Rams OG Rodger Saffold to miss remainder of season; injury updates

The St. Louis Rams offensive guard Rodger Saffold will require surgery on his injured right shoulder and will miss the remainder of the 2015 season. Saffold injured the shoulder in the third quarter of the Rams Week 5 loss to the Green Bay Packers. Head coach Jeff Fisher was holding out hope that a second opinion would reveal better news, but no such luck was to come their way.

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"“He’s going to require season-ending surgery, unfortunately.” Fisher said. “Our doctors agreed with the second opinion and, so it will take place in the next couple of days.”–Nick Wagoner, ESPN"

Saffold suffered a similar injury to the opposite shoulder in the offseason of the 2014 season. That left shoulder injury kept him from singing a free-agent contract with the Oakland Raiders after failing his physical. Saffold has played a full season only twice since entering the league in 2010. Surgery on the left shoulder last year limited Saffold all season long.

"“Once we got both opinions together, he was willing to try to play, but inevitably it’s going to come out again when you’re talking about the condition of the shoulder,” Fisher said. “So we just felt like for career-wise, future-wise, it’s best to get it fixed. He fought through it with the left shoulder last year, and we fixed it when the season was over. So we’re getting an earlier start.”-Wagoner, ESPN"

Garrett Reynolds will step into Saffold’s slot and start after the Rams return from the bye in Week 7 against the Cleveland Browns. Reynolds has played 57 games along the line at tackle and guard and is easily the teams most experienced starting lineman. On a line that consists of two rookies, Jamon Brown and Rob Havenstein, one second-year left tackle in Greg Robinson and an inexperienced center with Tim Barnes, Reynolds will be looked upon as a leader immediately.

Saffold is projected to return in February/March of 2016.

Sep 13, 2015; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Rams tight end Lance Kendricks (88) Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

In addition to Saffold’s surgery, Rams tight end Lance Kendricks also had surgery earlier this week to repair a torn ligament in his finger. Kendrick had reportedly been playing with the injury since Week 1. The team doesn’t expect Kendricks to miss much time, but the game agains the Browns is questionable. In an insurance move, Fisher promoted tight end Justice Cunningham from the practice squad. Cunningham was Mr.Irrelavant (the final selection in the NFL Draft) in 2013 by the Indianapolis Colts and has recorded only one catch in the regular season.

Running back Trey Watts was signed to the practice squad to replace Cunningham.

The St. Louis offensive line has been anything but strong in the early parts of the 2015 season and the loss of the lone veteran Saffold will be substantial. Kendricks, a better blocker than pass catcher, will return sooner rather than later, but his surgery certainly complicates things. The Rams need to find a way to get better up front and allow quarterback Nick Foles more time to make plays.

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