In a span of less than six hours on Monday, Daryl Williams was out and Rodger Saffold was in as a guard for the Buffalo Bills. And they still might not be done with what has been a slow but sure transformation of the offensive line.
Not long after announcing Williams had been released, they welcomed Saffold, a 33-year-old veteran of 12 seasons, to the fold with a one-year contract.
The move coincides with a contract extension handed out to center Mitch Morse on the same day, presumably to lower what was a prohibitive cap hit for this season.
Saffold was a second-round draft pick of the St. Louis Rams in 2010. He moved to the Tennessee Titans after the 2018 season and made his first Pro Bowl last season. Because he had been released by the Titans, he and the Bills didn't have to wait until the official start of the new NFL league year on Wednesday at 4 p.m. to make the agreement official, like players with expiring contracts must do.
Thus, neither Williams nor Saffold will count against the formula used to determine compensatory draft picks.
Williams' departure means the Bills will have a new regular starter in that spot for the fifth time in as many years.
They plan for Saffold to take over at left guard for Ryan Bates, who had just won the job in December and is a restricted free agent who likely will be retained to play the right side. Former right tackle Cody Ford was moved from right tackle to right guard to replace Jon Feliciano in 2020, but eventually lost his starting job to Williams. John Miller was their starter there in 2018.
The rest of the line has seen quite a transformation over the last few seasons as well.
Morse was imported from Kansas City in 2019. Williams began the 2021 season at right tackle after signing a brand-new contract, but was bumped inside after three games when rookie Spencer Brown was inserted on the outside. Feliciano, who wound up at left guard when Ford was moved inside in favor of Williams, lost his starting job to Bates late in the 2021 season and was released last week.
Bills Central recommends not operating any heavy machinery immediately after trying to follow all that.
Keep in mind also that new offensive line coach Aaron Kromer also has his fingerprints on this latest transaction. Kromer and Saffold worked together with the Rams for two seasons before Saffold moved on to Tennessee.
"We had one of the top offensive lines in the NFL," Saffold said. "We were able to get to a Super Bowl together, we were able to turn the entire team around and get us to start getting into playoff games. I know his techniques. He always made sure everything was clear, makes sure things work. I know how successful that I was with him, and I know I can be just as successful again.
"So just being able to continue to work with him and be able to be under a coach that I know is going to make sure that I'm familiar with everything going on with every play, with every protection, run, doesn't matter — he's just a great guy to work with. And of course, you know, he played a big part in my decision to come here."
But stay tuned. Saffold turns 34 in June and is in Buffalo on a one-year deal, so the Bills could be planning to add his successor in the NFL Draft next month.
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