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It’s the time of year when free agency madness hits many NFL franchises, and the St. Louis Rams are no exception. Offensive lineman Rodger Saffold agreed to a massive contract with the Oakland Raiders on Tuesday, according to ESPN.com’s reporter Adam Schefter. The contract is a 5-year deal worth $42.5 million, and $21 million of it is guaranteed. Saffold’s ability to play both tackle positions and guard gave him the ability to shop the market and capitalize on his versatility.
Losing Saffold will hurt the already depleted offensive line. His versatility played a huge role in the Rams’ offense throughout the 2013 season, but breaking the bank for Saffold simply was not an option for St. Louis. Paying him nearly $8.5 million a year is a luxury the Rams don’t have because the team has other needs and limited salary cap space.
Saffold’s injury history makes this contract one of the riskiest thus far in the 2014 free agency period. He missed a total of 17 games during his four-year stint with the St. Louis, and he played a full 16-game season just once (2010).
The guard position is unsettling because there are no proven guards left on the roster. Shelley Smith is a free agent and the Rams could bring him back, but his return appears unlikely after he paid the New York Giants a visit this week. Meanwhile, Chris Williams signed with the Buffalo Bills on Wednesday morning, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. This leaves the Rams with Brandon Washington and last year’s rookie Barrett Jones. An early injury sidelined Jones throughout camp and into the early part of the 2013 season. He spent most of last season working on strength and conditioning.
The Rams brought in Jake Long during last year’s free agency to play left tackle and Joe Barksdale stepped up to be a decent option on the right side. However, Long’s late-season ACL/MCL injury makes his readiness questionable at the start of the 2014 season. The Rams seem content with veteran Scott Wells at center, according to ESPN.com’s reporter Adam Caplan. They also cut guard Harvey Dahl from the roster, due to failing his physical. Losing Saffold, Smith and Dahl creates some major holes on the offensive line that the Rams will need to address. Long’s injury could also become a factor if he does not heal in time for the season.
The team does have a little wiggle room with the salary cap now that CB Cortland Finnegan and Dahl have been cut. If the Rams don’t sign any offensive lineman, they will have to address their needs in the draft. The Rams have two picks within the top-13, so this will give them options to look at some of the elite prospects this year.
St. Louis will also need to consider their options on the defensive side of the ball. The secondary is the most troubling, lacking depth at cornerback and experience at safety. At least one more cornerbacks should be added in order to compliment Janoris Jenkins and Trumaine Johnson. At safety, T.J. McDonald flashed some promising moments, but the Rams are in need another safety to play alongside him. The linebacker corps improved tremendously last season with the addition of rookie sensation Alec Ogletree. Signing or drafting another outside linebacker to replace Jo-Lonn Dunbar is another necessity.
The front office will need to be creative with their spending and scouting in order fill the many of these needs. At this point, general manager Les Snead will need to continue to work his magic during the NFL draft.
Sources: ESPN.com
You can follow Johnny Gomez on Twitter @Johnny5not6. Be sure to follow Rams Talk on Twitter @TalkRams.
2014, Alec Ogletree, Barrett Jones, Brandon Washington, Chris Williams, Cortland Finnegan, featured, free agency, Harvey Dahl, Jake Long, Janoris Jenkins, Jo-Lonn Dunbar, Joe Barksdale, Les Snead, NFL, Rodger Saffold, Scott Wells, Shelley Smith, St. Louis Rams, T.J. McDonald, Trumaine Johnson
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It’s the time of year when free agency madness hits many NFL franchises, and the St. Louis Rams are no exception. Offensive lineman Rodger Saffold agreed to a massive contract with the Oakland Raiders on Tuesday, according to ESPN.com’s reporter Adam Schefter. The contract is a 5-year deal worth $42.5 million, and $21 million of it is guaranteed. Saffold’s ability to play both tackle positions and guard gave him the ability to shop the market and capitalize on his versatility.
Losing Saffold will hurt the already depleted offensive line. His versatility played a huge role in the Rams’ offense throughout the 2013 season, but breaking the bank for Saffold simply was not an option for St. Louis. Paying him nearly $8.5 million a year is a luxury the Rams don’t have because the team has other needs and limited salary cap space.
Saffold’s injury history makes this contract one of the riskiest thus far in the 2014 free agency period. He missed a total of 17 games during his four-year stint with the St. Louis, and he played a full 16-game season just once (2010).
The guard position is unsettling because there are no proven guards left on the roster. Shelley Smith is a free agent and the Rams could bring him back, but his return appears unlikely after he paid the New York Giants a visit this week. Meanwhile, Chris Williams signed with the Buffalo Bills on Wednesday morning, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. This leaves the Rams with Brandon Washington and last year’s rookie Barrett Jones. An early injury sidelined Jones throughout camp and into the early part of the 2013 season. He spent most of last season working on strength and conditioning.
The Rams brought in Jake Long during last year’s free agency to play left tackle and Joe Barksdale stepped up to be a decent option on the right side. However, Long’s late-season ACL/MCL injury makes his readiness questionable at the start of the 2014 season. The Rams seem content with veteran Scott Wells at center, according to ESPN.com’s reporter Adam Caplan. They also cut guard Harvey Dahl from the roster, due to failing his physical. Losing Saffold, Smith and Dahl creates some major holes on the offensive line that the Rams will need to address. Long’s injury could also become a factor if he does not heal in time for the season.
The team does have a little wiggle room with the salary cap now that CB Cortland Finnegan and Dahl have been cut. If the Rams don’t sign any offensive lineman, they will have to address their needs in the draft. The Rams have two picks within the top-13, so this will give them options to look at some of the elite prospects this year.
St. Louis will also need to consider their options on the defensive side of the ball. The secondary is the most troubling, lacking depth at cornerback and experience at safety. At least one more cornerbacks should be added in order to compliment Janoris Jenkins and Trumaine Johnson. At safety, T.J. McDonald flashed some promising moments, but the Rams are in need another safety to play alongside him. The linebacker corps improved tremendously last season with the addition of rookie sensation Alec Ogletree. Signing or drafting another outside linebacker to replace Jo-Lonn Dunbar is another necessity.
The front office will need to be creative with their spending and scouting in order fill the many of these needs. At this point, general manager Les Snead will need to continue to work his magic during the NFL draft.
Sources: ESPN.com
You can follow Johnny Gomez on Twitter @Johnny5not6. Be sure to follow Rams Talk on Twitter @TalkRams.
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