St. Louis’ RB Jackson - How Long Before He’s in “Football Shape”?
As a new article about the glacial pace of negotiations between Steven Jackson and the Rams points out today, Jackson’s tab for his 20-day holdout now stands at $303,320.00 and counting (20 x $15,166.00 per day). However, the cost of his holdout isn’t limited to his wallet. Two-a-days ended on Tuesday, and there will be only about 12 more practices between Thursday the 14th and the season opener at Philadelphia.
In other words, time is growing very short for Jackson to get into synch with his team mates. Another concern is related to “football shape” - the peak of conditioning that players acquire when they participate in a full training camp isn’t generated through individual workouts, according to many experienced voices from around the NFL. As former Rams’ coach Dick Vermeil puts it:
“Oh yeah, it’ll take him a few weeks. I don’t know what they’ll do. But I would bet they’ll temper his play early, and he won’t be a 30-carry guy on opening day — if he’s back by then…
“Carl Peterson did a study for the Kansas City Chiefs,” Vermeil said. “He’s one of the most experienced presidents-general managers in the National Football League. He’s been there since 1989, and he’s done studies as to holdouts. Not only in Kansas City, but all through the league. He says there’s a much higher correlation or a chance of getting injured after holding out, regardless of position.”
Current head coach Scott Linehan doesn’t agree with Vermeil on the possible consequences of Jackson’s holdout, stating:
“We had a lot of injuries last year and we had everybody in camp. A lot of that’s (bad) luck in a lot of ways. I think as long as (Jackson’s) training and we do a good job of training him, getting him ready. …To be honest with you, that really isn’t a concern.”
The current head coach’s opinion about Jackson’s ability to handle a full work load is the one that counts the most, obviously. He’s the guy who’ll decide how often to call Jackson’s number.
However, if Jackson isn’t around to take the field, Linehan’s opinions about “football shape” won’t matter. Fantasy owners everywhere are wondering how much longer the holdout will last - unfortunately, there doesn’t appear to be a deal in sight as of Wednesday. We’ll see if the end of two-a-days thaws Jackson to the idea of coming into camp and getting his deal finalized…Stay tuned.
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