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What fate lies in store for Rodger Saffold?
Will he be a Ram next season, or move on to big money?
That’s a question I’m sure the FO has been asking themselves, for quite a while now. I tried to take a look at his performance and see what I think will happen.
I’m using PFF scoring as a meter to see what we have. The first thing that everyone is aware of is his injury history, and that plays heavily into what kind of money he might get. Most claim Sam Bradford is injury prone, but Saffold has played two less games than Bradford in the past 4 seasons.
In fact Saffold has only played one full 16 game season in 4 years of trying. That fact alone makes his quest for big money questionable. Let’s take a look at how his career has gone.
2010 |
||||||||
Week |
Game |
Pos |
Snaps |
Overall |
Pass Block |
Screen Block |
Run Block |
Penalty |
1 |
ARZ @ SL |
LT |
85 / 85 |
0.7 |
0.5 |
-0.5 |
0.1 |
0.6 |
2 |
SL @ OAK |
LT |
53 / 56 |
0.2 |
0.7 |
0 |
-0.9 |
0.4 |
3 |
WAS @ SL |
LT |
81 / 81 |
-1 |
-1.2 |
0 |
0.6 |
-0.4 |
4 |
SEA @ SL |
LT |
75 / 75 |
0.8 |
1.2 |
0 |
-0.9 |
0.5 |
5 |
SL @ DET |
LT |
83 / 83 |
-3.9 |
-3.1 |
-0.5 |
1.1 |
-1.4 |
6 |
SD @ SL |
LT |
77 / 77 |
1.8 |
1.2 |
0 |
1.1 |
-0.5 |
7 |
SL @ TB |
LT |
64 / 64 |
-1.5 |
-3 |
0 |
1.1 |
0.4 |
8 |
CAR @ SL |
LT |
71 / 71 |
0.4 |
1.3 |
0.5 |
-1.9 |
0.5 |
10 |
SL @ SF |
LT |
24 / 79 |
-1.3 |
0 |
0 |
-0.5 |
-0.8 |
11 |
ATL @ SL |
LT |
48 / 56 |
1.3 |
1.5 |
0 |
-0.5 |
0.3 |
12 |
SL @ DEN |
LT |
77 / 77 |
2.4 |
2.8 |
0.5 |
-1.4 |
0.5 |
13 |
SL @ ARZ |
LT |
68 / 68 |
5 |
1.4 |
0.5 |
2.6 |
0.5 |
14 |
SL @ NO |
LT |
62 / 62 |
-2 |
-2 |
0 |
0.6 |
-0.6 |
15 |
KC @ SL |
LT |
72 / 72 |
-2.6 |
-0.7 |
0 |
-1.4 |
-0.5 |
16 |
SF @ SL |
LT |
70 / 70 |
-0.6 |
1.3 |
-0.5 |
-1.9 |
0.5 |
17 |
SL @ SEA |
LT |
58 / 58 |
-3.8 |
-1.3 |
0 |
-1.9 |
-0.6 |
TOTALS |
16 |
|
1,068 |
-4.1 |
0.6 |
0 |
-4.1 |
-0.6 |
Above were his rookie season and the only one where he was available for a full season. His scores are equally bad for pass and run blocking. But then again this was his rookie year. So you could argue it really isn’t that important to put a dollar amount on him.
2011 |
||||||||
Week |
Game |
Pos |
Snaps |
Overall |
Pass Block |
Screen Block |
Run Block |
Penalty |
1 |
PHI @ SL |
LT |
73 / 73 |
-2.3 |
-2.9 |
0 |
0.1 |
0.5 |
2 |
SL @ NYG |
LT |
69 / 69 |
1.5 |
2.4 |
0 |
0.1 |
-1 |
3 |
BLT @ SL |
LT |
67 / 67 |
3 |
1.4 |
0 |
1.1 |
0.5 |
4 |
WAS @ SL |
LT |
75 / 75 |
-7.8 |
-6.9 |
0 |
1.6 |
-2.5 |
6 |
SL @ GB |
LT |
79 / 79 |
1.4 |
3.3 |
0 |
0.6 |
-2.5 |
7 |
SL @ DAL |
LT |
61 / 61 |
-3.6 |
-1.6 |
0 |
-1.4 |
-0.6 |
8 |
NO @ SL |
LT |
79 / 79 |
2.1 |
1 |
0 |
1.6 |
-0.5 |
9 |
SL @ ARZ |
LT |
81 / 81 |
-5.3 |
-3.5 |
0 |
-2.4 |
0.6 |
10 |
SL @ CLV |
LT |
34 / 63 |
2 |
1.2 |
0 |
0.6 |
0.2 |
TOTALS |
9 |
|
618 |
-9 |
-5.6 |
0 |
1.9 |
-5.3 |
2011 showed improvement in run blocking, but his pass protection got worse! Top that off with only playing 9 games. Doesn’t sound like big money so far.
2012 |
||||||||
Week |
Game |
Pos |
Snaps |
Overall |
Pass Block |
Screen Block |
Run Block |
Penalty |
1 |
SL @ DET |
LT |
44 / 58 |
0.4 |
1.5 |
0 |
-0.4 |
-0.7 |
2 |
WAS @ SL |
LT |
13 / 71 |
-1.7 |
-0.8 |
0 |
-1 |
0.1 |
10 |
SL @ SF |
LT |
88 / 88 |
3.3 |
3.1 |
1 |
-1.4 |
0.6 |
11 |
NYJ @ SL |
LT |
70 / 70 |
1.5 |
2.9 |
0 |
-0.9 |
-0.5 |
12 |
SL @ ARZ |
LT |
61 / 61 |
3.4 |
1.4 |
0.5 |
2.1 |
-0.6 |
13 |
SF @ SL |
LT |
75 / 75 |
-1.2 |
1.2 |
0.5 |
-1.4 |
-1.5 |
14 |
SL @ BUF |
LT |
62 / 69 |
0.1 |
0.1 |
0 |
-0.4 |
0.4 |
15 |
MIN @ SL |
LT |
85 / 85 |
-1.9 |
-0.6 |
0 |
0.1 |
-1.4 |
16 |
SL @ TB |
LT |
55 / 55 |
1.4 |
0.9 |
0 |
0.1 |
0.4 |
17 |
SL @ SEA |
LT |
68 / 68 |
3.3 |
3.2 |
0 |
-0.4 |
0.5 |
TOTALS |
10 |
|
621 |
8.6 |
12.9 |
2 |
-3.6 |
-2.7 |
In 2012 during all 10 games that he did play Rodgers pass blocking greatly improved, but his run blocking went to crap. He seems to have been struggling with being able to handle both responsibilities.
Week |
Game |
Pos |
Snaps |
Overall |
Pass Block |
Screen Block |
Run Block |
Penalty |
1 |
ARZ @ SL |
RT |
66 / 71 |
0.1 |
0.6 |
0 |
0.1 |
-0.6 |
2 |
SL @ ATL |
RT |
26 / 77 |
-2.2 |
0.1 |
0 |
-2.5 |
0.2 |
7 |
SL @ CAR |
RT |
31 / 62 |
1.3 |
1.1 |
0 |
0 |
0.2 |
8 |
SEA @ SL |
RT |
21 / 80 |
-1.3 |
0.6 |
0 |
-1 |
-0.9 |
9 |
TEN @ SL |
RT |
20 / 71 |
-1.1 |
-1.2 |
0 |
0 |
0.1 |
TOTALS |
-3.2 |
1.2 |
0 |
-3.4 |
-1 |
|||
10 |
SL @ IND |
RG |
55 / 56 |
1.6 |
-0.8 |
0 |
2.2 |
0.2 |
12 |
CHI @ SL |
RG |
56 / 56 |
3.9 |
0.6 |
0 |
3.1 |
0.2 |
13 |
SL @ SF |
RG |
70 / 70 |
2.2 |
0.8 |
0 |
1.1 |
0.3 |
14 |
SL @ ARZ |
RG |
56 / 56 |
-1.3 |
-0.1 |
0 |
-1.4 |
0.2 |
15 |
NO @ SL |
RG |
54 / 54 |
2.6 |
0.8 |
0 |
1.6 |
0.2 |
16 |
TB @ SL |
RG |
62 / 62 |
0.4 |
0.9 |
0 |
-0.8 |
0.3 |
TOTALS |
9.4 |
2.2 |
0 |
5.8 |
1.4 |
|||
17 |
SL @ SEA |
LT |
40 / 55 |
0.5 |
1.1 |
0 |
-0.9 |
0.3 |
Games |
12 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Now we start getting to the confusing part. Last season due to necessity not some coaching genius, Rodger gets switched to RT because of bringing the big gun Jake Long. Rodger doesn’t do so well at RT and only plays a total of 12 games for the year which makes matters even harder to figure out.
Fates plays its hand again and whoa and behold Rodger plays out of his mind good at RG. In fact he finishes ranked number 18 out of 81 according to PFF scores.
So now let’s take a look at some other members of the team since 2011 and see how things shake out.
Year |
Rank |
Pos. |
Name |
Snaps |
Overall |
Pass Block |
Screen Block |
Run Block |
Penalty |
2011 |
34 |
RG (10) |
711 |
3.6 |
1.8 |
1.5 |
0.7 |
-0.4 |
|
68 |
LG (4), RG (2) |
381 |
-11.6 |
-7 |
0 |
-1.3 |
-3.3 |
||
69 |
LG (12) |
740 |
-12.5 |
-3 |
0 |
-7.7 |
-1.8 |
Harvey Dahl comes in and plays middle of the road score wise. I think you know what happened to the others listed.
Year |
Rank |
Pos. |
Name |
Snaps |
Overall |
Pass Block |
Screen Block |
Run Block |
Penalty |
2012 |
26 |
RG (14) |
Harvey Dahl |
950 |
5.6 |
4.7 |
1 |
-1.4 |
1.3 |
56 |
LG (5), RG (3) |
360 |
-5.5 |
-4.1 |
0.5 |
1.1 |
-3 |
||
69 |
LG (6) |
328 |
-9.5 |
-10.4 |
0 |
1 |
-0.1 |
2012 Harvey Dahl improves; Shelly Smith and Ojinnaka prove we need help at guard.
Year |
Rank |
Pos. |
Name |
Snaps |
Overall |
Pass Block |
Screen Block |
Run Block |
Penalty |
2013 |
18 |
RG (6) |
Rodger Saffold |
353 |
9.4 |
2.2 |
0 |
5.8 |
1.4 |
23 |
LG (6), RG (4) |
Shelley Smith |
371 |
7 |
-6 |
0 |
12.3 |
0.7 |
|
36 |
RG (9) |
Harvey Dahl |
543 |
-1.1 |
-1.3 |
0 |
1.9 |
-1.7 |
|
74 |
LG (16) |
Chris Williams |
923 |
-21.8 |
-15.4 |
-0.5 |
-5.7 |
-0.2 |
Last year Shelley Smith plays better than Harvey Dahl. Rodger blows them both away, and Chris Williams is bottom of the barrel.
Year |
Rank |
Pos. |
Name |
Snaps |
Overall |
Pass Block |
Screen Block |
Run Block |
Penalty |
2013 |
8 |
LT (15) |
Jake Long |
872 |
25.8 |
7.1 |
0 |
14.8 |
3.9 |
25 |
RT (16) |
Joe Barksdale |
838 |
12.2 |
11.9 |
0 |
-4.4 |
4.7 |
|
2012 |
30 |
LT (10) |
Rodger Saffold |
621 |
8.6 |
12.9 |
2 |
-3.6 |
-2.7 |
2011 |
59 |
LT (9) |
Rodger Saffold |
618 |
-9 |
-5.6 |
0 |
1.9 |
-5.3 |
2010 |
47 |
LT (16) |
Rodger Saffold |
1068 |
-4.1 |
0.6 |
0 |
-4.1 |
-0.6 |
So above is the summary and you can see that Jake Long is far and above anything that Saffold has done. At the LT spot I don’t think Rodger can demand big money as a free agent.
At Right and Left Guard, Shelly Smith is a viable option so let’s say we keep him. Saffold plays a damn good game at RG if you only consider the data sample is 6 games.
Here is what we have so far:
Saffold can play several positions, best at RG.
He’s not proven he can play well at RT, so there is that to consider. We still need a RT if he plays RG when Jake Long is back.
He can play LT until Jake comes back.
So what do you do when you make your decision?
Is Saffold worth a FA tag?
Do you sign him to a one year deal?
Will anyone pick him up with his injury history?
Should we keep him at all?
My opinion:
I would let him test free agency. That’s the leverage I’d need to get him to sign a one year deal at a low price. The gamble is someone is desperate enough to pay him more, but his injury history is a big factor that other teams will consider. They want a starter that doesn’t get hurt 3 out of 4 seasons.
If another team picks him up, fine I’m drafting a top rated lineman that can play LT or RT. It would be less money and if they turn out good be around for a few years at a low CBA price. If he stays he plays RG and is a backup for 2 other spots if needed. That might get me to give him a bit more money just based on that.
Thanks for reading!
OCR