NFL Rumors: Janoris Jenkins Leaving Los Angeles Rams For New York Giants

NFL rumors have been swirling around the New York Giants trying to make the biggest splash in free agency. The team appears hellbent on beating the Dallas Cowboys, Washington Redskins, and Philadelphia Eagles and winning the NFC East division title. Money appears to be no object this off-season. According to ESPN, Janoris Jenkins has just agreed on a $62.5 million contract to join the Giants.

When it comes to being a play maker on defense, very few guys in the NFL are as good as Janoris Jenkins. Throughout the past four seasons, he has scored six touchdowns. That’s more than any other defender in the National Football League has scored during that stretch. Now that he has added consistency to his game, Jenkins is now considered quite an impact player and someone that can change the outcome of a game very quickly.

Janoris Jenkins never really wanted to leave the Los Angeles Rams. He felt very loyal to the franchise because they spent a second round selection on him in the NFL Draft in 2012. There was a part of Jenkins that wanted to finish his career with the Rams, which is why he negotiated pretty hard with the team on a new deal. Once the bye week came around, Janoris decided to end negotiations and seek employment elsewhere in the National Football League.

One of the reasons why the Los Angeles Rams were hesitant about committing big money to Janoris Jenkins is his propensity for taking risks. While that attitude has helped him become the top scoring defender over the previous four years, it has also caused him to hurt his team by giving up big plays to opponents. Jenkins is just as likely to run back an interception for a touchdown as he is to give up a long interception that shifts momentum to the other team.

Teams have no qualms about spending big money on elite cornerbacks who prevent touchdowns from becoming common occurrences. Guys like Darrelle Revis and Richard Sherman deserve that type of money because they don’t get scored on that frequently. Josh Norman has developed into a shutdown corner back, and he deserves it as well. As good as Janoris Jenkins can be, he is not on the same level as those three players, so it’s understandable that the Los Angeles Rams were hesitant.

The acquisition of Janoris Jenkins is a sign that the New York Giants are growing frustrated with Prince Amukamara. When he was drafted, there were talks that he was going to be a shutdown corner back in the NFL. Unfortunately for the Giants, that has yet to happen because of injuries. While Amukamara is well liked within the organization, they simply need someone that will be able to get on the field every single week and compete to win games.

Shoring up the defense has been a priority for the New York Giants this offseason. The belief is that it is needed if the team wants to make it back to the Super Bowl. Tom Coughlin had the team playing dominant defense during his two NFL Championships. To strengthen the defense, the Giants not only added Janoris Jenkins, but they also shelled out big contracts to Damon Harrison of the New York Jets and Olivier Vernon of the Miami Dolphins, both of whom should help out the defensive line.

Spending big money in free agency doesn’t always guarantee success in the NFL. The New York Giants know that very well. However, they also know that they cannot stimulate a fan base, one that seems upset that Tom Coughlin has gone without making a splash.

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