St. Louis Rams Rumors: Rodger Saffold getting significant interest
St. Louis Rams tackle Rodger Saffold (76) blocks San Francisco 49ers outside linebacker Aldon Smith (99) during the fourth quarter at Candlestick Park. The 49ers and the Rams tied 24-24. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
The St. Louis Rams could have an interesting conundrum on the interior of the offensive line this offseason if they cannot re-sign Rodger Saffold, who was previously a solid offensive tackle before being Wally Pipp’d in a way by the underrated Joe Barksdale, who looks locked in as the right tackle bookend to elite LT Jake Long. Saffold was replaced as the starting RT by Barksdale, but he was kicked inside and did a solid job as a guard. With the versatility to play guard and tackle, Saffold should be a hot commodity this offseason, but it’s clear to me that he prefers to play at left tackle and get paid like a left tackle. Last offseason, he made it known that he would likely walk in 2014 after the Long signing, as his goal was to break the bank as an LT (he did admirably decide not to make a public stink about his contract dispute).
While the Rams could choose to tag Saffold, it’s more likely that Les Snead tries to iron out a long-term deal with him. Saffold would figure to be the team’s starting right guard next season if they keep him, as they have a big hole at the position with the dependable Dahl a potential cap casualty. It would take a lot of money to convince Saffold to stick around as a guard, but it sounds like the Rams will do what it takes to keep him.
If they can’t keep him, then Saffold won’t have a shortage of options. Draft insider Tony Pauline reports that a “significant number of teams” have shown interest in the Rams impending free agent and would be ready to sign him if he hits the open waters. His talent and versatility significantly outweigh any potential negatives (injury), but we’ll see if he does end up hitting the open market after all.