Wagoner: Garrett Reynolds has much to gain as a starter

Rams guard Garrett Reynolds has much to gain as a starter
By Nick Wagoner

http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/22610/rams-guard-garrett-reynolds-has-much-to-gain-as-a-starter

EARTH CITY, Mo. — Despite many, present company included, imploring the St. Louis Rams to add a starting-caliber veteran or two to their offensive line during the offseason, they decided to go with a full blown youth movement, spending five draft picks on the line.

But they did add one veteran in versatile backup Garrett Reynolds. The Rams clearly signed Reynolds for depth at both guard spots and right tackle but in signing him to the deal, it was also clear that both sides had an eye on potential for him to jump into the starting lineup at some point.

That some time has arrived as starting right guard Rodger Saffold went on injured reserve with a shoulder ailment last week, effectively ending his season. Reynolds is the next man up and will step into one of the starting guard jobs in Saffold’s absence.

Beyond the increase in playing time, Reynolds has plenty to gain by getting into the starting lineup, namely in the form of playing time bonuses.

Those playing time bonuses were categorized as “not likely to be earned” based on Reynolds’ previous playing time and his expected role with the Rams but now he has a shot at earning himself some dollars beyond his $750,000 base salary.

Here’s how the bonuses break down:

At 25 percent of snaps — $100,000

At 35 percent of snaps — $200,000

At 45 percent of snaps — $400,000

At 55 percent of snaps — $600,000

At 65 percent of snaps — $800,000

At 75 percent of snaps (plus an unknown team qualifier) — $1 million

Of course, since we are a little less than a third of the way through the season, it will be hard for Reynolds to get enough snaps to reach the top end of these bonuses but assuming he can stay healthy, there’s no reason to think he won’t be able to add another nice chunk of change by the time the season is over.