Eleven cases where extension can be best for player and team

[News Bot]

10. OT Rodger Saffold, St. Louis Rams: Saffold has played left and right tackle and he will only make $655,000 this year. He has started all 35 games he has been healthy enough to play and he has given up 15 sacks -- or a sack every other game. He doesn't deserve elite tackle money but the Rams can't afford to lose him.

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[albefree69]

Re: Eleven cases where extension can be best for player and

Uh...yeah.

 

[BonifayRam]

Re: Eleven cases where extension can be best for player and

10. OT Rodger Saffold, St. Louis Rams: Saffold has played left and right tackle and he will only make $655,000 this year. He has started all 35 games he has been healthy enough to play and he has given up 15 sacks -- or a sack every other game. He doesn't deserve elite tackle money but the Rams can't afford to lose him.

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True that Saffold has started 35 games out of 48 in his three years in the NFL but here's an example of what has happen in 2012. Of the 10 games started he missed major chunks of three of those 10. In 2011 Saffold started 9 games but missed major parts of 2 games. Same happened in 2010. So Saffold's start number is misleading. Heres a list of his injuries

Let me review his injuries since his arrival I missed a few though:
6-4-10/Knee Sprain missed 3 wks of TC
8-17-10/Back injury missed 3 pre season games
11-14-10/Ankle Sprain-left game
11-21-10/Shoulder injury- left game
10-16-11/Ankle injury-left game
11-13-11/Concussion-left game
11-18-11/Pectorial Tears-IR's for 7 games
9-9-12/Neck Sprain-left game
9-16-12/Grade 3 MCL knee Sprain left game 2 out till wk 10.

Lets recall the reviewing of the 2011 season Saffold took a huge step backwards. Pro Football Focus graded Saffold 58th out of 76 qualifying tackles in pass blocking, and he was whistled for the tenth most penalties in the league at the position. Even in March of 2012 the new Org.were then contemplating moving him from left to right tackle after that miserable performance before that Pec injury. It was reported then that the question on Saffold was whether the Rams are confident he can stay healthy and productive. This was back early in 2012.

Now in this question of extension??? Saffold has to prove two things before any further discussions of an extension.

#1-Saffold remains healthy & stays on the field
#2-Saffold plays ORT like he played OLT late last yr for the last 6 games!

If he does I have no issues paying him close to what they gave Jake Long!

 

[albefree69]

Re: Eleven cases where extension can be best for player and

BonifayRam with a generous heart:
Now in this question of extension??? Saffold has to prove two things before any further discussions of an extension.

#1-Saffold remains healthy & stays on the field
#2-Saffold plays ORT like he did late last yr for the last 6 games!

If he does I have no issues paying him close to what they gave Jake Long!

Only if it's structured the same way. I don't want us to have to pay mega Quatloos if he remains injury prone.

 

[-X-]

Re: Eleven cases where extension can be best for player and

Saffold has to want to be restructured (or re-signed) as a ROT. I don't think that's in his 5 year plan, to be honest.
No sir, I think this is the last we'll see of one Rodger Saffold.

 

[CGI_Ram]

Re: Eleven cases where extension can be best for player and

Saffold has to want to be restructured (or re-signed) as a ROT. I don't think that's in his 5 year plan, to be honest.
No sir, I think this is the last we'll see of one Rodger Saffold.

This is one post I hate to agree with you.

But... yep...

He's going to get offers to play LT elsewhere this offseason and will exceed our budget for a RT.

 

[albefree69]

Re: Eleven cases where extension can be best for player and

X predicted:
Saffold has to want to be restructured (or re-signed) as a ROT. I don't think that's in his 5 year plan, to be honest.
No sir, I think this is the last we'll see of one Rodger Saffold.

I'm not agreeing or disagreeing with that but I have a couple of thoughts to add.

If we beat the top offer from another team why would he leave even if it's as a RT?

Do you really think he's going to get offered very good LT money in FA? He certainly hasn't performed like one so far and even if he does well at RT this year he'll be going into FA as a RT. He still won't have shown he's a good LT.

I don't think it's so cut and dried that he will be gone next year.

 

[-X-]

Re: Eleven cases where extension can be best for player and

X predicted:
Saffold has to want to be restructured (or re-signed) as a ROT. I don't think that's in his 5 year plan, to be honest.
No sir, I think this is the last we'll see of one Rodger Saffold.

I'm not agreeing or disagreeing with that but I have a couple of thoughts to add.

If we beat the top offer from another team why would he leave even if it's as a RT?

Do you really think he's going to get offered very good LT money in FA? He certainly hasn't performed like one so far and even if he does well at RT this year he'll be going into FA as a RT. He still won't have shown he's a good LT.

I don't think it's as cut and dried that he will be gone next year.

You could be right.
And then again, so could I.

Most tackles (left tackles, especially) want to be the point man. They want to be the blindside protector, which is typically the most important lineman on the team. It's all about prestige. I don't think Saffold wants to be a support player, despite the face he's putting on in this -- his contract year. I think he wants to be what he set out to be when he entered into the league, and that's a left tackle for a RH QB. Now if he becomes a really good RT and gets an offer sheet that's comparable to what Jake is getting, then I would expect him to seriously weigh his options. That said, I really don't see that happening.

Don't get me wrong - I'd love it if he stayed. I just don't see it in the cards is all.

And one minor disagreement. He absolutely did perform like one (a very good LT) last year.
Moreso than Jake Long, and by every accepted measure.

 

[albefree69]

Re: Eleven cases where extension can be best for player and

X wrote:
You could be right.
And then again, so could I.

And one minor disagreement. He absolutely did perform like one (a very good LT) last year.
Moreso than Jake Long, and by every accepted measure.

As I said, those were just thoughts. I'm certainly not going to bet any money on Saffold staying a Ram. :lol:

I do have a small disagreement with your small disagreement. :boing:

Small sample for Saffold and I don't agree that he played that well when he was in there. He, along with everyone else on the line got lots of extra help, both with blockers and our offensive scheme. He may have played better than Long but I didn't say Long played well did I?

The difference between Long and Saffold is Long has proven multiple times that when healthy he is worth top LT money. Saffold has never shown that IMO. Although I hope he does.

 

[-X-]

Re: Eleven cases where extension can be best for player and

X wrote:
You could be right.
And then again, so could I.

And one minor disagreement. He absolutely did perform like one (a very good LT) last year.
Moreso than Jake Long, and by every accepted measure.

As I said, those were just thoughts. I'm certainly not going to bet any money on Saffold staying a Ram. :lol:

I do have a small disagreement with your small disagreement. :boing:

Small sample for Saffold and I don't agree that he played that well when he was in there. He, along with everyone else on the line got lots of extra help, both with blockers and our offensive scheme. He may have played better than Long but I didn't say Long played well did I?

The difference between Long and Saffold is Long has proven multiple times that when healthy he is worth top LT money. Saffold has never shown that IMO. Although I hope he does.

Well, I didn't SAY you said that Long played well. I was using him as the standard, since he's now the LT on the Rams and Saffold is not. Long is also the highly paid tackle on the team which lends to my statement that Saffold is going to aim for that check and not your typical ROT check (for RH QBs). But you're right. It's a small sample size, and the teams he's been on since being drafted have been anything but the models of cohesion or consistency. In fact, every explanation for Bradford's slow development can also be directly attributed to Saffold's. He came on in a big way last year, and I expect the light is turning on.

Now. Can he stay on the field?

That's the question that effects all other questions.

 

[albefree69]

Re: Eleven cases where extension can be best for player and

X added:
Now. Can he stay on the field?

That's the question that effects all other questions.

Agreed.
For both Saffold and Long.

 

[Zaphod]

Re: Eleven cases where extension can be best for player and

I wouldn't say for sure that he's gone after this year either. His career has been so up and down.

I can see him jut focus on being a successful RT and build off of that success as much as possible.

His time will come if he can be consistent. But if I'm a GM for another team I'd be leery of financially committing to Saffold at RT ...long term anyway.

 

[Faceplant]

Re: Eleven cases where extension can be best for player and

I wouldn't say for sure that he's gone after this year either. His career has been so up and down.

I can see him jut focus on being a successful RT and build off of that success as much as possible.

His time will come if he can be consistent. But if I'm a GM for another team I'd be leery of financially committing to Saffold at RT ...long term anyway.

Big time. That said, teams tend to overpay for the OLT position based on past play/perception/potential (see 2013 Rams). I just wish ol' Saffold would have been able to stay healthy and perform at an above average level so we wouldn't have felt the need to overpay Long. Then again, if Jake works out, it will be a bit easier to fill that ORT slot when/if the Dodger leaves.

 

[BonifayRam]

Re: Eleven cases where extension can be best for player and

Saffold has to want to be restructured (or re-signed) as a ROT. I don't think that's in his 5 year plan, to be honest.
No sir, I think this is the last we'll see of one Rodger Saffold.

Sadly for the Rams this would be the most probable outcome at the conclusion of this 2013 season. Saffold has the ability to be the best ORT since Jackie Slater retirement....but like X stated not in Saffold's plans.

Snead, Fisher & Boudreau are fully aware of this no matter what the PC official press verbage is put out. A top talented college prospect OT is sure to be very high on the needs scale in the 2014 NFL draft. With the loss of the starting right OT Saffold the Rams will have to also have a legit talented Left OT back up on the roster in 2014.

Already the Org. has signed several OT's with his very good size, long arms and athleticism with latent physical traits in a developmental future prospects like LT/RT- Sean Hooey 6-9 300 22-R, RT- Terrell Brown 6-10 385 24-R, RT- Brandon Brown 6-6-300 24-R. Never know one could stick but those three will compete with LT/RT- Joe Barksdale 25-3 & LT-Ty Nsekhe 28-2. Other Ram OL candidates that have a good amount of college OT experience are RT-Brandon Washington 6-4 320 24-R & RT- Rok Watkins 6-3 338 24-2.

Bottom line is the probability that this is Rodger Saffold's last year as a Ram is extremely high. :balling: :=