BonifayRam
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- Jan 14, 2013
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- Vernon
I can understand your concern with "he is getting hurt all the time". I was to the point when he went to Oakland as a UFA ... feeling relief that the "injured man walking" had departed. But very soon afterwards was very happy he returned...go figure how ticked off I was with his injuries.
In truth Saffold did re-injured his left shoulder playing RIGHT OG during wk 8 in KC & was removed from the field to the locker room & did not return. After that KC injury Saffold basically played one armed....he played the rest of the season with that left shoulder/arm held inside the shoulder joint with numerous devices & dozens of rolls of tape, so he could finish the yr & get the reconstructive surgery on it early January. He showed me he was legit NFL OL'er from that point on. Can not wait to see how he plays with two shoulders & arms in 2015.
Here the facts as I know them on this matter....Saffold only played in 12 games in 2013. The vast majority of downs played in 2013 were @ mainly @ ORT with some late @ OLT. Saffold did suffer a series of 3 injuries 2013 season while playing starting @ ORT in pre & early reg. season.
The career ending injury to starting ORG Harvey Dahl in the 9th game of the 2013 season along with the disastrous performance by top reserve OG Shelley Smith left them with only back up OG ....Brandon Washington. Boudreau's move of his starting ORT Saffold to starting ORG was done out of pure bad necessity situation not by design....thus Boudreau took Saffold & inserted him in @ ORG. Saffold was then playing between reserve Tim Barnes @ OC & reserve Barksdale now @ ORT. However that combo did not last long because OLT Jake Long tore his ACL & MCL in game 15 & we all know who is Boudreau only back up left OT is....Saffold. By the way Saffold suffered his second concussion playing OLT in game #17. Boudreau was then forced to play Brandon Washington after all @ OLG post.
Saffold only finished 4 games @ RIGHT OG! So if I were to use the 2013 season as measure stick for my argument that Saffold's best healthiest OL post is RG I would go into that battle with a very small amount of ammo. In 2014 Saffold did start 4 games @ ORG but he only finished 3 of them as I pointed out above so in two seasons Saffold has finished 7 games @ RIGHT OG.
Some other Nuggets I would like to point out on this issue:
*Boudreau involves two OL posts in making OL calls along with the QB. The center (of course) & the blind side OG post (OLG). Might have been one of the reasons Greg Robinson did not start the season @ OLG & only played 2 games @ OLG. So bring it on to 2015....with Saffold still rehabbing from surgery it was Boudreau's most experienced OL'er & former top OL reliever in Atlanta, 7 yr, vet Reynolds (not the rookie Jamon Brown) who was inserted in @ OLG to work with the 3 centers in OTA's. I am confident that Boudreau desires that his best OL'er Saffold is the player who will assist whoever wins the starting center post @ OLG.
*Boudreau has for several seasons now show'd a pattern where he prefers if he can to use left side Ol'ers (OLG/OLT)& right side Ol'ers (ORG/ORT). He used his veteran OL Chris Williams to start @ OLG then Chris backed @ OLT for 2 seasons. He used Greg Robinson strictly as a left sider back up @ OLG/OLT then started @ OLG them moved to OLT last season, no right side action. He used top reliever Mike Person in the same manner where he would utilize Person @ OLT then to OLG then back to OLT as needed no right side action. Boudreau does has some history doing the same to the right but not like he does on that left side.Boud used Harvey Dahl as a right side between ORG/ORT when needed in Atlanta & even in St Louis Harvey started 2 games @ ORT, no left side action.
Saffold remaining on the left side would follow this constant Boudreau patter in 2015. Two really big important items to ensure is ready in 2015....
Who would do a better job than Saffold in this OLG post?
Who else can back up the blind side protector OLT post by just moving a few ft. left from the OLG?
Who else has more experience with a Boudreau OL & his OL calls from the OLG post?
Bottom line is the Ram Org is paying Saffold the big money to pull such a load....why give this post to another Ram OL'er when you have the right person in Rodger Saffold who is the best fit for this demanding post. Now why we know the Rams are not interested in UFA vet. OLG Evan Mathis.
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