If you want to know what Janoris Jenkins, the Rams’second-round pick who had some of the biggest character concerns of anyone entering the 2012 draft, has been up to lately, we’re happy to fill you in. Things, um, aren’t going well. Read more after the jump.
That’s the word from Yahoo Sports’ Jason Cole, who reports that Jenkins and the team are in dispute over who will be Jenkins’ financial advisor. The kicker: What the Rams are asking goes against the CBA.
Writes Cole: “Rams coach Jeff Fisher, according to four sources familiar with the situation, wants Lou Taylor of Tri Star Sports & Entertainment Group to advise Jenkins. The second-round pick, projected by some evaluators as a top-10 talent, has signed at least one set of documents with Taylor’s company, a copy of which has been obtained by Yahoo! Sports. But Taylor denied last week that she is working with Jenkins.
“’I do not work for Janoris Jenkins,'” said Taylor, who twice hung up on conversations with Yahoo! Sports and sent a text message threatening to inform the NFL Players Association that she was questioned about Jenkins.â€
As Cole reports, Fisher made Jenkins’ agent, Malik Shareef, promise that Jenkins would hire somebody to watch over his finances, particularly since Jenkins has at least four children with three women and owes money in child support. The problem is that kind of predraft condition is not allowed by the CBA. The two sides have not agreed on a contract.
Jenkins apparently already had a financial advisor, but if he has to use Taylor, it could cost him as much as $120,000 over four years. For that, Taylor’s group’s duties “would include managing the child-support payments and placing him on a budget.â€
Wait, why is Fisher recommending Taylor specifically? “Taylor has worked with many high-profile clients, including Fisher …†Cole writes.
Oh.
Apparently, though, all of this is making Jenkins uncomfortable. With all the problems he’s had in the past, it makes sense his new team would want to make sure he’s on the right path. But this seems like overkill. And that’s not a great way to welcome Jenkins into a new organization.
