Should the Atlanta Falcons target Rodger Saffold?

On Thursday morning, Adam Schefter reported that the Tennessee Titans parted ways with Pro Bowl left guard Rodger Saffold opening the door for Saffold to find a new home with the Atlanta Falcons

With the Atlanta Falcons in need of help on the offensive line and being ranked 27th in Pro Football Focus’s final offensive line rankings, bringing in Saffold could prove to be a great piece for a struggling Falcons offensive line.

Just a reminder, Matt Ryan was sacked 40 times in 2021, which ranked sixth in the NFL. With Ryan turning 37 in May, he needs exponentially better protection in order to succeed next season.

With Saffold on the offensive line, Tennessee running back Derrick Henry led the league in both rushing yards and touchdowns in 2019 and 2020 while earning NFL Offensive Player of the Year honors in 2020.

Saffold was also named to his first Pro Bowl this past season after allowing just two sacks in 823 snaps played.

With left guard Jaylen Mayfield allowing 11 sacks and 57 pressures in 2021, it is clear that something needs to be addressed on the offensive line. Signing Saffold would give Mayfield a year to develop, while Mayfield could also learn from the seasoned veteran.

Head coach Arthur Smith also reportedly loved having Saffold on the offensive line when he served as offensive coordinator with the Titans.

Granted, there are a lot of cap questions space that Terry Fontenot and company have to clear up before making any big deals. The Falcons about sit at about $3.8 million under the league’s $208.2 million salary cap after Calvin Ridley’s Ridley’s $11.1 million contract will toll due to his suspension.

However, signing the 32-year old to a one-year deal would give the questionable offensive line a lot more security going into 2022 while giving the younger members of the Falcons offensive line a chance to develop. It could prove to be worthwhile for the Falcons to give the former Tennessee Titan a look moving into next season.