Tag: Rodger Saffold

Titans’ O-linemen explain how continuity will help in 2020

The Titans’ offensive line finished the 2019 season strong.

The Tennessee Titans’ offensive line looked to be in shambles in the early part of last season, particularly in pass protection, where it was a sieve.

Not only was the team trying to integrate two new pieces in left guard Rodger Saffold and right guard Nate Davis, but the anchor of the line, left tackle Taylor Lewan, was also suspended for the first four games.

But as the season progressed, Lewan and Saffold began to round into form and the O-line as a whole began to impose its will, especially on the ground. Davis took a little longer, but he made huge strides from Week 15 on.

Tennessee will be returning 80 percent of its offensive line in 2020, with the lone exception being right tackle Jack Conklin. However, Tennessee is set to replace him with Dennis Kelly, who has spent four seasons in Nashville and played alongside the starters in 2019.

Saffold believes the continuity upfront will help both he and the offensive line “start off on the right foot”, as he told the media during a Zoom call on Friday.

“We get to start off on the right foot from the beginning,” Saffold said. “I know what the coaches want from me. I know what they’re looking for as far as speed wise. And it’s just going to help our entire offensive line all around because now we have a bunch of veterans that know what’s going on with the offense and we can help out the younger guys when they need to come along.”

With more familiarity and experience in the Titans’ offensive system, Lewan believes it’s about “fine tuning” the details in 2020, as opposed to having to start from scratch and get new players up to speed on things.

“We know the offense,” Lewan said. “You can put up a plan, 95 percent of guys will be able to rattle off the keys of that play, what the scheme is, and everything. But now, it’s about fine tuning those details and I think that’s a really big deal for us being in the third year of this offense.”

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Titans players ready to welcome Vic Beasley with open arms

Vic Beasley’s teammates aren’t holding anything against him after he reported to Titans training camp late.

Tennessee Titans outside linebacker Vic Beasley is off to a rough start in Nashville, but thankfully his teammates are still ready to welcome him with open arms.

Beasley, who signed a one-year, $9.5 million deal with the Titans earlier this offseason, reported to training camp late and will now have to pay $500,000 in fines, or $50,000 per day he missed.

While this is no doubt a frustrating beginning for a player the Titans are counting on to improve their pass-rush, some of the team’s veterans have already made it clear they won’t hold it against him.

Safety Kenny Vaccaro, defensive lineman DaQuan Jones, and left guard Rodger Saffold all held Zoom calls with the media on Friday and all had positive things to say about Beasley, who reported on the same day.

Here’s Vaccaro’s take on things.

Jones is ready to embrace Beasley.

Saffold echoed Jones’ sentiments, while also praising Beasley’s skill set.

Before he can join his teammates, Beasley will have to test negative for COVID-19 three times over the next four days, so there’s still a process to go through before he can get started.

If there’s one thing the Titans have that can help Beasley, it’s a great culture, as evidenced by the responses from these players. The team is filled with a lot of responsible veterans and great coaches who can help Beasley turn things around and move forward from here.

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PFF ranks Titans’ O-Line in the middle of the pack for 2020

Where did the Titans land in PFF’s offensive line rankings?

Pro Football Focus released its annual offensive line rankings ahead of the season, and the Tennessee Titans landed in the middle of the pack for 2020.

More specifically, PFF’s Steve Palazzolo placed the Titans at No. 15, while also citing his concern about the right side, which will feature Nate Davis at right guard and either Dennis Kelly or rookie Isaiah Wilson at right tackle.

Three-fifths of the Tennessee offensive line features established starters, while the right side comes with plenty of question marks. The Titans have a potentially volatile group up front but with hopes of ranking in the top 10 once again.

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The only team in the AFC South to rank better than the Titans was the Indianapolis Colts, who topped the list at No. 1.

While there are no doubt questions about the right side after Jack Conklin’s departure, there are certainly reasons for optimism, also.

As far as the competition between Kelly and Wilson goes at right tackle, the edge goes to the veteran thanks to his experience and an abbreviated offseason that might slow Wilson’s development.

Despite technically being a new starter, Kelly allows the Titans to keep continuity upfront with his experience playing with the other four returning starters. And, Kelly did such a good job filling in for an injured Conklin in 2018 that some believed he could take Conklin’s job in 2019.

It’s no surprise Davis got off to a slow start and was a mess for much of his first season — particularly in pass protection — after missing all of training camp, the preseason, and the first three games of the regular season.

With that said, Davis rebounded nicely near the end of the campaign. He improved from an overall PFF grade of 30.1 through Week 14 to 71.5 from Week 15 on.

Combined with Jones, who was sensational all of last season and graded out as an elite center, and Lewan and Saffold, both of whom rebounded strong after slow starts, the Titans have the potential to sport one of the best offensive lines in the league in 2020.

Of course, that will depend on the performance of whoever starts at right tackle and the continued development of Davis.

However, when PFF re-ranks these groups at the end of the 2020 campaign, I’d expect the Titans’ unit to at least crack the top 10, much like it did in PFF’s end of season offensive line rankings from 2019.

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Tennessee Titans’ best contracts of the Jon Robinson era

What are some of the best contracts Jon Robinson has handed out during his Titans tenure?

After touching on some of the worst contracts Tennessee Titans general manager Jon Robinson has handed out during his tenure, we decided to take a look at some of the best.

And there are plenty.

Here’s a look at the best contracts Robinson has been responsible for during his time with the Titans.

Ben Jones | C

Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Contracts: Four years, $17.5 million (2016)/Two years, $13.5 million (2019)

Jones was one of the first signings Robinson made after taking over as general manager, and it has certainly paid dividends.

Jones has given the Titans stellar play up the middle and has provided stability after having started in all but one game during his four-year tenure.

Prior to the 2019 campaign, Robinson decided to avoid letting Jones hit free agency in 2020 by locking him up to a two-year extension. Jones proved the Titans’ GM made the right move once again after posting his best season as a pro despite the offensive line struggling around him early on.

According to PFF, Jones’ 2019 overall grade of 77.2, which was the best of his career, was third among qualifying centers and he was one of just four players at his position who logged a minimum of 250 pass-blocking snaps and allowed a pressure rate under two percent.

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Rodger Saffold: ‘People thought I was crazy’ for coming to the Titans

It looks like Rodger Saffold had the last laugh, though.

Tennessee Titans left guard Rodger Saffold had a rough start to his tenure in Nashville, but he slowly rounded into form as the 2019 season progressed, as did the team’s entire offensive line.

But when he first decided to leave the Los Angeles Rams, a team that had made it to the Super Bowl the previous year, Saffold said people thought he was crazy during a Thursday Zoom call with the media.

Saffold indeed got the last laugh, as the Titans made it all the way to the AFC Championship game, while the Rams missed out on the playoffs entirely.

That result has given the 31-year-old and his teammates even more motivation.

After starting off slow in his first year with the Titans, Saffold now believes having a full year under his belt in the team’s offense will help and says the chemistry of the offensive line is much better.

One of the most important things to Saffold going into 2020 is the team starting fast, which has been a problem for the Titans in recent years.

The veteran complimented the work ethic of first-round pick, Isaiah Wilson.

Saffold has also been impressed with right guard Nate Davis, who he says has been working to improve his game.

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Brockers isn’t first free agent to return to Rams after agreeing to another deal

Rodger Saffold also returned to the Rams in 2014 after agreeing to a deal with the Raiders.

Michael Brockers was one of the first departures reported for the Rams this offseason after he agreed to a three-year deal with the Ravens. It was a tough pill for fans to swallow, considering he’s one of the longest-tenured players on the roster.

Those in L.A. woke up to some good news on Friday, though, as Brockers’ deal with the Ravens fell through, opening the door for a return to the Rams. And that’s exactly where Brockers is headed. He’s re-signing with the Rams, landing a three-year deal worth a maximum value of $31.5 million.

If this situation feels familiar, it should. Six years ago, the Rams were on the verge of losing Rodger Saffold, who agreed to a deal with the Raiders during 2014 free agency. A failed physical caused the Raiders to pull out from the agreement, allowing Saffold to go back to the Rams.

He spent the next five years with the Rams and became one of the best guards in football over that span. Last offseason, he left to join the Titans, but the Rams have to hope this scenario with Brockers works out as well as it did when Saffold returned in 2014.

Of course, the biggest difference is the timing and size of the contract. Saffold was 25 at the time and the Rams gave him a five-year deal worth $42.5 million. Brockers is 29 and his deal is only for three years, though the structure of it will make it even shorter than that.

But, this is still a win for the Rams. They get to retain a leader in the locker room, a stout run defender up front and bolster their defensive line with yet another big body.

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Rams 2010s All-Decade Team: Offense

Breaking down the best offensive players to play for the Los Angeles (and St. Louis) Rams during the 2010s.

(Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

The 2010s were quite an eventful decade for the Rams franchise. They played in two different cities, had the first overall pick twice, played in a Super Bowl, drafted a generational talent and a massive bust in the first round of the same draft, won two games in a season, hired a coach who produced a timeless meme, and hired another coach who changed how teams hire coaches in the NFL.

There were some incredible highs and some devastating lows. This list is no different. There are players on this list that would make anybody’s overall NFL All-Decade team, and there are players on this list that maybe shouldn’t have even been starting games in the NFL. The Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams of the 2010s were a rollercoaster ride. This list will give you a chance to relive it.

To select our All-Decade Team, we only considered what players did between the 2010 and 2019 seasons. For example, when considering Steven Jackson, we wouldn’t take into account his entire career with the Rams, just his three years playing for the team this decade.

Let’s get into it, starting with the offense.

Quarterback: Jared Goff (2016 – 2019)

(Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)

Goff is the only real option here. In his three full seasons as the Rams starting quarterback, Goff threw for 13,130 yards while completing 63% of his passes. He tossed 82 touchdown passes against 35 interceptions and added five touchdowns on the ground. His rookie season may have been abysmal, but Goff bounced back with two very impressive seasons in 2017 and 2018. He was the first Rams quarterback to be selected to back-to-back Pro Bowls since Kurt Warner in 2000-2001.

Most importantly, he’s helped the team win football games – something the Rams’ other QBs from last decade struggled to do. The Rams have put together three straight winning seasons for the first time since the days of the Greatest Show on Turf. Goff played a significant role in leading the Rams to a 13-3 record and a Super Bowl appearance in 2018. He holds a 33-14 record as the Rams starting quarterback since 2017.

Goff left a lot to be desired in 2019, but his overall tenure with the Rams has been a success. Let’s hope he can return to form in 2020 and cement himself as the quarterback for next decade’s team.

Honorable Mention: Sam Bradford

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Titans’ Rodger Saffold returns to St. Louis for XFL BattleHawks game

Offensive guard Rodger Saffold may take the field for the Tennessee Titans now, but Nashville isn’t the city where he got his NFL start.

Offensive guard Rodger Saffold may take the field for the Tennessee Titans now, but Nashville isn’t the city where he got his NFL start.

The Titans face a long offseason after falling just one game short of Super Bowl LIV, and players like Saffold are taking advantage of the period of downtime.

Saffold returned to St. Louis on Sunday — the city where he played with the Rams for six seasons. He suited up for the team for three years after it moved to Los Angeles, then signed with the Titans in 2019.

The St. Louis BattleHawks are the new team taking up residence in The Dome at America’s Center since the Rams left, and were well-received by the town as they recorded a 29-9 victory in their home opener.

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“Man the dome still brings back memories,” Saffold wrote. “I got chills walking on the field with the smell of football in the air! Long story short I appreciate the city that gave me my first start!”

The BattleHawks (2-1) are set to face the Seattle Dragons in their second-straight home contest at 4 p.m. CST on Saturday.

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Report: Rams didn’t offer Rodger Saffold a contract last offseason

According to Peter Schrager, the Rams didn’t try to keep Rodger Saffold.

Rodger Saffold played the first nine years of his NFL career with the Rams, starting games at every offensive line position except center. He hit free agency last offseason and the Titans signed him to a four-year, $44 million deal that was presumably too rich for the Rams’ taste.

As it turns out, Los Angeles didn’t even try to re-sign Saffold when his contract expired last March. According to Peter Schrager of NFL Network, the Rams didn’t make an offer to Saffold last offseason.

To make matters worse, Schrager says all Saffold wanted was to be a Ram for life.

Saffold was one of the longest-tenured players on the team and not only was he a leader in the locker room, but he was one of the most important players on offense. Next to Andrew Whitworth, Saffold was a road-grading left guard who was also good in pass protection.

Losing him was a significant blow to the offense and his departure is part of the reason Jared Goff and Todd Gurley regressed in 2019.

The Rams didn’t have a ton of money to spend and also lost Lamarcus Joyner in free agency, but the reported lack of effort to keep Saffold is shocking, to say the least.

The good news for Saffold is A) he got paid, and B) he’s one win away from playing in his second consecutive Super Bowl.

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Players react to Titans’ 35-32 win over Chiefs

Hardly anyone saw it coming.

Hardly anyone saw it coming.

The Tennessee Titans (5-5) aimed to even out their record once more as the Kansas City Chiefs traveled to Nissan Stadium on Sunday, but many doubted their ability to accomplish that ahead of the game given the team’s overall inconsistency and struggles on offense this year.

But the Titans stayed competitive and came up with enough answers to beat the Chiefs, 35-32 at home.

Here’s a look at some player reactions from the thrilling victory.

The Titans face a visiting Jacksonville Jaguars team next on Nov. 24 at 3:05 p.m. CT in Nissan Stadium.