Has Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ SS Mark Barron Hit the Rookie Wall?

[michael89156]

Has Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ SS Mark Barron Hit the Rookie Wall?

 November 18th, 2012 at 7:29 PM
By Wolf Heard


Strong safety Mark Barron came out on fire early in the season, but lately the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' first first-round selection has been a liability at times on the field.

Barron, who was drafted No. 7 overall by the Bucs in April, has struggled in the passing game as of late. He seems to be out of position way too much and has had trouble covering tight ends, which is something a fast, young player like himself should be able to do.

Barron also hasn't learn a very simple principle that all defensive backs need to do – get your head around when the ball is coming. Last week, Barron got flagged for pass interference after he didn't turn his head toward the ball while knocking down a pass. The flag was picked up so no harm was done.

But he got called for the same thing on Sunday against the Panthers while trying to cover Greg Olsen in the end zone, and this time it cost him. Running back Jonathan Stewart punched it in from 1-yard out to give the Panthers a 14-10 lead after Barron's penalty.

Look, we know Barron is a rookie and we have seen glimpses of the immense talent that he possesses.

But maybe he has hit that so-called "rookie wall" 11 weeks into the season. Barron certainly isn't playing like he was earlier in the year, and the only splash plays he is involved in are the ones he is giving up to opposing players.

Buccaneers 101 thinks Barron will be a fine pro this league for a long time. But we wouldn't be doing our jobs if we didn't point out the fact that he has struggled the past few weeks.

Hopefully, Barron can improve his game because his teammates will need him at his best as they fight for a playoff berth.

[jhop88]

"Hopefully, Barron can improve his game because his teammates will need him at his best as they fight for a playoff berth."

Starting this Sunday!!!

[Ms Elam]

He's due for a big play. Once he gets one, they will come in bunches. I said the same thing about Mike will all last season though......

[KCBuc]

I'm glad someone else stated this. I've noticed him out of position quite a bit over the last two games.

I chalk it up to trying to do too much with so many injuries on D. He'll be fine, he just needs to calm down and stick with his assignments.

[chace1986]

Usually the term "hitting the rookie wall" comes after a rookie has had a pretty good season and then suddenly his production halts.

That isn't the case here.

Barron has been mediocre for more than just the last two games. He hasn't been right since the KC game. He is getting picked on for sure. What really sucks, is that he leads the team in missed tackles. Strength in the running game and open field tackles are areas where he was supposed to excel, but in recent games he has looked like Sean Jones. He has went from average safety, to below-average safety.

Hopefully he starts contributing more than the occasional TFL on a blitz, or the occasional big hit after a big gain by the opposition.

[nitey]

Classic case of thinking too much and trying to do too much. Same thing happened with Mason Foster last year.

I'm not worried about Barron, but I think he'll struggle the rest of the season. Next season, I think he'll put it together.

JMO.

[Detrimental]

Classic case of thinking too much and trying to do too much. Same thing happened with Mason Foster last year.

I'm not worried about Barron, but I think he'll struggle the rest of the season. Next season, I think he'll put it together.

JMO.

I agree. Only difference though, Foster was a third round pick while Barron went top 10. Barron was playing good ball first 3 games or so but ever since his game has regressed. The DB position is a hard one to play at a high level, early, so I don't think we've seen the best of him yet. Earl Thomas wasn't spectacular his first year while Eric Berry was. Now its, Thomas > Berry.

[Feel Real Good]

Classic case of thinking too much and trying to do too much. Same thing happened with Mason Foster last year.

I'm not worried about Barron, but I think he'll struggle the rest of the season. Next season, I think he'll put it together.

JMO.

I agree. Only difference though, Foster was a third round pick while Barron went top 10. Barron was playing good ball first 3 games or so but ever since his game has regressed. The DB position is a hard one to play at a high level, early, so I don't think we've seen the best of him yet. Earl Thomas wasn't spectacular his first year while Eric Berry was. Now its, Thomas > Berry.

The thing with Foster was he started off playing well, then got injured, and the whole team quit playing for the head coach. As far as we know Barron is not injured and we definitely know the players are still playing for the coach, so I don't see the two having much in common at all.

Also, Earl Thomas made the Pro Bowl as a rookie.

[BaghdadJoe54]

I am sure the other coaches are putting together gameplans to target him more too.

I think Chace has said it best for awhile, we need more from Barron.

I hope he starts to put it all together because improvements by him may be a huge help to sneaking into the playoffs.

[Detrimental]

Classic case of thinking too much and trying to do too much. Same thing happened with Mason Foster last year.

I'm not worried about Barron, but I think he'll struggle the rest of the season. Next season, I think he'll put it together.

JMO.

I agree. Only difference though, Foster was a third round pick while Barron went top 10. Barron was playing good ball first 3 games or so but ever since his game has regressed. The DB position is a hard one to play at a high level, early, so I don't think we've seen the best of him yet. Earl Thomas wasn't spectacular his first year while Eric Berry was. Now its, Thomas > Berry.

The thing with Foster was he started off playing well, then got injured, and the whole team quit playing for the head coach. As far as we know Barron is not injured and we definitely know the players are still playing for the coach, so I don't see the two having much in common at all.

Also, Earl Thomas made the Pro Bowl as a rookie.

Pro bowls don't carry much weight. Eric Berry was way better than Thomas in year 1. Berry damn near had an elite season, Thomas not so much. Thomas wasn't as good as he is now then he was his rookie year(my OP) now he is the damn best safety in the NFL.

That is true about Foster. Even then I don't remember him laying the hammer down on folks the way he has been doing this year. New scheme has helped him flourish here for certain. And the scheme for Barron doesn't seem favorable, especially for a rook. The guy is playing on an island like 95% of the time because we blitz so much and they don't get there majority of the time.

[BaghdadJoe54]

Classic case of thinking too much and trying to do too much. Same thing happened with Mason Foster last year.

I'm not worried about Barron, but I think he'll struggle the rest of the season. Next season, I think he'll put it together.

JMO.

I agree. Only difference though, Foster was a third round pick while Barron went top 10. Barron was playing good ball first 3 games or so but ever since his game has regressed. The DB position is a hard one to play at a high level, early, so I don't think we've seen the best of him yet. Earl Thomas wasn't spectacular his first year while Eric Berry was. Now its, Thomas > Berry.

The thing with Foster was he started off playing well, then got injured, and the whole team quit playing for the head coach. As far as we know Barron is not injured and we definitely know the players are still playing for the coach, so I don't see the two having much in common at all.

Also, Earl Thomas made the Pro Bowl as a rookie.

Pro bowls don't carry much weight. Eric Berry was way better than Thomas in year 1. Berry damn near had an elite season, Thomas not so much. Thomas wasn't as good as he is now then he was his rookie year(my OP) now he is the damn best safety in the NFL.

That is true about Foster. Even then I don't remember him laying the hammer down on folks the way he has been doing this year. New scheme has helped him flourish here for certain. And the scheme for Barron doesn't seem favorable, especially for a rook. The guy is playing on an island like 95% of the time because we blitz so much and they don't get there majority of the time.

I agree, he is on an island a lot.  However, to be fair, when he is in coverage he seems to be a step too late now or even at times lost.  Whereas the start of the season, like that amazing diving stop, he seemed much more in the game.

[chace1986]

Classic case of thinking too much and trying to do too much. Same thing happened with Mason Foster last year.

I'm not worried about Barron, but I think he'll struggle the rest of the season. Next season, I think he'll put it together.

JMO.

I agree. Only difference though, Foster was a third round pick while Barron went top 10. Barron was playing good ball first 3 games or so but ever since his game has regressed. The DB position is a hard one to play at a high level, early, so I don't think we've seen the best of him yet. Earl Thomas wasn't spectacular his first year while Eric Berry was. Now its, Thomas > Berry.

The thing with Foster was he started off playing well, then got injured, and the whole team quit playing for the head coach. As far as we know Barron is not injured and we definitely know the players are still playing for the coach, so I don't see the two having much in common at all.

Also, Earl Thomas made the Pro Bowl as a rookie.

Pro bowls don't carry much weight. Eric Berry was way better than Thomas in year 1. Berry damn near had an elite season, Thomas not so much. Thomas wasn't as good as he is now then he was his rookie year(my OP) now he is the damn best safety in the NFL.

While I agree about the pro bowls, Thomas had a pretty good rookie year and has pretty much maintained that level of play for the last 3 years. He looks to be a lot better this year because he has 3 really good DBs around him. As far as best safety in the NFL, that's a stretch. Thomas is one of the few starting safeties in the league with double digit missed tackles(along with Barron, I might add).

There are quite a few safeties who are better than Thomas.
Dashon Goldson
Ryan Clark
Jarius Byrd
TJ Ward
Danieal Manning
Morgan Burnett
Bernard Pollard
Eric Weddle

[Biggs3535]

Barron has definitely been getting roasted in coverage the last month.

[3rd String Kicker]

It's hard to say who is at fault and when without knowing the plays, but it does seem like Barron seems to be at the center of where a lot of big plays are happening. I know a lot of Buc fans wanted to kill him after the Lafell TD (maybe I did too...) but I rewatched, looks like the underneath coverage (Lbers) got sucked in and the Mike wasn't able to turn to see the ball wizzing by their head. Would love to see some more splash plays from Barron, I bought all of these Red Baron pizzas too to support him. 

[chace1986]

LOL. Yea, would have been a lot better had his last name been Digiorno.

Anyway. Yea, that Lafell TD was on Mason for not getting back. They ran a very similar play in week one in which it looked like Barron had blown a coverage on the Panther lone TD, but Mason was absent again. Barron has had a real problem covering TEs one on one. Hell, is Olson holds onto that pass earlier in the game, that would have been another big play. I think they will continue to adjust the scheme until things work. Barron's known weakness was pass D, so I'm not too upset with what we have seen. I just don't like the fact that he is starting to look like out 2011 safeties when it comes time to make a tackle. If his struggle continue, I would like to see a few more reps go A. Blacks way.