One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.

The New York Jets announced on social media on Tuesday, January 2, that they had released veteran offensive lineman Rodger Saffold from the practice squad.

Less than 24 hours later, Saffold found a new home with the playoff-bound Cleveland Browns. Cleveland announced on Wednesday, January 3, that Saffold had inked a deal to join the practice squad.

We've signed G Rodger Saffold to the practice squad

📰 » https://t.co/F76aSvRxuc pic.twitter.com/daNfv2Zv4Q

— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) January 3, 2024

Robert Saleh Attempts to Explain the Saffold-Jets Experiment
Saffold signed a deal with the Jets on October 31 to join the practice squad.

Antwan Staley of the New York Daily News said at the time that the team had brought him in “with the intent of promoting him to its active roster.”

However, that never came to be. Saffold remained on the roster for the next nine games of the Jets 2023 season but never played a snap.

Staley asked head coach Robert Saleh about the Jets’ decision to cut ties with Saffold now and why it didn’t work out here. Saleh pushed back on the question on Wednesday, January 3.

“It’s not that it didn’t work. We signed him to see if we could get some depth from a practice squad standpoint. Rodger has been an unbelievable teammate. It’s the reason he has had so much success,” Saleh explained. “He had an opportunity to see if he can get onto a playoff team and we wanted to give him that opportunity.”

.@antwanstaley asked #Jets HC Robert Saleh about the decision to release OL Rodger Saffold & why it didn’t work here:

‘It’s not that it didn’t work. We signed him to see if we could get some depth from a practice squad standpoint.’

NYJ wanted to give him an opportunity to… pic.twitter.com/9HujaU8KgD

— Paul Andrew Esden Jr (@BoyGreen25) January 3, 2024

So the Jets added him to the practice squad for the sole purpose of keeping him there? That doesn’t make any sense.

Especially when you consider the rash of injuries the Jets have endured on the offensive line this season. Gang Green has been forced to use over 11 different OL combinations this season because of an alarming amount of injuries.

You’d think if Saffold was capable, the Jets would have brought him up from the practice squad to help fill some of those voids.

Saffold went to two straight Pro Bowls following the 2021 and 2022 seasons before the Jets signed him.

Despite what Saleh says publicly, this signing was another dud that didn’t work out.

Jets Employed Similar Strategy With Dalvin Cook
The Jets’ rationale for cutting bait with Saffold with only one game left in the season was to give him an opportunity to go play for someone else.

Saleh acknowledged that was the same thought process for releasing veteran running back Dalvin Cook.

The Jets made that move official on January 3. Additionally, offensive lineman Wes Schweitzer returned to practice.

We've released RB Dalvin Cook.

Additionally, OL Wes Schweitzer will return to practice today.

— New York Jets (@nyjets) January 3, 2024

“Just good business for everybody, I guess,” Saleh said in response to the decision to cut bait with Cook. “Dalvin’s been an unbelievable teammate since the day he walked in here. Obviously, it hasn’t gone the way any of us had wanted.”

Saleh also acknowledged that Cook “has been hurting” mentally not getting a chance to be out there. The Jets didn’t give him any snaps in the last two games.

Coach Saleh on the release of RB Dalvin Cook: "Just good business for everybody…Dalvin's been an unbelievable teammate." pic.twitter.com/VJlgkJueuT

— New York Jets (@nyjets) January 3, 2024

Now he has a chance, like Saffold, to go find a new NFL home for the rest of the season.