Rodger Saffold’s Fate Could Be Determined This Weekend

November 11, 2012; San Francisco, CA, USA; 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

At the NFL combine it is not unlikely that general managers and the agents of players set to hit the open market get together and begin to crack out a deal. It has been said that the Rams are planning on talking to the representatives of Rodger Saffold this weekend at the combine.

With free agency less than a month away, this could be the Rams’  last chance to get a deal done beforehand. If nothing gets done, then the team will have to wait and see what other teams offer Saffold and hope that it’s not too far outside their budget.

Letting Saffold hit the free agency market may be the smart thing to do anyway as the Rams would then be able to see what Saffold is worth to other teams and could go from there.

The Rams tackle/guard has been pretty injury prone in his career as his only full season was his rookie year which could give the Rams some ground in negotiations. However, that does not take away the fact that Saffold is one of the team’s best offensive tackles and was turning into a top ten guard in the league.

The main issue between the Rams and Saffold is that his future with the Rams is at guard, while Saffold believes he is a top left tackle which is a significant difference in the money category. Fisher said in his press conference Friday, “Ultimately he’s going to be an outstanding guard in this league.”

Les Snead has a difficult decision to make on Saffold and it’s even harder considering the team in limited when it comes to the cap. The Rams are pretty thin at offensive line as every position at least right now has a question mark.

The Rams could still sign an offensive lineman in free agency and draft a guy or two in May, but there is no doubt re-signing Saffold would go a long way.