OL Kirk Barton (San Francisco 49ers)

[OSU_D/]

They are down to 10 "healthy" linemen. I am assuming there are other such as their 1st round pick that do not fall into the healthy category. Nevertheless it is great to see Barton get some 1st team reps.

[Buckskin86]

Chris Williams, no. 1 pick, is undergoing surgery on a herinated disc...could be season ending....Bears are really thin at tackle

Williams' absence leaves veteran John St. Clair as the starting left tackle. The only other tackles on the roster are veteran John Tait, the right-side starter, and rookies Kirk Barton and Cody Balogh.

Nice to see rookie seventh-round pick Kirk Barton get some work at right tackle with some of the first team players in the second quarter. Sure, he doesn't have any experience but the Bears need to see what they have in-house before exploring free-agent options. You just don't find tackles looking for work in the second week of August without baggage, a couple suitcases full.

10 initial reactions from Bears-Chiefs - Inside the Bears

[matcar]

Wow, if EVER there was a golden opportunity, this is it. Good luck Kirk...the pieces are literally falling (apart) into place.

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Canton

BARTON GETTING A LOOK

Kirk Barton wasn't drafted until the Bears took him in the seventh round, but the former Ohio State and Perry High School graduate got some work with the first-team offense early in the second quarter of Chicago's first preseason game, against Kansas City. The Bears had Barton at right tackle, a position with little depth. Barton projected to be more of a guard in the NFL.

[Buckskin86]

Young Bears tackles face true-false test in raucous Seattle
Penalties prevalent at boisterous Qwest Field
By Vaughn McClure | Chicago Tribune reporter
August 16, 2008

Veterans Olin Kreutz, Roberto Garza, John Tait and John St. Clair should be used to such an environment, but for players such as Balogh, second-year guard Josh Beekman and rookie tackle Kirk Barton, the raucous atmosphere should provide a good test of their discipline heading into the regular season.

"Ohio Stadium, where I played in college, is loud, but I'm sure pro stadiums are much louder," said Barton, a seventh-round pick from Ohio State. "You just have to watch the ball or do whatever you have to do to get off on the count."

Young Bears tackles face true-false test in raucous Seattle -- chicagotribune.com

Reserve tackle Kirk Barton -- The offensive line is one injury away from having to throw the seventh-round pick into the starting lineup. Barton has benefitted from a lot of work in camp and probably will spell Tait at some point in the second quarter. The coaching staff is going to have to see a lot from him not to consider a move in the coming weeks -- either the return of Fred Miller or a look through the discard pile after cuts.

No answers on horizon :: The Courier News :: Sports

[BuckeyeLiger87]

The Way We Hear It - NFL pro football rumors and insider news from Pro Football Weekly

Daily Bears observers keep having good things to say about seventh-round OT Kirk Barton, who they believe could become a factor on the right side of the line sooner than later.

[Buckskin86]

August 27, 2008

Preseason finale last chance for rookies to impress
By Larry Mayer

LAKE FOREST, Ill. ? Kirk Barton has played in some pretty big games in the Buckeye State, first at Perry High School in Massillon and later at Ohio State University. But Thursday night?s contest in Cleveland could be the most important of them all.

For the young offensive tackle and other unheralded Bears rookies, the preseason finale against the Browns represents their final chance to impress coaches before Saturday, when NFL teams are required to trim their rosters to 53 players.

?It?s definitely a huge opportunity because we?re going to play the majority of the game,? said Barton, a seventh round draft pick. ?There are going to be a lot of guys out there fighting for their lives. That?s the thing about the fourth preseason game. A lot of people think it?s meaningless, but for guys like us, it means everything.?



Kirk Barton was chosen by the Bears in the seventh round of the draft (247th overall).

Barton was a four-year starter and all-Big Ten selection as a senior at Ohio State, but the 6-4, 305-pounder knows that he?s starting over with a clean slate in the NFL.

?Every day you look at it like it?s your last day to impress because nothing?s guaranteed to you around here,? Barton said. ?Every time you come out to work you?ve got to work as hard as you can and act like it?s the last time.?

Barton insists that he isn?t dwelling on whether he?ll earn a roster spot.

?You can?t really control any of that,? he said. ?All you can really control is how well you play and how well you can take coaching. I try to learn everything asked of me and give great effort every day, so hopefully I?ll put myself in the best position to make the team.

?I?ve worked as hard as I can,? he said. ?Whether that will get me a spot here, I?m not sure. But I?ve tried to learn everything and work as hard as I could so that I wouldn?t have any regrets.?

Preseason finale last chance for rookies to impress - Chicago Bears

[Rookie]

Of course Barton would be 69

[Buckskin86]

Barton fighting for spot on Bears' roster
By Todd Porter
GateHouse News Service
Posted Aug 28, 2008

CLEVELAND ? So this is what Kirk Barton?s future came to Thursday night.

Since the ninth grade in 1999 -- the year the Browns returned -- his family has had season tickets to Cleveland Browns Stadium. Barton has seen some bad Browns football back in those days.

He got a pretty close and personal look at a much better Cleveland team Thursday night. Before family and friends, Barton played from the middle of the second quarter through the end of the game for the Chicago Bears during the final preseason game for both teams. Barton, a seventh-round draft pick out of Ohio State, is fighting for a roster spot.

The guess is the 6-foot-4, 305-pounder will be among the nine or 10 offensive linemen the Bears keep on the active roster. But nothing is certain, especially not for a late-round draft pick.

The only time Barton had trouble came in his second series. He picked up a holding penalty that nearly pushed the Bears out of field goal range.

Barton, a media darling at Ohio State, didn?t lose his sense of humor.

?I got the holding call because I just wanted my mom to hear my name,? Barton said, laughing.

Barton fighting for spot on Bears' roster - Galesburg, IL - The Register-Mail

[Buckskin86]

Barton waits to see if he's done enough
Former Ohio State leader hopes to secure spot on Bears roster
By George M. Thomas
Beacon Journal sports writer
Published on Saturday, Aug 30, 2008

CLEVELAND: Chicago Bears offensive tackle Kirk Barton confesses that he always plans for the worst in his life, despite the fact he's young and recently engaged.

But like any late-round NFL Draft pick, the rookie from Ohio State is hoping not to get a knock on his door from his team's ''Turk,'' the person charged with reciting the immortal words: ''Coach wants to see you . . . and bring your playbook.''

After the Bears' preseason victory over the Browns on Thursday night, Barton sounded cautiously optimistic about his chances to land a spot on the Bears' regular-season roster today. Barton, a seventh-round draft choice, played with the second team for much of the game, and it was that unit that powered the Bears to a 16-10 win after the Browns led 10-0.

With the exception of a holding penalty that nullified a Bears touchdown, Barton looked solid.

''It felt good. We scored some points and we were able to pull out a win,'' he said.

Barton said that ''other than the penalty, I did pretty well. The penalty was the setback. That's the one I really wish I had back.''

Overall, Barton said, his training camp and preseason have gone well. He has seen some time with the first-team offense ? something that could bode well.

He said the transition to the NFL has proven to be an adjustment. By the time he hit his senior year at OSU, he was known as a team leader. In the pros, he's just another rookie.

''Initially you don't get much respect. You have to work hard. Try to show you work hard and keep your mouth shut. Eventually they start to help you out,'' he said.

Apparently Barton has earned the respect of at least one of the Bears' linemen, John Tait, a 10-year veteran who plays the same position.

''He's doing well. He's a good player who wants to learn a lot,'' Tait said.

He said Barton's assessment of how veterans treat rookies is correct.

''You kind of want to see if he's going to have a good attitude and if he works hard,'' Tait said. ''And Kirk has all of those things. He's a good football player.''

Ohio.com - Barton waits to see if he's done enough

Some uncertainty remains on the offensive line with seventh-round pick Kirk Barton in line for a job but in position to possibly be impacted by Fred Miller. The veteran is out of town at a family wedding this weekend and continues to mull his options, likely with the hope the Bears will move up from their offer of a minimum-salary benefit deal at $830,000.

Cutdown day clock ticking :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: Bears

[sparcboxbuck]

Bears are going to get down to the 53 man roster today. Word here is that it's looking good for KB. He's gotten a few nice mentions on local sports radio.

Keeping fingers crossed. I'm hardly a Bears fan, but it'd be nice to have a reason to watch the home town team... finally.

Will be keeping an eye on the Bears roster today, that's for sure!

[brodybuck21]

August 30, 2008

Bears establish 53-man roster by cutting 21 players




While all seven rookies the Bears selected in the first five rounds of the draft made the final roster, tackle Kirk Barton was the only one of five seventh-round choices to stick.

Bears establish 53-man roster by cutting 21 players - Chicago Bears

[ashlandbuck]

Originally Posted by brodybuck21

August 30, 2008

Bears establish 53-man roster by cutting 21 players




While all seven rookies the Bears selected in the first five rounds of the draft made the final roster, tackle Kirk Barton was the only one of five seventh-round choices to stick.

Bears establish 53-man roster by cutting 21 players - Chicago Bears

Good for Kirk! So happy for him!

[BUCKYLE]

Great to hear that. Along with Hartsock, two of my favorite Buckeyes ever. He's a funny mofo.

[sparcboxbuck]

Originally Posted by BUCKYLE

Great to hear that. Along with Hartsock, two of my favorite Buckeyes ever. He's a funny mofo.

First thing I did this morning before church (that is after startng the coffee) was hit my Tribune sports section.

[censored], what a great day. I've been pulling for KB through camp (as I'm sure that everyone here has), but being here in Chicago... it's great to have him out here.

Next stop: Good playing time!!!!!

It's just a feeling that I've got in the old bones... but I think that he's going to make it at this level. He just needed to get through the first year and he'll be fine. This is a great thing to celebrate!


Congrats Mr. Barton.