The St. Louis Rams took Indiana offensive tackle Rodger Saffold on Friday night to start the second round of the NFL draft.
Needing a blocker for quarterback Sam Bradford -- the first overall pick in the draft the previous night -- the Rams ignored several trade offers to stay put. They went for an experienced player who started for four seasons with the Hoosiers.
Rams general manager Billy Devaney said the Safford pick received the thumbs-up from Bradford's dad, who exclaimed "Offensive line, baby!" just before the family left the team facility in a limousine Friday. Devaney insisted there had been no "master plan" to acquire protection and said the team would have taken Saffold no matter who they drafted No. 1.
The Rams hung onto the second-round pick despite widespread reports that they would be willing to trade down. At a briefing following the pick, Devaney joked he hadn't received any offers because his cell phone had been turned off, but he later said that teams began calling as soon as the first round ended.
"There were some offers," Devaney said. "We would have had to move significantly back in the second round, and what we were going to get back for it, we just didn't think it was worth passing up a lineman that had this much talent."
Spagnuolo said Saffold could be a fit at either tackle or guard. The Rams have been unhappy with left tackle Alex Barron.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
