Steven Jackson to report to Rams

by Ryan Van Bibber on Aug 20, 2008 8:25 PM CDT in News

Holy... The Steven Jackson holdout is over!

This is great news. Apparently, it's a deal similar to what the Rams offered in the first place - 7 years, $50 million with $17 million in guarantees. The hold up, according to the PD report linked here, was the structure. I'll bet it had something to do with the guarantee, but who knows. UPDATE: Apparently, they've agreed upon a deal in principle, and expect to sign on the dotted line soon.

...and, quite frankly, who cares. Nobody's confusing this with the '72 Dolphins, but Jackson's presence, and running at full speed, gives this team a chance to compete week-in and week-out. That's a nice change after last season.

The Rams wouldn't talk unless they got him in camp, and they didn't have to budge on that. It helps they made him an initial offer that wasn't way off the mark, a starting point. The rumblings that Jackson was unhappy with his agent could well have had something to do with this. Eugene Parker's other big client, Buffalo OT Jason Peters, is still holding out, which makes me believe Jackson may have leaked that to let his agent know he was going to play football this year, regardless of who his agent is.

Nobody's had much reason to talk about the Rams front office not scoring much these last few seasons, but I think they finally got on the board again this season, making changes, drafting what look to be solid guys, good depth at least, at key positions in rounds 2-7 of the draft and skating through the Steven Jackson situation with grace.

---

If you're new to TST, welcome. I hope you'll sign up (top of the page) and stop by during the season and make your voice heard. Now, I'm going to go celebrate.

I guess he's not going to play this weekend and maybe not next weekend either, but I'd still think you can draft Steven Jackson in your fantasy league with some confidence.

Tweet Comment 4 comments | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

I do like that the team stood it's ground

and won the standoff. I don’t think SJ was completely behind this (and I’m sure the team felt the same way) so it was a calculated gamble that payed off since the only “entity” that came out with egg on their face was his agent(s).

It was almost as if SJ and the Rams were actually on the same page here.

In the world I see--you are stalking elk through the damp canyon forests around the ruins of Rockefeller Center. You'll wear leather clothes that will last you the rest of your life. You'll climb the wrist-thick kudzu vines that wrap the Sears Tower. And when you look down, you'll see tiny figures pounding corn, laying strips of venison on the empty carpool lane of some abandoned superhighway.

by Tackle Box on Aug 20, 2008 9:50 PM CDT reply actions