Why Saints Showed No Urgency in Signing Malcolm Jenkins

After 11 days, the longest stretch a New Orleans Saints rookie has gone into training camp without a contract this decade, Malcolm Jenkins inked a deal Sunday night and joined the Saints in practice first thing Monday morning. The deal calls for $19 million over five years, with $11 million in guarantees.

The question that was asked throughout the prolonged negotiations still needs to be asked, this time in past tense: What took so long?

After all, despite the sinister motivations of a few agents, NFL rookie negotiations still rely heavily on slotting. Brian Orakpo and Brian Cushing, the players who sandwiched Jenkins in the first round of this year's draft, signed their rookie contracts on July 30 and Aug. 1, respectively (and both were represented by CAA, who also represents Jenkins). For all intents and purposes, Jenkins' deal should have been finished on Aug. 2 or 3. The remaining first-round holdouts were all selected in close proximity, meaning it's understandable that they're all waiting for one domino to fall before they all get to work. But Jenkins didn't have that problem.

There was some thought the delay might have been caused by the struggle for Jenkins to procure the "Darrelle Revis clause," the unofficial name given to the sort-of-loophole that allowed Revis (the 14th pick, just like Jenkins) to get a six-year deal with an expensive buyout after four. But that was reportedly not the case, and even GM Mickey Loomis admitted that, "We're not that far apart in terms of money. We just have a fundamental difference of opinion when it comes to how we reach the final numbers."

In that regard, the Saints didn't need to rush to consummate a deal they weren't fiscally comfortable with, especially given the uncertainty regarding the CBA. The simple reason? The team is pretty stocked in the secondary (when was the last time that was the case?), meaning Jenkins was a long shot to start even if he had been in camp on time.

The starting corners are pretty much a lock -- the staff loves the look of Tracy Porter in his second year, and free-agent acquisition Jabari Greer has been outstanding in camp. And with Randall Gay earning a reputation as one of the better nickel backs in the league, it was unlikely Jenkins would be more than a fourth corner in his rookie year. As for free safety, though the team made it clear they were trying him at corner first, there's not even a spot if the team did want to try him at free safety -- Darren Sharper was brought in as the stopgap and mentor, but he's going to start this year, and converted ex-corner Usama Young has adapted well to his new position as well, and it looks like the team views him as their long-term starter. All of this meaning Jenkins would have been fighting for the dime back spot had he been in camp from Day 1, which is the same spot he's fighting for now.

Jenkins also proved to be a quick study in minicamps, so coaches weren't worried about the lost reps and installations. And it turns out they might have been right in not worrying. The Times-Picayune's Jeff Duncan, via Twitter, on Jenkins' first practice.

Jenkins struggled early but fought through it and finished workout with about a dozen consecutive reps. Looked mentally into it. Not lost.

That early struggle was due to the heat at camp, not through any legitimate deficiencies. Monday's heat index in Metairie, La., was 124, and Duncan observed early, "Jenkins already struggling with heat. Takin a knee, helmet off, trainers around him, teammates pouring water on his neck. He's hurting." Once the adjustment to the ungodly climate came, Jenkins was able to find his mental footing.

The Saints were in no hurry to sign Jenkins, but he's inked now and, without knowing the demands of each side during the negotiating process, it looks like each side has won. Jenkins got a deal closer to Orakpo's than Cushing's, the Saints got a contract they feel comfortable with, and despite missing 11 days Jenkins should be set to contribute in the role he was always set to play, even before the lengthy holdout.

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