Rodger

Saffold

The Browns add offensive line depth headed into the postseason with the addition of Saffold, 35, who played for Buffalo in 2022. He signed with the Jets in late October but did not suit up for New York. The Browns will enter the playoffs with an offensive line graded by Pro Football Focus as the league’s 11th worst run-blocking unit and 16th best pass-blocking unit.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Saffold will join the Jets’ practice squad with the intent to promote him to the active roster in the near future. The Jets recently placed two offensive linemen on injured reserve, creating an immediate need for help along the interior. Saffold last played for the Bills in 2022, starting 16 games at left guard while earning a PFF grade of 43.7. The 35-year-old lineman struggled mightily in 2022, but had a strong 2021 in his final year with the Titans. At this point, the Jets will take any help they can get, and hope Saffold can solidify their interior along the way.

Saffold reportedly injured his ribs in a car accident. He had been slotted in as Buffalo’s starting left guard, a task that could fall to Cody Ford or Greg Van Roten while he’s out. It’s probably unlikely that this will keep him from starting the season, but we don’t exactly have the full extent of the injury from current reporting.

The deal features a void year in 2023 for cap purposes. Saffold was released by the Titans last week to save on cap space, but he was still playing at a solid level. He was ranked as a top-50 guard by Pro Football Focus and earned the first Pro Bowl nod of his career. He hasn’t missed more than two games in a season since 2015. The Bills have frequently turned to affordable free agents to address their needs in the tranches in recent years. Though Saffold will be 34 years old by the time the 2022 season starts, he should still give the Bills a solid starter at guard while playing for a reasonable price.

Saffold was entering the final season of a four-year deal and had a $1 million roster bonus due next week. Saffold was selected by the Rams in the second round of the 2010 draft and played for them through 2018. He joined the Titans in 2019 and started all 32 games from 2019-2020. In 2021, he dealt with an ankle injury, which slowed him down at the end of the season and in the Titans’ playoff loss to the Bengals. Saffold still played reasonably well, finishing as Pro Football Focus’ 47th ranked guard. He’s likely to land another starting job in free agency.

With LT Taylor Lewan (back) out Thursday night against the 49ers already, the Titans will be missing the left side of their offensive line.

Saffold was slowed by his ankle for much of the second half of the season but will enter Sunday without a single designation. There’s a chance he’s limited with the injury, but he’ll still be in Tennessee’s starting lineup.

It’s something to monitor closely if you are planning on paying up for Derrick Henry in DFS. Saffold was slowed by his ankle for much of the second half of the season but missed only one game before tweaking it yet again in Week 17. Media chatter has suggested Saffold is on the wrong side of questionable to suit up against the Ravens.

Saffold missed Week 11 with this same injury and did not practice this week after gutting through it in Week 12. It’s unclear if he’ll manage to pull it off again. With other offensive line injuries, it’s worth watching for Titans fans. The Browns will have DE Myles Garrett back this week.

Titans will also likely be without C Ben Jones (knee), who wasn’t able to practice at any point throughout the week. With Taylor Lewan (torn ACL) out for the rest of the year, Tennessee will have no choice but to turn to both Ty Sambrailo and Jamil Douglas at left tackle and guard against Baltimore. It’s a concerning downgrade for an offense that ranks fourth-overall in play-action usage.