2004 season with a back injury, but Martz felt that Turley wasn't really hurt as much as he claimed.

Alex Barron was a standout on the offensive line at Florida State before he was drafted by the St. Louis Rams with the 19th overall selection in the 2005 NFL Draft. He was a finalist for the Outland Trophy in his senior season with the Seminoles. He was also a consensus All-American selection, as he average eight knockdowns per game. Scouts say he has great balance for a man his size, but they also noted that he lacks aggressiveness at times.

He struggled early on in Rams mini-camp, which played a part in Martz decision to move him down on the depth chart. Grant Williams will begin the regular season where he ended 2004, as starting right tackle.
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