The St. Louis Rams are rightfully known for their fearsome front seven and, specifically, their impressive defensive line. That's to be expected when you've got first-round talents like Aaron Donald, Robert Quinn and Chris Long on your team. But St. Louis' secondary also has some intriguing players such as cornerback Janoris Jenkins.
Jenkins, a 2012 second-rounder, hasn't developed into the type of cover corner the Rams would like. Pro Football Focus ranked him 61st among CBs in 2013 and 50th last year. But the 26-year-old is something of a playmaker. He's intercepted seven passes and scored six defensive touchdowns in three NFL seasons. You don't find game-changing plays such as that every day. As such, general manager Les Snead is working to extend the young defensive back as he enters the final year of his rookie contract.
"Jenkins and his representatives would like to get a deal done with the #Rams by the time the season starts. Optimism that could happen," NFL Network's Rand Getlin tweeted earlier this week.
Jenkins, who will earn a base salary of $660,000 this year, is not in the same league as Patrick Peterson (five years, $70.05 million), Richard Sherman (four years, $56 million), Darrelle Revis (five years, $70.12 million) or other elite cornerbacks who recently signed extremely lucrative contracts. Full-fledged No. 1 cornerbacks typically make upwards of $9 million per season. Jenkins is more of a No. 2 cornerback and should receive somewhere between $6 and $8 million annually. Dominique Rodger-Cromartie (five years, $35 million) or Chris Culliver's (four years, $32 million) contracts with the New York Giants and Washington Redskins, respectively, appear to be good indicators of what a Jenkins extension may look like.
The Rams open the season on Sept. 13 against the Seattle Seahawks.
