Saffold fails physical

[Buckybird]

There are always bad signings and contracts for every franchise. But, this is a whole other level of incompetence.... It's one thing to make bad deals, it's another to make agents never want to deal with you again.

This isn't the 1st time a FA signing has failed a physical & lost a contract

 

[sunsfan88]

Michael Silver ‏@MikeSilver
I've given you the Raider news. Now, my opinion: Reggie is flailing. It's mornhinwegesque. Petrinoesque. Bad plan, laughable execution.

Michael Silver ‏@MikeSilver
That's my opinion--and that of many high-ranking officials from other teams. And from some people in Raiders' organization. This is bad.

Michael Silver ‏@MikeSilver
Everyone in league is laughing at the Raiders now. Really. And somehow it's MY fault? Didn't franchise Veldheer, signed saffold. Now this?

Michael Silver ‏@MikeSilver Text from one NFC team's front office source: 'is that the most oakland thing you’ve ever seen?'

https://twitter.com/MikeSilver

 

[moklerman]

From what I've read, Saffold doesn't have an injury(MRI showed nothing) and Mark Davis just wanted out of the deal. I know the Rams are happy as they didn't want to lose Saffold as he's shown to be a very good guard.

Saffold wanted LT money and is serviceable there when healthy but the Rams wanted to keep him as guard and as utility insurance in case Long doesn't come back on schedule, etc.

Weird, bizarre road to get there, but in the long run the Rams got(kept) who they wanted. So far.

 

[Garthshort]

If Saffold is getting less money from the Rams (especially guarantee money) I would think that he'd go to the NFLPA to ask them to "make" the Raiders live up to the contract, provided he had signed a contract. But if he is injured, then that's another story.

 

[Vermont Maverick]

If you had any doubt the Raiders are the new Cardinals..... remove them immediately.

I have been thinking this for awhile. We used to be the current Raiders, Browns, Bills, and Dolphins. The laughingstalks of the league who did idiotic things like draft second round players (Anthony Bell) in the first round, so that Cheap Old Man could try to pay them less money. Literally, we did this.


Now, we are the team thatcomes in and scoops up a Legit LT when the moronic Raiders decide not to tag him, so they can pick up a guard to play LT, pay him more money, then decide not to sign him.


THIS IS GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!

 

[BullheadCardFan]

If Saffold is getting less money from the Rams (especially guarantee money) I would think that he'd go to the NFLPA to ask them to "make" the Raiders live up to the contract, provided he had signed a contract. But if he is injured, then that's another story.

That's a good point.

Have to feel for the Raiders fans.

 

[BW52]

Saffold ended up back in STl with a 5 yr deal from Rams

 

[cardpa]

I think the Raiders need to sign Graves on as their GM. This would never have happen on his watch. He moves too slow to have gotten to offering him a contract in the first place.

 

[Chopper0080]

How they can allow McKenzie to draft for them this year is beyond me.

In 2013, he traded the #3 pick in the draft for the #12 & #42 picks. Not a terrible move until he then drafted DJ Hayden (heart issue) and Menelik Watson (who can't crack into a very average offensive line).

This year he has the #5 pick...and has already bungled up free agency which was going to be tough anyways because of how many issues the Raiders have had.

How can you risk allowing a GM, who is probably going to get fired, to draft for a head coach, who is probably going to get fired? So many ways the Raiders can screw up another top 10 selection.

 

[moklerman]

How they can allow McKenzie to draft for them this year is beyond me.

In 2013, he traded the #3 pick in the draft for the #12 & #42 picks. Not a terrible move until he then drafted DJ Hayden (heart issue) and Menelik Watson (who can't crack into a very average offensive line).

This year he has the #5 pick...and has already bungled up free agency which was going to be tough anyways because of how many issues the Raiders have had.

How can you risk allowing a GM, who is probably going to get fired, to draft for a head coach, who is probably going to get fired? So many ways the Raiders can screw up another top 10 selection.

Hard to be too tough on a first time GM drafting for the first time. As you say, not a bad move to parlay an early pick into additional picks and I'm still not sure just how much authority he really has.

He's got a colossal rebuild on his hands and the Davis family in control. Not an enviable task.

 

[vinnymac]

I feel bad for the Raiders GM. He has scouting department that is failing him. McKenzie might have been hired as the GM, but if he still has the the same scouting department from years past, that just makes McKenzie and Allen the fall guys.

 

[Chopper0080]

Hard to be too tough on a first time GM drafting for the first time. As you say, not a bad move to parlay an early pick into additional picks and I'm still not sure just how much authority he really has.

He's got a colossal rebuild on his hands and the Davis family in control. Not an enviable task.

2013 was McKenzie's 2nd draft and the amount of times he has been a GM should be irrelevant. He has screwed up in every way possible, draft, FA and young player retention. He is a total liability for the future of that franchise.

 

[jf-08]

I think the Raiders need to sign Graves on as their GM. This would never have happen on his watch. He moves too slow to have gotten to offering him a contract in the first place.

 

[CardsFan88]

It's a major problem. They have all this cap space, yet are rescinding deals through made up crap after reaching an agreement?

The owner comes in and for whatever reason, maybe hearing everyone laugh at them for what they signed Saffold to, only to be such a clueless businessman to know that rescinding the deal is worse then extending it in the first place x10.

Lots of players aren't even going to return their phone calls now. If this is how they act with the most space in the league, what's going to happen when they have alot less, like the majority of years? Why would any free agent in demand even consider the Raiders?

They already had to overspend, now they are going to have to promise more, but who is going to believe them, when that 'more money' can be the reason they don't honor the agreement?

I'm hard pressed to see them getting in on top flight guys for the next few years. They're going to have to overpay scrubs. Just like a Dollar Bill reputation, this is going to hang around Mark Davis for decades.

The Raiders boards are amazing thing to read right now. From people saying it's a godsend, to people believing now they'll sign Mack for LT money. Hell I've seen a bunch of people say, we need to be patient, it's only his 3rd year as GM!!!! To those still in reality bashing the hell out of Reggie. Tons of people saying how they waited, but simply can't defend him anymore.

Another point is we're sort of confusing Reggie for Mark Davis. Which is probably the worst thing. Now that they've shown the owner will nix agreed to deals, nothing McKenzie can ever say can actually calm agent's fears over the matter. He's not in control.

All that capspace, and one of the best on the market as an option, even having the franchise tag as an option, and they are the ones left without a chair in musical chairs. Amazing.

It's going to be real interesting to see how they spend 50 million in capspace with most of the guys worth signing to big deals are gone.

So many people on raiders board saying stuff like...worst start to the 1st 24 hours of FA, they can't wait to see how much worse it gets in the 2nd 24 hours.....and it DID.

It's sad it really is. Quite fascinating, but sad.

But all I know is hey Reggie...thanks for Palmer, JV, and Shaughnessy. Your loss is a major reason why we're even competing. So thanks.

 

[ajcardfan]

That's a good point.

Have to feel for the Raiders fans.

Uh, no I don't have to feel for them. I've had so many negative interactions with Raiders fans, especially during the SDS days.... They can't suffer too much IMO.

 

[Brian in Mesa]

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[RugbyMuffin]

Uh, no I don't have to feel for them.

+1

No Cardinals fan is going to feel bad for any NFL team when it comes to suffering through poor management of an organization.

We had our fill of it for decades.

 

[RugbyMuffin]

) and Menelik Watson (who can't crack into a very average offensive line).

Watson was hurt all last year.

Still think he will develop into a really good player in the NFL.

JMHO.

That being said, the Raiders are a mess.

 

[THESMEL]

I think the Raiders are right! ( probably a death nail) But my reason is that Veldheer and Houston acted like they did not want to be there! Palmer didn't want to be there- and I'm old school - I would rather have 2nd tier talent that WANTED to PLAY and BUILD my team-

Then a single loose mouth- wing nut. I think they get a new team, QB and start growing together as a tesm- for better or worse till debt do they part.

 

[CardsFan88]

Here's a great inside detail about the story. Yes the Raiders are going to look very bad for a long time.

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/foot...cle_a7223ed6-9a00-5f94-a5b3-e3cd7c2e99b4.html

"Rodger told us that the Raiders' doctor examined him and said, 'You're fine,' " Herman said.

Saffold had left the Rams on good terms, and Herman offered to get executive vice president Kevin Demoff on the phone to help clarify matters. Herman said he called a specialist he uses for his clients and double-checked the medical records and MRI results on Saffold's shoulder. The specialist gave Herman the OK on Saffold's shoulder.

"He apologized profusely," Herman said of McKenzie. "I shared my displeasure in very strong terms. Jared and I were sitting there in disbelief. We got out of the building and we got back to the hotel."

...and more. Good article.


A raider fan himself responded to this article appropriately.

http://www.raiderfans.net/forum/oak...board/203490-how-thing-went-awry-saffold.html

Exactly. In any business there's an implicit assumption that the parties are negotiating in good faith. The way this situation is portrayed, it looks to any outside observer like the Raiders organization (and at that point whether it's RM or MD or whoever is not really the point) cannot be trusted to negotiate in good faith. Any future FA candidates (or at least their agents) will not forget this.