Rams news, 4/25: Jackson wants new contract??

* Jackson unhappy?  I simply have no idea what to make of what I have to call a rumor started by Michael Lombardi on NFL.com yesterday. Lombardi says "a league source" tells him that Steven Jackson is unhappy with his contract and wants to re-negotiate it. Lombardi then uses this as the launching point for speculating that the Rams are going to trade up to draft Trent Richardson and/or trade Steven Jackson over draft weekend. Lombardi lit the fire, then Mike Sando stoked it on ESPN.com.

I find this flummoxing for several reasons. First and foremost, this isn't the Steven Jackson we've come to know. He's been the consummate team player here (since holding out in 2008 training camp) and hasn't been any kind of disruptive personality in the locker room. He's even said he's willing to mentor Richardson if the Rams draft him. To be publicly grousing at this date about his contract just isn't Steven Jackson. (Also, why isn't this news coming from a local source? Is this "league source" even the Rams?)

Second, he's scheduled to make $7 million each of the next two seasons. What's to complain about there? Seriously? If the Rams weren't willing to pay him next season, he'd have been cut already. The Rams do have big future deals for Chris Long and James Laurinaitis to think about, but it's also been reported that after this season, they have the best salary cap situation in the whole league. I doubt Jackson has to worry about getting squeezed out, or getting a restructure-or-else ultimatum, this year or next.

I mean, the whole thing absolutely doesn't make sense. Steven Jackson is not a complainer, and if he were, he wouldn't have anything to complain about.

I think Alvin Reid at 101Sports has the right idea. Blame the Vikings.

* Draft visits.  Except this time, it was the Rams doing the visiting. Jim Thomas reported that Jeff Fisher, Les Snead and Brian Schottenheimer attended private workouts with Justin Blackmon, Michael Floyd, and Kendall Wright last week. Kevin Demoff also attended Blackmon's workout. Fletcher Cox has been throwing a wrench into the Rams' draft projection for a couple of weeks; I think this news just threw a wrench into that.

* Jerome Simpson got a 3-game suspension from the league today for a marijuana-related arrest last fall. The Rams should just go ahead and sign Simpson today and cut Austin Pettis. Simpson is a far better receiver and athlete, has the same number of strikes as Pettis, and would only be out an extra week this season; Pettis is suspended the first two weeks. Major upgrade, no added risk, a pillar-neutral move.

(Forget it, he signed with the Vikings.)

* Mel Kiper's three-round Rams' mock draft, if he were doing the picking for everyone:
1/6 - Justin Blackmon
2/33 - Mike Adams
2/39 - Kendall Reyes
3/65 - Lamar Miller

Adams at 33 would be a hideously bad pick. If the Rams pick Adams with Doug Martin, Kendall Wright, Stephen Hill, and Jerel Worthy available, that long, loud cursing you'll hear will be me. What are you thinking here, Mel?

* Ex-Rams news: Bryan Kehl has signed with the Redskins.

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