Rams' Janoris Jenkins in contract dispute over the rookie's financial advisory

[live4ramin]

I don't understand why we'd need to choose the exact advisor here.

So he wouldn't use his cousin ____________ (please fill in the blank).

[r8rh8rmike]

So he wouldn't use his cousin ____________ (please fill in the blank).

Exactly. We've all seen players get into difficulty listening to hangers on, friends, relatives, as well as self-serving agents and questionable financial advisors. Fisher took a chance on Jenkins and he wants people he knows and trusts making sure what needs to be done is done. I don't blame Fisher and the Rams at all for wanting some tight controls on Jenkins, unfortunately they didn't think it out before the "pre-draft understanding" negotiations.

One way or another, this will all work itself out. It'll be interesting to see how long it takes, what the contract clauses will be, and who ends up pulling Jenkins' strings.

[VegasRam]

HUb: I don't know, guys. I think the kids and the attached baby mamas are going to be a real distraction if we draft this guy.

Others: You're crazy, HUb. So what; he had a couple of kids with a couple of women. Everybody's done that. It won't be a problem.

HUb: I'm telling you, fellas. I guarantee; if we draft this guy, at some point, the money and his baby mama issues will be a distraction for this team.

Others: No way, HUb. You're an amazingly intelligent person with the sex appeal of Brad Pitt and body of a Greek god, but.....on this issue you're wrong.

(admittedly, I may have embellished that last one)

Which is damn hard to pull off when you look like a bulldog.

[Goldenfleece]

The Rams dont seem to have much leverage here.

If they want him to hire an advisor of their choosing, it might help if they added the cost of the advisor in the contract as a cherry on top. Im sure he wouldnt be so opposed to that.

I had the same thought. If they wanted to add in an extra $120,000 to cover financial advisement over the course of the contract, that's not so bad. There should be some room for compromise, though. If Jenkins doesn't like the specific recommendation, maybe the Rams could ask him to just provide documentation that he is employing another credible alternative to make sure that "Fat Leroy" from his entourage isn't drawing a paycheck to be his financial adviser.

[Azul e Oro]

Anytime I read an article that makes accusations based on unnamed sources and uses words like "reportedly", I wonder about the motivation of those sources. This sounds like some desperate & heavyhanded propaganda/disinformation tactics by a person or persons in the Jenkins camp to keep them from losing their share of the pie, the size and shape of which is currently under negotiation. My best guess would be this mysterious Sgt Cornelio.

Then again, if JJ really was coerced into a pre-draft agreement about his advisor, I think it's a colossal blunder by the Rams.

[Curly Horns]

Wrong. Unions are all about one thing and one thing only: protecting its membership. They could CARE LESS about doing the right thing. If they can do the right thing AND protect their membership, then they'll do it. Otherwise, they have no interest. I know of where I speak- I am in the NJ teachers' union- one which we pretty much have to join upon being hired in the profession. But I dislike a lot of what they preach. Unions today are a far cry from what they were originally intended to be- honest groups designed to protect workers from deplorable wages and working conditions.

Any organization that will cry about player safety, cry that the league isn't doing enough to support ex players yet actively participate in a bounty system that could potentially injures its own players AND then bellyache about punishment for its offenders is indeed hypocritical. Any organization that will decry drug use then vehemently oppose efforts at drug testing its members (MLB players union) is hypocritical. Unions are not honorable entities.

Bottom line is that it is pathetic that Rams management has to deal with this at all. You reap what you sew.

Disturbing, to say the least.

As a 25 year member of the IBEW I do know that a union is "the members". I also know that an employee is never required to become a member and the supreme court held that union members have the right to resign their membership.

You are sadly mistaken and quite ignorant to the fact that wages and working conditions are still real issues in the workplace. I can only sadly presume that a public school teacher is not really aware of the conditions and wages of the many diverse workplaces throughout the country. You might want to review recent statistics on how many workers are needlessly killed or severely injured every year in the workplace because of underlying safety issues that they are most likely powerless to address as non-union workers.

Also disturbing that you use player safety issues as a means to make your case that the players and their association are hypocrites. Isn't the NFL (Owners and Commissioner) just as concerned about player safety? Perhaps it is a real issue?

As far as the bounty system goes: Was it not saints management that implemented the bounty system? Did those same members of management not lie to the league upon the initial investigation? Did the majority of those management members also appeal their cases? In the case of the Players (whether they are guilty or not) the NFLPA is still required to represent these players in an appeal. It's part of the due process. Unlike your version where your resounding generalizations self-appoint you as judge, jury and executioner.

I disagree about unions not being honorable entities. Like I said, a union is "the members". And I personally know hundreds of honorable men and women who are members of the IBEW. And I would venture to say there are hundreds of thousands of honorable men and women who are members of the IBEW.

That's not to say any organization be it union or corporate is without dishonorable members. I've met them. I've heard their rhetoric. I've seen their deplorable actions. And I've also met members like yourself. The disgruntled member. The ones that won't resign yet at the same time bash everyone and everything about the union while reaping the benefits that collective bargaining provides. They are the cancers and the thought of them sickens me.

In my book anyone that believes as you write and at the same time calls him or herself a Fan of these players and the game that they play - is the real hypocrite.

[MauiRam]

Anytime I read an article that makes accusations based on unnamed sources and uses words like "reportedly", I wonder about the motivation of those sources. This sounds like some desperate & heavyhanded propaganda/disinformation tactics by a person or persons in the Jenkins camp to keep them from losing their share of the pie, the size and shape of which is currently under negotiation. My best guess would be this mysterious Sgt Cornelio.

Quite possibly ..

Then again, if JJ really was coerced into a pre-draft agreement about his advisor, I think it's a colossal blunder by the Rams.

If JJ agreed to some type of deal with the Rams prior to their drafting him, then he agreed. The Rams didn't exactly put a gun to his head. Not knowing what the parameters of the deal actually were, it's hard to comment on it. I certainly don't blame the Rams for setting conditions and asking that he accept them prior to their selecting him in the 2nd round. That is called negotiating - not coercion. What was it the Pro Fooball Weekly Draft Guide said about JJ? Something like: "He's got more red flags than Mayday in Moscow." JJ earned the circumstances which accompanied his selection. Undoubtedly we'll get some more news on this as the story unfolds.

I don't think JJ should be able to choose his "advisor." The Rams most definitely should have a big say in that area. I find it entirely reasonable that the Rams might not wish to endorse Sgt. Cornelio and crew, I doubt those guys were ever a part of the deal.

The Rams did get a low dollar deal on an extremely talented player. I don't believe it's likely the Rams will try and stiff JJ over some high priced advisor's fee. The closest thing the Rams could get to an insurance policy was the advisor deal - whatever actually was agreed upon verbally or otherwise at the time. I do not see this as a colossal blunder - JJ's selction was and is a calculated risk. It might work out - it might not. One thing's sure - it won't take forever to find out.

[Rambos]

by Justin StineRams


Let the Janoris Jenkins issues officially begin. Adam Cole of Yahoo Sports is reporting that Jenkins and the Rams are in the middle of a dispute over a pre-draft agreement between the two sides that Jenkins hire a specific financial advisor. According to reports, the Rams want Jenkins to hire Lou Taylor of Tri Star Sports & Entertainment Group, but the rookie cornerback is happy with his current team that includes agent Malik Shareef, Army staff sergeant Sandy Cornelio and financial advisor Rich DeLuca of Merrill Lynch. Furthermore, the team has admitted that any pre-draft agreement is against the CBA, but that isn’t stopping head coach Jeff Fisher from pushing Jenkins to agree to work with Taylor.

I have a feeling people are going to be quick to jump all over Jenkins here, but I can actually see where both sides are coming from. Jenkins wants to keep his own people who have helped him and who he feels comfortable, while the Rams want to use their hand-picked group to make sure the young man doesn’t fall back into his irresponsible ways. After taking a chance on the kid, I have no problem with Fisher pushing to get his people involved in keeping Jenkins on the straight and narrow. But I also believe that Jenkins should be able to keep the people he is comfortable with provided that his group meets a certain set of standards set forth by the Rams. It sounds like Shareef, Cornelio and DeLuca have done a solid job keeping Jenkins straight since they took over, but if the organization is going to give him millions of dollars I don’t blame them at all for trying everything they can to take precautions. They may have overstepped their bounds here, but I find it hard to condemn the Rams for trying to look out for their interests in what is likely a high-risk player. With that being said, you have to give a grown man some leeway to make decisions, and if he doesn’t want to use your people, then you can’t force him to do so.

This whole situation is obviously holding up the process of getting Jenkins under contract, but both sides have said they want to work it out together without getting the courts involved, so let’s hope they can find some middle ground and get him in camp on time.

[AvengerRam]

Before the draft, I was against taking the risk of selecting Jenkins.

After the draft, I accepted the Rams' judgment and began the process of hoping for the best.

This "news story" has not changed my approach.

[MauiRam]

Janoris Jenkins denies rift with Rams

7/7/2012 12:28:46 PM

From the Redzone

Janoris Jenkins' representatives have denied that the St. Louis Rams rookie cornerback agreed to hire a business manager recommended by Rams coach Jeff Fisher prior to the NFL draft. Such an agreement isn't allowed under the guidelines of the NFL collective bargaining agreement.

"At no point before, during or after the 2012 NFL draft was there ever any promise from us to the Rams that Janoris would hire a specific financial advisor," Jenkins' representatives from Dimensional Sports said in a statement to Aaron Wilson of Profootball.scout.com.

According to a Yahoo! Sports article, Fisher had extracted a promise from Jenkins' agent, Malik Shareef, during the NFL draft to hire Lou Taylor of Tri Star Sports & Entertainment.

Among the clients Taylor has worked with previously: Fisher, Britney Spears, Lindsay Lohan, boxer Michael Moorer and the estate of the late NFL quarterback Steve McNair.

Prior to hiring an agent, Jenkins has been represented since January by Rich DeLuca of Merrill Lynch. DeLuca remains his financial advisor.

Taylor told Yahoo! that she doesn't work for Jenkins.

"I'm excited about playing for Jeff Fisher," Jenkins said in a statement. "I have a lot of respect for him and he's a great guy. He's a highly respected coach in this league."

"Specific" hmm .. interesting word choice. I'd guess this will be worked out within the next couple of weeks before rookies are due to report on July 24th. Could it be the Rams are dragging their feet intentionally here in order to delay JJ getting his hands on a big chunk of money via signing bonus? Pure speculation on my part, but if he got his money today, he'd have sixteen days to go on a spending spree on whatever before he is required to show up with the rest of the rookie class.

In summation I'll put this forth: TRAINING CAMP CAN'T GET HERE FAST ENOUGH!!

Until then, I'll likely continue to post every little snippet of Rams' stuff I can find which of course drives Av batty .. Sorry Av, just can't help myself.

[Rambunctious]

I wouldn't say the Rams have no leverage. Jenkins took out a loan to get caught up on child support. I have a feeling payments of said loan will be a little tricky without a contract. : )

[r8rh8rmike]

The thing that bothers me about all this, is that Jenkins and his legal advisors told the Rams they would go along with hiring a financial advisor just to appease them. If the article is to be believed, Jenkins even went as far as to sign documents with Fisher's prefered advisor, again, just to appease them. Not a good way to start a relationship and IMO, an indication that Fisher's desire to have someone he knows and trusts handle Jenkins' finances, was well founded.

It would be easy for the Rams to pay for the financial advisor and put this all behind them, but I have a feeling it's not just about the fees, it's likely also about control, control Jenkins' "people" want to keep.

[Fortuninerhater]

The Rams are out of line.

Outside of the fact that such a pre-draft agreement is not permissible per the new CBA, it is Jenkins inalienable right to choose whomever he wants as a financial advisor. And technically the dispute should end there.

For the Rams to continue to persist in this matter only makes things worse.

I'm sure there's other things that can be written into his contract that allows for the Rams to be protected should something go awry.

But as for a specific financial advisor, Jenkins is well within his rights.

[r8rh8rmike]

The Rams are out of line.

Based on the CBA, you are right. But if the story is true, didn't Jenkins and his people agree to what the Rams were requesting in order to get a higher draft slot? I don't know all the particulars, but it seems that before the draft, both sides accepted the notion of a new financial advisor being hired. Now that Jenkins got what he wanted, he and his team are crying foul. IMO, that's disingenuos.

The way I see it, the Rams are not the only ones out of line.

[r8rh8rmike]

From an April article by Silver. Pretty interesting considering what's going on now. Apparently, this agreement has been public knowledge for several months:

Well after midnight, a plan was hatched: Fisher would call Jenkins' agent, Malik Shareef, on Friday and insist that he and the cornerback meet with a sports management and advisory firm with whom the coach is familiar. Fisher, mindful of potential financial complications that could arise due to Jenkins' paternity issues, would make it clear that if Jenkins weren't open to such a discussion, the team would not select him.

On Friday, after Shareef told Fisher that Jenkins was receptive, the Rams' interest intensified. Fearing that another team might view Jenkins as an early second-round steal, they abandoned the idea of getting him at 45 and targeted the 39th slot.