The Los Angeles Rams are going to need all the help they can get this season if they are going to pull off an unprecedented turnaround from last year’s 4-12 debacle, and veteran linebacker Connor Barwin has the chance to play a major role for the team’s defense.

What makes Barwin one of the more notable Rams free agent signings this offseason is the fact that the former Texans and Eagles linebacker is reuniting with Wade Phillips, who was the defensive coordinator in Houston from 2011 to 2013 – and he says that being back on Phillips’ 3-4 defense has made him feel right at home.

Via LATimes.com:

“I mean there’s certain things I can do and I can take advantage of that you can’t necessarily do being down in an even front every single play,” said Barwin. “And it feels good to be back in this system.”

It’s also worth noting that from Coach Phillips’ perspective, Barwin is actually in even better physical condition than he was when he was younger.

Via LATimes.com:

“He’s bigger and stronger than he was,” Phillips said. “He ran a 4.5-something at the combine when he came out, so he can run. “But he’s a big, strong fast guy now.”

His teammates also see a youthfulness about Barwin that transcends the 30-year-old’s true age. Defensive tackle Michael Brockers called Barwin “energetic and fresh, like a rookie” and praised his knowledge of the 3-4, which is a bit foreign to a Rams defense that has played in a base 4-3 for a long time.

Via LATimes.com:

“He just locks up his side and does what he has to do for the defense,” Brockers said. “You don’t have to stress about a new guy in a new position. “He’s been in this defense and he knows what he’s doing. So you just throw him in there and he gets to work.”

And while Phillips noted that there have been changes to his scheme since his days in Houston, Barwin feels ready to take on the challenge and live up to the standard set by his teammates.

“This is really where I want to be playing, the system I want to be in and where I’m going to have the most success,” Barwin said. “And, obviously, this is a great set of guys on defense already.”

There’s really no doubt at this point that Barwin has been a valuable addition to the locker room, and will be a leader on and off the field. What he will contribute during the actual games remains to be seen, but so far, the Rams couldn’t ask for a better attitude from a veteran free agent acquisition.