New Orleans Saints Rumors: Team Targeting Mike Jenkins
 

After missing out on both Nnamdi Asomugha and Tracy Porter, the New Orleans Saints are still looking for help to fill out their secondary. The Saints had the worst secondary in the league last season, but with a new defensive coordinator, they are looking to improve. The secondary did, however, get some help when the Saints signed cornerback Keenan Lewis to a multi-year contract. Lewis led the NFL last season in passes defended with 23, and his presence should definitely improve the Saints secondary.

The Saints really coveted Asomugha and Porter, but now they must move on in their attempt to improve the secondary. One player that could be a possibility for the Saints is Dallas Cowboys free agent cornerback Mike Jenkins. Jenkins recently visited the Oakland Raiders, but it was reported that he left without a contract. However, Jenkins is also scheduled to meet with the Buffalo Bills in the near future. If Jenkins does not sign with the Bills, the Saints could make a run at acquiring him.

Jenkins played under Saints’ defensive coordinator Rob Ryan last season, and if signed by the Saints, he would already be familiar with the defensive scheme. Last season Jenkins only played in 12 games and had the worst season of his career. He only managed to post 13 tackles and defended three passes, both career lows. However, those numbers could suggest that he is due for a bounce back season, and it could happen with the Saints.

It is well known that Jenkins covets a long-term deal, but with the cold cornerback market and his play last season, that is probably unlikely. If the Saints sign Jenkins, it might be a one or two-year deal. Unfortunately, the Saints currently only have a little over $2 million in cap space, so Jenkins would have to be willing to sign a $2 million contract.

Jenkins could definitely flourish in New Orleans, and one good season could create more opportunity for him down the road. Furthermore, Jenkins could improve the secondary as he is excels in pass coverage and could help stop big plays. The Saints should at least schedule a visit with Jenkins and see if there is any mutual interest.

Read more at http://www.rantsports.com/nfl/2013/0...AktTdufjawe.99

Re: New Orleans Saints Rumors: Team Targeting Mike Jenkins
 

Im not too familiar with the cap parts but if we did sign him or anyone else for two million how would we sign draft picks?

Re: New Orleans Saints Rumors: Team Targeting Mike Jenkins
 

Again, we know the secondary was bad last season. But I don't think another corner back is the answer. An improved pass rush and better play at the safety positions should help the pass defense. Plus, we signed Lewis, and already have Greer, Robinson and White on the depth chart.

I'm thinking out loud with this, but if we did add Jenkins I wonder if we might be looking to move either Greer or Robinson before or during the draft. Considering the free agent market for corners, I can't imagine a strong market for either Greer or Robinson.

Re: New Orleans Saints Rumors: Team Targeting Mike Jenkins
 

I was a fan of Mike Jenkins when came out of college but the years in Dallas wasn't good to him and then he would come to a team were he's playing for the same coach I don't know if it's a good fit. I'll pass

Re: New Orleans Saints Rumors: Team Targeting Mike Jenkins
 

Agreed. Depending on what we do with pick movement, we need around $5 M to sign our picks and undrafted FA's. Something still needs to happen with Harper's contract before we can even discuss another signing.

With that said, if we can free up space with Harper, I am not opposed to Jenkins. His value is at it's absolute lowest right now. The bad part is, he's played for Ryan, sucked terribly after his rookie year and seems like a corner with no confidence. He may return to form but getting familiar scheme and coaching may not allow that to happen. If he was near minimum on a performance based structure I would be on board. Corner depth is crucial.

But I do agree with the sentiment that pass rush is most important to our defense.

Re: New Orleans Saints Rumors: Team Targeting Mike Jenkins
 

I mentioned this in another thread, but I have a feeling that Harper could be a June 1st casualty. Its just a gut feeling, considering his contract has not been restructured to this point.

Re: New Orleans Saints Rumors: Team Targeting Mike Jenkins
 

Harper has too much dead money to just cut him, he has to restructure...

Re: New Orleans Saints Rumors: Team Targeting Mike Jenkins
 

I agree with you. Yet it has not happened yet. Again, was only a gut feeling. I could be wrong.

Re: New Orleans Saints Rumors: Team Targeting Mike Jenkins
 

If I read it correctly his dead money is 3.5 which would still save us 3.6 mil. My thought is if this is true than he needs cut. Saving 3.6 mil instead of starting a Safety that plays with a brain fart every week.

» Over the Cap- Roman Harper Salary Cap Page

Re: New Orleans Saints Rumors: Team Targeting Mike Jenkins
 

I guess the most frustrating part to this is he is a very good safety inside the box, and for arguments sake is one of the teams best tacklers and pass rushers.

Pass coverage is just something he does not excel in.

Re: New Orleans Saints Rumors: Team Targeting Mike Jenkins
 

Tell him to put on 15 pds and play OLB!

Re: New Orleans Saints Rumors: Team Targeting Mike Jenkins
 

Agreed, adding either Jenkins or someone like Mack will be important regardless of what happens with the draft.




Harper is a good in-the-box strong safety, who excels in the areas that this type of a player should excel in - I can't remember too many occasions when he has been burned because of the mental side of his game.

Harper's worth is dependent on Ryan, his scheme, and whether or not Harper can fit the role of the SS going forward. If he isn't a good fit, they'll probably look to cut ties with him one way or the other. But if he seems like a fit, they'll probably just keep hold of him while maybe trying to do something with his contract to make him more releasable/tradable in the future.



Harper is arguably above average in pass coverage when it comes to flats, which is what his type of a SS is expected to be - he is not a FS or a CB.



If only it would be that simple. :-)

Re: New Orleans Saints Rumors: Team Targeting Mike Jenkins
 

I so not believe in "due to bounce back".

Either there is a logical reason he should play better this season or he is not worth trying to get.

Re: New Orleans Saints Rumors: Team Targeting Mike Jenkins
 

Mike Jenkins?
Height: 5-10 Weight: 198 Age: 28
career high year 2009
5 Ints 19 PD 44 tackles
2010 - 2012 nothing impressive stats wise

"due to bounce back" lmao he has been trying for three years. I am not a big fan of his play. we got the ex cowgirl i wanted. min salary offer

Re: New Orleans Saints Rumors: Team Targeting Mike Jenkins
 

no!!! Dont want this guy at all

The last thing we want is another undersized patrick robinson clone in our secondary, weve already got one and thats enough

Re: New Orleans Saints Rumors: Team Targeting Mike Jenkins
 

Harper will be traded to the Titans for a kicking tee and 3 water bottles

Re: New Orleans Saints Rumors: Team Targeting Mike Jenkins
 

**** NO. He is absolutely terrible !!!!! Please God no - my worst nightmare is coming true , we are morphing into the cowboys!!!!! Jenkins is the guy that literally gave up on plays during in his time with cowboys.

Re: New Orleans Saints Rumors: Team Targeting Mike Jenkins
 

The Titans (Gregg Williams) don't need him now that they signed Pollard who is pretty much the same type of safety Harper is.

Re: New Orleans Saints Rumors: Team Targeting Mike Jenkins
 

maybe the Jets...haha

Re: New Orleans Saints Rumors: Team Targeting Mike Jenkins
 

This article is crap. The title is stupid **** misleading and it just goes downhill from there. There are a whole bunch of shoulds and coulds and absolutely nothing that says anyone on the coaching staff or in the front office has even mentioned his name, much less are actually "targeting" him. On top of that, coveting Tracy Porter? Really? Another dropout from the Dick King School of Sports Hackery.

Re: New Orleans Saints Rumors: Team Targeting Mike Jenkins
 

This is so weird. I had a dream about this last night and now it's happening. Bizarre.

Re: New Orleans Saints Rumors: Team Targeting Mike Jenkins
 

Catching balls that are thrown straight at him is definitely a problem, I agree. lol.

Re: New Orleans Saints Rumors: Team Targeting Mike Jenkins
 

I watched Jenkins a bit over the years in Dallas and he simply lacks focus at times & has poor technique at tackling. He along with Orlando Scandrick were regulated to nickle packages and when they were in the lineup, opposing teams kept many drives alive on 3rd and long. I don't see where this guy would be an improvement over Greer and definitely not Kennan Lewis.

Pass on Jenkins.

Re: New Orleans Saints Rumors: Team Targeting Mike Jenkins
 

Just a question why are we putting any stock on any Rumors or reports coming from rantsports.com? What source do they have? Every article they've put has been mainly opinion and....no actual sources whatsoever....


As far as Jenkins is concerned.....dude is luck to even have his shoulder still in his socket. Dude cant and wont stay healthy.

Re: New Orleans Saints Rumors: Team Targeting Mike Jenkins
 

At no point did I say he was a free safety or corner. I agree, he does play the flats well. Moving laterally from the line of scrimmage to the flats and out, I think Harper is very good in pass coverage. But once he moves out of that zone he becomes a liability.

Re: New Orleans Saints Rumors: Team Targeting Mike Jenkins
 

Yeah, I didn't mean to say that you were implying that he was a FS or a CB, just that his pass coverage skills should be evaluated as those of an in-the-box SS, not of a FS or a CB.

While that does make him a liability when it comes to dropping back into coverage, I find it hard to be really harsh on him because of that since you wouldn't expect a DT to drop back to cover a TE. I know that may not be the best comparison, but I think it still gets the point across that certain positions can't be expected to cover for other positions' lapses or mistakes in defensive playcalling.

An in-the-box SS is somewhat limited in his role when it comes to pass defense, but if the defensive scheme calls for a player of that type, then I do think they earn their keep quite nicely - as Harper has in the past.

Re: New Orleans Saints Rumors: Team Targeting Mike Jenkins
 

Fin, either way I think we are on the same page with this. Yes, I do think the Saints need to upgrade the safeties in the secondary. Honestly, we could be much worse off. Harper has his deficiencies but he is experienced and we have won a lot of games with him as our starting strong safety. So with all of that said, I don't want to see the Saints just release him WITHOUT a strong back up plan. He is not great in coverage. But with the new defensive system at least I know we are playing to his strengths. Aggressive play and blitzing the quarterback.

Again, I might be one of the few here who thinks he will be a June 1st cut... but if I am right, then I hope we have a very good back up plan.

Re: New Orleans Saints Rumors: Team Targeting Mike Jenkins
 

I can't see Harper being a June 1st casualty, he is too valuable in running situations.

What I do see is Quaddus/Bush getting some playing time in passing situations...

Re: New Orleans Saints Rumors: Team Targeting Mike Jenkins
 

Saints need a CB + Former Cowboys DC now Saints DC +Former Cowboys CB a FA = 9875653258

Get somebody out the draft,cheaper and most likely better

Re: New Orleans Saints Rumors: Team Targeting Mike Jenkins
 

Where's Mack? I thought he was one of our better corners last year. Sign him up.

Re: New Orleans Saints Rumors: Team Targeting Mike Jenkins
 

Move along. Nothing to see here.

Re: New Orleans Saints Rumors: Team Targeting Mike Jenkins
 

Every time I watched Jenkins he was getting lit up by Qbs idk if I would like this sign...

Re: New Orleans Saints Rumors: Team Targeting Mike Jenkins
 

hands down Harper has been the worst safety to suit up on Sunday for the past 2 years... out of 82 safeties for the last two years Harper has ranked in the bottom 5, bellow some 2nd stringers.

Yes he is a SS... that does not mean LB so what he does outside of the box (you know safety stuff) actually counts. Regardless of scheme Harper is a joke of a safety and now we are moving to a DC who likes to have two FS types on the field... He does not fit, and never did.

As for signing Jenkins I am not so sure. He seemed to get beat far to often and we already have coverage issues.

Re: New Orleans Saints Rumors: Team Targeting Mike Jenkins
 

(Waves hand)

These are not the defensive backs you are looking for.

Re: New Orleans Saints Rumors: Team Targeting Mike Jenkins
 

I don't like the idea of signing him just because of the confusion it would create on which Jenkins I would be directing my anger towards when they get torched.

Re: New Orleans Saints Rumors: Team Targeting Mike Jenkins
 

Preach, it goes against everything and person they targeted in the off season ( And before anyone here says they targeted Tracy let me remind you the best way to garner interest is to pretend that someone is interested...... The TP thing was a hoax in order to make sure Tracy got hired somewhere) You know if Rob Ryan hasn't come out and said I need this guy on my squad then he isn't needed!!!!

Re: New Orleans Saints Rumors: Team Targeting Mike Jenkins
 

OMG I just give the f'ing up.:rolleyes:

Re: New Orleans Saints Rumors: Team Targeting Mike Jenkins
 

Jenkins signed with the Raiders

Re: New Orleans Saints Rumors: Team Targeting Mike Jenkins
 

Good, let him get exposed out there in the black hole. He will be on IR by week 7.