Rams’ Mark Barron racks up 19 tackles from new position

“We feel like he’s got a shot (to return), so we wanted to protect him”, Rams head coach Jeff Fisher said after the club’s workout at Rams Park on Tuesday. Tape review by the coaches credited him with 19 tackles (16 solo), two for loss, as well as two forced fumbles and one quarterback hit.

Barron was an All-State linebacker for the St. Paul’s AHSAA Class 5A championship team in 2007, but he was an All-American safety at Alabama.

“I’m just playing football”, Barron said, via FOXSports.com.

Cedric Williams, a lifelong St. Louisan and proud UMSL alum, has been a full-time reporter/photographer covering St. Louis area sports for almost two decades. The Rams used Barron in a variety of defensive roles – three-safety sets, weakside linebacker in certain schemes, specialty blitzer – but in spot duty, not as a regular. The team’s leading tackler despite missing the last two games with a broken fibula, Ogletree will remain inactive for the next six weeks and then return to practice two weeks before being eligible to return for the Week 15 contest at Seattle on December 27. “That’s easy to me”. “I know he’s hungry to get back in it. I’m just trying to fill the hole wherever I can and do my job”. And as long as I know my responsibility, I can do that.

“I was a little more dialed in this week and there was a lot more attention to detail”, Hayes said. The Rams used their bye week to get Barron up to speed on his new duties, and he responded with an all-over-the-field performance on Sunday. “I don’t want to be that guy who’s the drop-off”.

“Unfortunately, it had to come with somebody being injured”, Barron said. He knows a lot of football and really triggers.

Defensive end William Hayes had two of the biggest plays in a 24-6 victory over Cleveland on Sunday with two sack/strips of Josh McCown.

“I’m up there closer to the line pretty much every play”, Barron said.

All 37 of Barron’s games with the Buccaneers were starts.

“I think that’s a great spot for Mark”, Jenkins said.

With the game plan in place, the Rams started preparing for Sunday’s noon game against the San Francisco 49ers on Tuesday in Earth City.

Though he’s only 215 pounds, Barron considers himself a hybrid.

“We’re a little banged up there”, Fisher said.