Saffold returns; Clemens, Williams gone

ESPN

* Rodger Saffold won't have to worry about blocking Robert Quinn now, except possibly in training camp. After a "failed physical" nullified the deal the Raiders signed him to earlier this week, the Rams acted quickly and brought him back with a 5-year contract. The Rams got a slight discount; $19.5 million guaranteed of a $31.7 million deal vs. $21 million guaranteed of a $42 million deal. That might still be high for a player who typically misses a third of every season, but plugging Rodger back in at right guard settles at least that side of the offensive line and gives the Rams the insurance they probably need against Jake Long not being able to start the season.

As for that "failed physical", the Raiders suddenly claimed Thursday that Saffold has a shoulder injury that will require surgery before he could start the season, leading owner Mark Davis to nix the deal. Saffold played with the injury all last season; it happened in a preseason game against Cleveland. He's passed all his Rams physicals since then. Suspicion is the Raiders got cold feet after mostly negative reactions to news of the deal.

Well, it's their loss, then. If Saffold can stay healthy - notice the size of that if, given his injury history and the possibility of that shoulder injury - and continue to perform as well as he did at guard at the end of last season, the Rams will have themselves a player.


* The left side of the offensive line is far from settled, and not just because of Long's injury. Chris Williams signed a surprising 4-year deal with the Bills Wednesday, for 4 years, $13.5 million, $5.5 million guaranteed. I don't know why the rest of the league is so determined to make it too expensive for a 7-9 team to keep its offensive line together, but for now it looks like the Rams are depending hard on Barrett Jones to live up to all of those college trophies. They also had former Bucs guard Davin Joseph in for a visit Wednesday.

AP

* Thursday afternoon didn't bring any better news, as Kellen Clemens bailed on the Rams for San Diego for a 2-year deal that sounded like it was barely above the league minimum. Surely the Rams could have offered that to the guy who kept the Rams competitive half of last year after Sam Bradford tore his ACL. Clemens would have been a cheap and effective insurance policy against Bradford's brittleness, but other than Saffold, the Rams have not shown any determination this offseason to keep their veteran free agents.

Rams Nation has figured for a while that the team would have to draft a QB this year, though it now looks like they're going to have to use a pretty high pick. Bradford's history has made it mandatory to have a guy behind him who can step in and be credible right away.

Just for the team's reference, the seat next to RamView is free right now if they want to draft A.J. McCarron.

* Late update: Thursday night the Rams announced they have signed linebacker Jo-Lonn Dunbar to a two-year deal.

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