With Rodger Saffold down, the St. Louis Rams will look to Garret Reynolds

By Alex Hoysradt | Oct 17, 2015

When the St. Louis Rams starting right guard Rodger Saffold went down with an injury in the first half of St. Louis’ loss to Green Bay last week, the Rams turned to their most experienced offensive lineman to take his place. Garrett Reynolds, nephew of Rams great Jack Reynolds, is the most experienced lineman on the roster with seven years under his belt. While Reynolds has never been a perennial starter, having only started 27 of 57 career games, he is the logical choice to replace Saffold for the rest of the season.

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Before Saffold went down he was not having a great season. Being the most experienced starter along the offensive line, Saffold was counted on as the calming veteran presence. Instead he was responsible for multiple false start penalties and dysfunction along the line.

According to Pro Football Focus, Saffold was ranked 67th out of 74 eligible guards, certainly a rough start and not what the Rams or Saffold had hoped for. His injury history has helped either. It seems like every year Saffold is fighting off yet another injury, however briefly, and that injury risk is not desirable, especially for a young offensive line that needs an experienced veteran in its midst.

Oct 11, 2015; Green Bay, WI, USA; St. Louis Rams offensive tackle Garrett Reynolds (71) during the game against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. Green Bay won 24-10. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

So in steps Reynolds, a big powerful run blocker at 6’7-305 pounds. Before coming to St. Louis this offseason, Reynolds played for Atlanta and Detroit, never starting more than 10 games in a season. Now he gets his chance to start the rest of the season and show what he is capable of.

When Reynolds stepped in to finish the Green Bay game, it was noticeable that the Rams offensive began to play better. While the pass protection was still leaky, the line opened up more holes for running back Todd Gurley, who had a big day posting 159 rushing yards. Head coach Jeff Fisher said after the game that when Reynolds went in he brought a settling factor to the rest of the line.

That presence will be key in the coming weeks for this young offensive line who is still trying to establish itself in the pass protection game and become more consistent. Even if Reynolds only performs at an average level, it will be better than what Saffold was giving them.

With the bye week coming at a convenient time, the Rams have extra time to establish some continuity and comfort up front before they face Cleveland next Sunday. Without a decent offensive line, an offense can hardly function. That was clearly evident against the Packers, especially in the passing game. The Rams need to button up their line if they want a chance to contend for a playoff spot down the stretch.