St. Louis Rams Closing Evaluations: What Grades Do the Safeties Receive?

Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports

Mark Barron: While Mark Barron may not have had the most noticeable contribution to the Rams’ defense following his acquisition by the Rams at the trade deadline in Week 9, it’s difficult to argue with the statistics regarding the boost that he provided to the unit. It may not be a coincidence that while the Rams went 2-5 while allowing 25 points per game prior to Barron’s arrival, went a more acceptable 4-5 while allowing 12.8 points per game with him in the fold.

It’s debatable whether Barron fits with the other players being graded in this article, as his snaps  as a traditional safety were limited to the single digits. Instead, Barron was used as a defensive jack-of-all-trades, seeing time as a de facto outside linebacker, where he took away reps from incumbent Jo-Lonn Dunbar and started in Week 16, or covering the slot in the team’s dime (and occasionally nickel) packages, as he did when he started in Week 13.

While Barron had a select few instances where he struggled in coverage (which was his biggest issue during his two-plus seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers), his contributions were positive much more often than not. Barron delivered an intense edge that really meshed well with defensive coordinator Gregg Williams’ style and perhaps was best exhibited when he knocked out Arizona Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer out for the season with a crushing sack in Week 10.

Over his nine games in St. Louis, Barron had 23 tackles and an impressive three sacks. If Barron continues to contribute like he did in 2014, he should get increased snaps and perhaps earn a full-time starting role, as he could earn the spot of Dunbar, who is unlikely to be re-signed.

GRADE: A

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