Rams take first look at first-round draft pick

Barron, slated as a right tackle, worked out at left tackle on Monday.

ST. LOUIS -- Alex Barron, the St. Louis Rams' first-round pick, practiced for the first time on Monday after ending a two-week holdout last week and landed at a new position.

All of his snaps came at left tackle, Orlando Pace's position, a clear indication that for the immediate future the Rams consider him a high-priced backup.

"He's got a long ways to go to learn how to play," Rams coach Mike Martz said. "When he gets to the point where he can play, and he's ready to play, then we'll make a decision on what he does."

Martz named Barron the starting right tackle shortly after the team took him with the 19th overall pick, but demoted him in a minicamp. Barron struggled with technique and the move from left tackle, his primary position in college, to the right side. Martz believes he's missed too much time to be of much help at least early in the season.

For the time being, the Rams have Matt Willig and Rex Tucker manning the right side.

Tucker, who had signed as a free agent to become the new left guard, played the entire game at the position on Sunday.

"I thought he did exceptionally well," Martz said. "I was shocked. He's still learning but most of the night we left him in there to get experience and, boy, he did a terrific job."

Willig joined the team only last week. Still, that's longer than Barron, who arrived in training camp on Friday after signing a five-year, $9.2 million contract.

"We've got two right tackles over there, two veterans that are ready to play," Martz said. "They're both playing well."

The remedial work began for Barron on Saturday and Sunday, when the rest of the team was off following a 17-13 victory over the Bears in their preseason opener. On a rotating basis, offensive line coaches John Matsko, John Benton and Jackie Slater spent about an hour each drilling fundamentals into the Florida State rookie.

"It helped out a great deal," Barron said. "This caught me up on some of the things that had been going on in camp, new plays and different techniques and stuff.

"The other guys were off; they deserved to be off."

The tutoring continued despite thunderstorms that knocked out electrical power at Rams Park on Saturday.

"It was all right for a while and then it started getting dark," Barron said. "When it got dark there wasn't anything to do about it so we had to leave."

Monday's morning practice was another positive step.

"He had a very impressive day," Matsko said. "The most impressive thing was his toughness. He was competing and going after people."

The Rams will throw Barrron into the fire Sunday at San Diego in the second preseason game. Matsko said Barron would play the entire second half.

"Oh, yeah, Alex will play this weekend. Absolutely," Martz said. "He needs to play now. He'll have plenty of time to get himself ready."

Ready or not, Barron is just going with the flow.

"We'll see on Sunday," he said. "I'm just here and taking this all in. Hopefully, I can put it all together and be successful."