Tree and Barron have Pro Bowl potential

Quote
Florida_Ram
The Tree switch to MLB was called a Failed Experiment by many posters on this board before we even got a decent sample size.

Tree has had some flashes of really good moments and some bad ones. To the defense of those that meant Tree was just too much of an impact at OLB that it made little to no sense to move him inside, I get that. I had that mindset myself.

Anyway after 2 games we don't have enough film/data yet to give a verdict but Tree just might end up being a stud MLB when this season ends.

He's the next man up on defense to get a contract extension and I'm hoping something gets done before the season ends no matter how this experiment inside pans out.

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Since Tree and Barron play in the NFC (with Kuechley and Bowman at MLB/ILB and David at WLB ), I don't know if they will get that kind of recognition. Playing MLB is like QB on offense, you have to make the calls, and at this point he may still be thinking instead of reacting. Once that piece of the puzzle becomes second nature, he will play faster. He certainly has the size to play in the middle. One poster claimed from having met him he didn't have the brains for the switch (which I thought at the time and still do was baseless - because they didn't breakdown the parallels of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by Edward Gibbon with the contemporary geo-political landscape? ). Tree at times made baffling decisions, but he is such a good athlete he could often make up for those kinds of mistakes. He is going to have to learn (or RELEARN, as I think he played both inside and outside at Georgia) instincts/angles playing from inside out and how to better avoid/get off blocks. But he is a blow up hitter and explosive playmaker (his approx. 10 FFs in his first two seasons - 2013 & 2014, were near the top of the league AT ANY POSITION, very rare for a 4-3 LB, much more typical for a DE or pass rushing 3-4 OLB ).

Barron, after he took over for Tree at WLB in the last 2/3 of the season, would have prorated to top 3 tackle numbers in 2015. He should get better with more experience. He isn't just converting from safety at Alabama (and the Bucs in his first few seasons) to LB, he already was the top WLB prospect in the nation as a blue chip prep recruit, and actually the conversion was from LB to S - he is just converting BACK. Darren Woodson and Brian Urlacher were successful collegiate S to pro LB conversions. Barron has great instincts (better than Tree, frankly) and plays fast when allowed to run to the ball. Both are sideline-to-sideline playmakers. While he may not exactly have been Earl Thomas in coverage, he has the ability to be a very good LB in coverage, with the ability to cover TEs and RBs out of the backfield. When operating at full capacity, if Quinn is right, the Rams have the potential to be one of the top front sevens in the NFL. Hopefully the secondary can play well enough so opposing offenses can't exploit them too often and thus negate the front seven advantage.

Yeah, pretty sure Tree is one of the top next targets ticketed from re-signing, they hopefully get that done soon.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/19/2016 06:21AM by Kind of Blue/Gold.