Fans’ jaws dropped when the recently relocated Los Angeles Rams gave Mark Barron a 5 year, $45M contract in March of 2016.

It was rumored at the time that Barron got the contract that was offered to former Ram and current New York Giant Janoris Jenkins. That was never substantiated, but it was known that Barron was not Priority A for the Rams that offseason.

Maybe that affected fans’ perspective, maybe it’s just all the missed tackles… but Rams fans were never enamored with Barron – almost as if he was a consolation prize that no one wanted at the time after losing Jenkins and Rodney McLeod in free agency.

2018 is the first year the Rams can realistically get out from under this contract. But how should they proceed?

Cut Him

Pros: The obvious item here is massive cap savings. The Rams would save $7M this season and free up $9M the following two years by parting ways with Barron. Given the amount of pending free agents the Rams have this offseason, they need every penny that they can get their hands on.

Cons: While Cory Littleton has been an absolute STUD on special teams for John Fassel, there is still some doubt whether he is ready to be a full-time starter. If he’s not, can the Rams afford to spend one of their draft picks on an ILB with so many other holes on the roster?

Restructure Him

Pros: In this scenario, the Rams would keep a hybrid LB/S type that Wade Phillips seems to enjoy moving around in his defense. Between Barron and Alec Ogletree, the Rams have a pair of extremely athletic ILBs – albeit deficient in run defense.

Cons: Simply put, the Rams would lose one (or more) of their pending free agents. Is keeping Barron at a reduced cap number worth losing Lamarcus Joyner? Sammy Watkins? John Sullivan? Where does Barron fit on the totem pole?

Expected Outcome

I think the writing is on the wall for Barron. He’s flourished at times with the Rams, but he’s just too inconsistent to be paid as the #6 ILB in the NFL – especially given the giant extension Ogletree just received. The Rams have a lot of pending free agents that they seem to be placing a priority on. I think Barron will be playing elsewhere next season.

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