Getting to know guard Rodger Saffold

Learn about guard Rodger Saffold and what he can provide for the Bills’ o-line

With the Bills in need of adding depth and a starter at the guard position, they decided to sign former Tennessee Titan Rodger Saffold this offseason. It’s safe to pencil him in as one of the starting guards along with Ryan Bates.

Career Resume

If you have never heard of Saffold or don’t know much about him, here are some essential tidbits from his career resume:

• 2nd round pick in 2010 out of Indiana

• Previously played with the Rams and the Titans

• Second Team All-Pro in 2017

• Pro Bowler in 2021

• PFWA All-Rookie Team in 2010

Skillset

Rodger Saffold has been in the NFL since 2010, so he has gained plenty of skills that teams have coveted over the handful of years. Throughout his career, Saffold has excelled as a bruiser guard. He is super physical and possesses all the traits to be a dominant player due to his strength. He is mainly known for his run blocking ability, and over the last couple of seasons, he has been one of the best run blockers in the NFL.

According to PFF, he was graded as a better run blocker than pass blocker. In his 2021 season with the Titans, however, he only allowed two sacks and appeared in 853 snaps which is a pretty big sample size.

Since arriving in Buffalo, Sean McDermott has preached the importance of keeping the offense moving forward rather than backward due to penalties. This past season, Saffold only committed five penalties, which is a pretty solid penalty number that McDermott should be okay with. Over a 17-game season, that is only .29 penalties per game. Which, in essence, isn’t a whole lot, and the Bills should be satisfied with that.

How he fits with the Bills

Now, this is the most crucial part. How does Saffold fit on the current Buffalo Bills offensive line? At this point, things can change as we head into training camp. Saffold projects to be the starting left guard for the Bills while Ryan Bates occupies the other guard position. When you look at his overall fit on the team, it seems like a match made in heaven.

Perhaps the most positive sign that this could be a great relationship between the Bills and Saffold is the fact that Saffold has experience playing under current Bills o-line coach Aaron Kromer. And, he didn’t just play for him, he was a Second-Team All-Pro in 2017 under Kromer’s direction with the Rams. Kromer left the Bills following the 2016 season, and in his first year with Saffold on the Rams, he was able to get the most out of him. Kromer now returns to the Bills six years later with hopes of doing the same.

Over the last couple of seasons the Bills have struggled to run the ball at a consistent clip, mainly due to running behind an inefficient offensive line. Saffold thoroughly excels at run blocking, and with the addition of James Cook and another year for Devin Singletary, the Bills running game should take another step forward.

But, it isn’t like Saffold is a lousy pass blocker. He was a pro bowler for a reason last year, as he’s efficient as a pass blocker as well. The Bills have had somewhat of a revolving door at the guard position over the last couple of seasons, but you are hoping Saffold and Bates can solidify it for this upcoming season.