[TekeRam]

The fact of the matter is, now is the best time for both sides to strike a deal, though I think it will wait until training camp due to Long still not being signed, and he needs to sign first.

Jackson should want to sign now because while it seems that the O line will be better this year, and certainly can't get as hurt, everything still revolves around Pace, and he's a question mark. Is he injury prone, or just unlucky? By signing now Jackson gets financial security. If he gets hurt again or has a down year, that will hurt his value drastically. On the other hand, he could gamble, which for him might not be a bad idea, and if he rocks this year his value will skyrocket as he's just entering his prime years.

For the Rams, he's the lone wolf. Who do we replace him with if he walks at the end of the year? We need to lock him up and now. Last year he managed 100 yards in 11 games, which was great, but imagine what he could do this year. It's much safer to bet on Jax doing well than poorly, and so we need to lock him up before he gets too expensive.

As such, both sides should be looking to get a contract in place be the end of camp.