| 25 February 2010
If the Bears don't plan on moving Frank Omiyale from LG out to RT it still doesn't take away from the fact that they'll likely need to focus on the offensive line and addressing the right tackle position thus allowing Kevin Shaffer to go back to being the swing guy from LT to RT. With that in mind the Bears are likely to focus on a player who isn't among the top OTs in the draft but can nonetheless be thought of as a solid option to draft in the third round.
One of the players the Bears could be focusing who was one of the stronger prospects at the East West Shrine All-Star game is Indiana OT Rodger Saffold. Saffold was arguably the best performing prospect during the practices leading up to the game. Reports indicate that he showed up well in pass protection showing good movement and solid feet, and then turned it up strongly in run blocking showing consistent effort in drive blocking. The interesting thing about Saffold's drive blocking ability is that the Hoosiers run a spread offense and he spent more time pass blocking than run blocking.
Saffold showed well against both DEs and DTs matching up with DT Mike Neal from Purdue and then sliding out and stuffing DE Greg Hardy on a spin move. That type of ability to drive block on a pro level DT prospect while at the same time showing the ability to show nimble feet against a quick DE who tried a spin move points to his versatility.
Also of note is Saffold is being talked about as a possible guard prospect, he could be moved inside as a guard prospect thus giving him a certain level of versatility, which as I mentioned already is very important for the Bears. The fact that he is a pass blocker first is also beneficiary to the Bears and Mike Martz's offense, being versatile, a strong pass blocker may work out to his advantage.
Saffold was a four-year starter at Indiana at left tackle which is a strong accomplishment for a Big-10 offensive tackle. To play four full years as a starter is no small feat to accomplish in such a strong conference.
Some of the key aspects to watch during Saffold's workout at the combine, can he duplicate the strong showing he had at the Shrine game? Will he show the same level of explosiveness? Being able to explode and show a level of comfort coming out of a three point stance will be of utmost importance. How well does he pass protect in the kick slide drill coming out of a three point stance. That's one of the most important aspects when making the jump to the pro level the adjustment of pass protecting out of a three point stance.
The best way to measure a prospects footwork and just how balanced he is in pass protection is when he is asked to take on a hard outside rusher from a three point stance. Most prospects find it fundamentally easy to block from a two-point stance with hands essentially resting just above their thighs, but how good can they do it when they're called upon to in play-action pass situations where they have to sell the run out of a three point stance.
Fundamentally the next important aspect is just how quick and tight does Saffold pull, and then get to the second level. The quicker he is able to jump out to that second level and get a hit on the quicker linebacker or safety could be a sign of just how well he succeeds as a guard. That type of athleticism is only natural, there is no way to teach that type of quickness and speed and it's about the only time a prospect needs to show off his speed.
Saffold showed this type of speed and agility and at 6-foot-4 316-pounds that's one of the aspects that Mike Tice can work with. I suspect the Bears will fully scout out Saffold even further than they already have given he offers the type of versatility the Bears like. Scouts project him as a guard in some cases, but he could just as easily be given the chance to prove himself as an OT based on how well he shows up at the combine.
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