Training camp headlines, 8/13

The Rams are expected to break training camp after today's 3:50-5:30 practice, so this is the last day of training camp headlines. Tomorrow's the first day of Rams headlines.

* Steven Jackson holdout day 20. "Jim Thomas" reports the two sides are starting to talk, and that the Rams' latest offer is 7 years, $50 million, $16-17 million guaranteed. Brian Westbrook just signed a 3-year, $21 million, $13 million guaranteed deal with the Eggles. "Jim Thomas" also reports that Jackson's holdout is the longest Rams player holdout of the St. Louis era.

If you're "Jim Thomas", you would say it's the longest holdout in "St. Louis" Rams history. It drives me nuts that "Jim Thomas" does that all the time. It's the printed equivalent of finger quotes. It marginalizes the city. It's a less-serious, less-respectful way of referring to the city. It's like "Jim Thomas" is making fun of St. Louis when he does that. So until "Jim Thomas" quits putting quotes around St. Louis, he's "Jim Thomas" around here.

I'd again argue Jackson's getting lowballed, although supposedly the two sides have never been that far apart. "Jim Thomas"'s article puts four-year statistics for Jackson and LaDainian Tomlinson side by side, to make the case that Jackson isn't worth LT's $8 million a year.

Except the salary cap has changed a LOT since LT got that contract. I've done the math before; pro-rated, it's worth $11 million a year today. If the Rams don't think Jackson is even 2/3 the player Tomlinson is, maybe they -should- have drafted Darren McFadden, instead of offering Jackson a lengthy contract. "Jim Thomas" points out the increased risk of injury of players who hold out, citing Dick Vermeil on the subject. Great - Jackson's already far from the NFL's most durable player, and now, if he signs a seven-year deal, what does he care if he's out of shape or injured this season as a result of holding out? Jackson would have had much more urgency to show up if we were talking about a 3-year deal like Westbrook's. The Rams would prefer to have Jackson signed throughout his prime years. Then again, a short deal means we're all going through this all over again when Jackson's 28 and his earning peak.

So despite my previous calculations, the Rams' offer to Jackson right now is more than fair, considering the goodwill he's screwed away and the likelihood this season will be tainted injury- or fitness-wise because he didn't honor his existing contract and therefore has not bargained in good faith. The Rams shouldn't put themselves on the hook for a season that Jackson himself has tainted. If he protested his contract situation by actually shooting himself in the foot, would you be offering him a big, lengthy deal?

Me either. I'd be offering something like 4 years, $30 million, give him his $20 million guaranteed, take this or leave it.

And I'd be drafting a RB high in 2012.

Also, Jackson's fine cracks the $300,000 mark today. You can buy some pretty sweet threads for that.


* The Rams signed another smurf, 5'9" 184-lb CB Tanard Davis. Well, they had to do something - they're so thin at CB right now, they're practicing with Derek Stanley at corner. He's no Troy Brown.


More as new news or observations surface.