Update: Rams top the list for Jenkins, third round pick is best offer

[Raze]

I think offering a second may just be a little to much

if we can get him for a 3rd that would be perfect, but personally I think even a 2nd would be going a tad over the top, he won't cure the Defense but he'll bolster it thats for sure!

[txramsfan]

I wouldn't give a 1, but if it came down to the Rams and Panthers and a 2nd round pick, I'd do it. This guy is a Pro Bowl player who may just need a change of scenary. For those of you who don't think he would be that much of an improvement you are highly mistaken. He would take up the O line that will allow our LB's to make plays. He makes plays himself. He's a huge upgrade over Kennedy. If we are waiting on the draft for our DT, I honestly think that's a mistake for this year. Go ahead and draft a DT and get Jenkins, what's wrong with that? It takes rookie DT's awhile to get used to the NFL style of play anyway, why not learn from a Pro Bowler? What's the big difference between Jackson learning from Faulk as to Branch learning from Jenkins? You don't draft for the next season anyway, that's folly. You draft for the future.

[RAMMAN68]

I like the idea of Jenkins and Kennedy taking up space to give Hall and Little the chance at one on one match ups.

[sbramfan]

What good are draft picks if they won't help us at DT this year?

We've drafted 3 DT's in the first round that haven't really worked out that well, so at least if this guy plays on the Panther's D, he's got to be decent and worth OUR 2nd round pick, based on our need.

I agree that this is a game that the Panthers can afford to play. Why settle now? They only have an upside to waiting. We, however, have a huge downside if this falls through. What if another team decides to step up and get's him. Then how did we fare?

If we needed a skills position player, I would say stick with the draft, but for DT, or OL, I say get a FA.

[Goldenfleece]

I think it's a good thing that we haven't offered a second at this point. If push comes to shove he might be worth it, but let's not offer anymore than we have to. The only downside is that if we can get him to come in for off-season training (although I've heard he hasn't reported for Panthers off-season workouts), it'd be nice if we could get it started sooner than later.

[RedArcher7]

Compensatory picks cannot be traded. If push comes to shove give up we could give up our second round pick, but there's still a lot of talent left in the second round. But if Denver matches with it's third then we might be in trouble. Best case, give them a third. Holy Crap, I just read Chris Henry got 8 games off and Pacman is out for the year.

[Fortuninerhater]

If he becomes a cap casualty and comes to St. Louis it would be like we traded Damione Lewis for Jenkins. I like that trade.

[general counsel]

thats a reasonable point fortunehunter, but you have to admit that if a fight breaks out on the field and you need a guy to punch the opponent in the nuts, lewis is a GREAT guy to have on your team.

ramming speed to all

general counsel

[Krames41]

I totally agree with the previous, why would they want to give away a perfectly good tackle for no reason? if the Rams are going to rebuild the defense they need to spend money wisely, and do it through the draft, not throw money and draft picks at mediocre players just because they might be available. Why waste money on him when we are going to draft a tackle either way, all it will end up being is a cap hit. I think we have the veteran leadership at that position in Glover. If we can get Jenkins for cheap, go for it because depth never hurts, but he def. isn't the solution. Saying he is the solution is like putting a band-aid on a broken back. The Rams need a dominant, impact player at tackle, not another average player. We need to draft and develop talent, it's the only solution. And I don't know how people can be blaming the defense on Scott Linehan, he inherited the worst defense in the league, and he's been here for one season. I think we need to give him at least another year or two before we blame this on him. He's made a lot of good defensive moves in the one off season he has had for example Cory Chavous, Will Witherspoon, Fakir Brown, and Tye Hill. I don't know if anyone listened to the ITD Roll Home on EPSN 1380 when they interviewed Marshall Faulk, but Marshall commented on how the Rams don't have "that guy" on defense. He talked about how they have all the good role players they need but they don't have the guy offenses have to focus on stopping, and until they draft a guy like that, the defense won't get any better because those players aren't available in free agency due to franchise tags and the ability to sign players in season/renogotiate contracts. And in my opionion any of them that are available are way to expensive, or have an injury risk/declining involved.

[Krames41]

What good are draft picks if they won't help us at DT this year?

I would much rather take a hit this one year and have a good defensive tackle and because of it a better defense for the next five years after this season because we drafted and developed a good player, then sign a player that is either too old, was run out of town by another team, or isn't worth the money he is asking for to have one good season. Name a defense that was built on free agency. I can name you many many many many defenses that were built through the draft. Kennedy sucks, Lewis sucks, Pickett sucks, your right, but does that mean we should never go after another defensive tackle through the draft ever again? To me that is stupid. Every team has draft picks that don't work out that doesn't mean you quit trying.

[Varg6]

I would much rather take a hit this one year and have a good defensive tackle and because of it a better defense for the next five years after this season because we drafted and developed a good player, then sign a player that is either too old, was run out of town by another team, or isn't worth the money he is asking for to have one good season. Name a defense that was built on free agency. I can name you many many many many defenses that were built through the draft. Kennedy sucks, Lewis sucks, Pickett sucks, your right, but does that mean we should never go after another defensive tackle through the draft ever again? To me that is stupid. Every team has draft picks that don't work out that doesn't mean you quit trying.

We shall see if Linehan wants to risk another year of being abysmal defensively. If they want to win now, they'll sign him and be aggressive, if not, I'm going to assume they're perfectly content with getting DT's from the draft and hope that they become pro-bowl players in the years to come. Me personally, I'd get Jenkins, and still draft a DT the 1st day. But that's just me...I want to win now, and we're never going to when we have a bad defense. By the time we get the defense going, the offense's HOF WRs will be gone, and we'll start from scratch there, with coaches, etc. We have an excellent formula on the offense, and if they got a little more help defensively, we'd easily be a playoff team and Linehan knows that...

[blood85]

Just saw a brief summary of the Rams needs on ESPN: DE,DT and LB. No joke, Like if we didn't know that we needed help on defense.

[tomahawk247]

I totally agree with the previous, why would they want to give away a perfectly good tackle for no reason? if the Rams are going to rebuild the defense they need to spend money wisely, and do it through the draft, not throw money and draft picks at mediocre players just because they might be available. Why waste money on him when we are going to draft a tackle either way, all it will end up being is a cap hit. I think we have the veteran leadership at that position in Glover. If we can get Jenkins for cheap, go for it because depth never hurts, but he def. isn't the solution. Saying he is the solution is like putting a band-aid on a broken back. The Rams need a dominant, impact player at tackle, not another average player.

im sorry, but saying that Kris Jenkins is 'mediocre' and 'another average player' is just down right wrong

[81~BIG-GAME]

Kris Jenkins seriously upgrades our line Period.He would play to a level that is impossible for a rookie to attain.If our most pressing need was LB/WR I would say lets wait for the draft,but IMO if we are serious about improving the woeful run defense then we need someone who is a proven player who won't take a couple of years to develop..

[HoustonRam]

I completely agree with Vargo and 81. Now is the time to improve the D. Our offense is set to win now and a rookie DT will take time take time to develope. Lets get this done ASAP.