Aaron Donald is already the best defensive lineman ever

[badnews]

It's a real shame that Robert Quinn and Aaron Donald basically passed each other in the hallway.
Quinn for his prime was exactly the kind of edge threat that would really be amazing combined with Donald.

 

[Loyal]

It's a real shame that Robert Quinn and Aaron Donald basically passed each other in the hallway.
Quinn for his prime was exactly the kind of edge threat that would really be amazing combined with Donald.

You're right. Although I miss the dinosaur skeptic and mermaid believer, we miss the mighty Quinn more.

 

[hotanez]

It's a real shame that Robert Quinn and Aaron Donald basically passed each other in the hallway.
Quinn for his prime was exactly the kind of edge threat that would really be amazing combined with Donald.

I blame the refs for letting Olines neck tackle and clothesline Quinn. He was never the same after that

 

[Classic Rams]

AD faces more blocking than any of the other gents we talk about, but fun fact, Deacon Jones once had 26 sacks(not an NFL stat yet) in a 14 Game Season! That is crazy!

Yup thanks to the Rams stat keepers back then, and then Turney backing it up, the Deac's awesome season is could be counted as legit.

But a man named Coy Bacon tied that number in my first full season as a Ram backer, 1976. Coy isn't mentioned with the all time greats or even the top 10 sackers, but that season he tied for the best all-time (or close, depending on the bottom paragraph).

Another thing worthy of note, there were no 1/2 sacks back then, players were credited with a sack each if they both brought down the QB on the same play. The 1/2 sack was made official in 1977 or '78. I think I mentioned this before in this forum. Whether the Deac's or Coy's record includes this (it probably does) they still had outstanding seasons getting to the QB.

Edit: Bacon was on the Bengals in 1976 (didn't want to confuse anyone)

 

[RamDino]

OK... who out there thought the Rams paid too much for a D-Tackle? Let's face it... Donald is great, but there have been other small, quick, strong tackles in the past. Geno Atkins, John Randle, to name a couple. But Aaron Donald is truly a special player. He can penetrate the line and stuff run plays as well as rush the passer. He is a disrupter in all phases, and continues to dominate even against double teams. He is just as good as LT or Deacon Jones or Reggie White... he just plays a different position.

 

[CGI_Ram]

.

i thought AD got 4 sacks yesterday.

.

The game wasn't over yet maybe

He did as far as I know, unless they adjusted it...ESPN says he has 7.5 sacks after 5 games.

Yes... 4 sacks.

 

[UKram]

I’ve been watching football about 20 years now ... I never saw LT I never saw the foursome.... I know of them and know what they stand for in the annals of football and the NFL .... Aaron Donald is the best football player I ever see strap them on ... the man is a monster .. if you do not stop him you will not win ... if you do not stop your game plan is gone . Oline men across the league watch tape constantly and try and hope they figure out what they can do to slow him down at least and they still haven’t figured it out .. the best plan most teams have is to put two sometimes three men on him and hope no one else on the rams gets to the QB or run screens all day in the passing game and hope to break one ... the man is disruptive he is a fucking terror .. and I am glad he is a ram (although I was pissed when he held out that time )

Edit : if you asked any NFL fan coach scout GM or owner if they could take one non qb from any team who they wanted they would take AD99 without hesitation

 

[MolaRam]

Reggie White dominated throughout his long career, and that included three dominant seasons in the USFL which featured a high-level of play.

Not the USFL that I saw apparently.

Nope. AD all the way.

 

[dang]

OK... who out there thought the Rams paid too much for a D-Tackle? Let's face it... Donald is great, but there have been other small, quick, strong tackles in the past. Geno Atkins, John Randle, to name a couple. But Aaron Donald is truly a special player. He can penetrate the line and stuff run plays as well as rush the passer. He is a disrupter in all phases, and continues to dominate even against double teams. He is just as good as LT or Deacon Jones or Reggie White... he just plays a different position.

In all seriousness Donald is the equivalent of 2 very good DL. As much as he is paid he may be considered underpaid for what he does.

 

[Mackeyser]

Even Mean Joe was jacked on roids when many teams did not use them.

Plus Reggie White was a 4/3 DE mostly and LT was an OLB wasn’t he? Neither was a 3/4 DE which is essentially a DT. The closest comparison would be Randle or Sapp who both played inside in a 4/3.

But even having any comparison at all to RW, LT or Strahan who all played a position with traditionally high sack is impressive in and of itself

John Randle is the closest comp.

 

[Mackeyser]

I love my wife, I love Aaron Donald. In that order but it’s closer than it should be.

Still, Reggie White is the best D-Lineman I have ever seen.

One big reason is dominant longevity ... if that is a thing. A number of great players had careers that spanned 12-14 years but most of them were dominant for maybe half their careers.

Reggie White dominated throughout his long career, and that included three dominant seasons in the USFL which featured a high-level of play.

White dominated at end and extended his career at DL, but dominated? Not exactly. Not like AD is dominating, not even close.

 

[Allen2McVay]

White dominated at end and extended his career at DL, but dominated? Not exactly. Not like AD is dominating, not even close.

So your position is that White ‘dominated at end’ but at the same time, did not ‘exactly’ ... ‘dominate’.

That’s an interesting take.

 

[rams1fan]

Donald also helped get Dante Fowler a big payday

 

[Mackeyser]

Don't make an argument about it, Allen.

Just saying that when Reggie played end, he was dominant. By the end at Green Bay when they'd moved him inside, he wasn't dominant. He was very good, but he wasn't dominant on the inside like AD is now.

Did teams game plan around knowing where Reggie was? Sure...he was ensconced at the 3T and pretty much stayed inside.

 

[Allen2McVay]

Not the USFL that I saw apparently.

We definitely do not have the same memory of the USFL.

From Hall of Famers Steve Young and Jim Kelley at QB to defensive studs like Reggie White and Sam Mills on defense, HOF OL Gary Zimmerman and top tier skill position players like Hershel Walker, Anthony Carter, Gary Anderson and Kelvin Bryant.

NFL starting QBs Doug Williams, Brian Sipe, Bobby Herbert and Doug Flutie.

Kent Hull, Keith Millard, Luis Sharpe, William Fuller, Gary Plummer and Dan Ross. Most of those guys played in Pro Bowls.

A ton of good players. Some stable organizations. And, good football.

As I recall.

 

[Ramlock]

"Bruce Smith? We pity the fools that think Aaron Freakin' Donald isn't the best!" @Merlin

I would present 14-time Pro Bowler (a record), HOF’er, #74
Merlin Olsen
Farm boy strong, no ‘roids

Every bit the player Joe Greene was and the best penetrating 3T ever, until now.

Aaron Donald has a chance to equal or better Olsen, and I saw Olsen play.

 

[Mackeyser]

Um... I watched Steve Young live with the LA Express and he was a hot mess. Sorry, but he wasn't the same guy he was with the 9ers. Plenty of guys were either very early or very late in their careers, so just the names doesn't indicate quality of play.

The ONE guy who was extraordinary was Herschel Walker. No question.

 

[ReekofRams]

I’ll take a Dline of Deacon, Aaron, Merlin, and Reggie.

 

[Allen2McVay]

Don't make an argument about it, Allen.

Just saying that when Reggie played end, he was dominant. By the end at Green Bay when they'd moved him inside, he wasn't dominant. He was very good, but he wasn't dominant on the inside like AD is now.

Did teams game plan around knowing where Reggie was? Sure...he was ensconced at the 3T and pretty much stayed inside.

No argument ... We just disagree here. And have different memories of Reggie White.

For instance, my memory was that White still mostly played left defensive end in Green Bay.

Before posting this, I even went back and checked. He was listed as the starting LDE from 1993 through 1996.

 

[Allen2McVay]

Um... I watched Steve Young live with the LA Express and he was a hot mess. Sorry, but he wasn't the same guy he was with the 9ers. Plenty of guys were either very early or very late in their careers, so just the names doesn't indicate quality of play.

The ONE guy who was extraordinary was Herschel Walker. No question.

Agree that Young struggled in L.A. with the Express; and then in Tampa but I listed about 20 guys without much thought and effort. Most were really good in both leagues; and, I believe, only Sipe would qualify as 'late in his career'.

I remember (not too well) the World Football League in the '70s ... a disaster. Your term above ... 'Hot Mess' ... definitely would apply ...

The recent attempts for alternative leagues were also very weak ... both XFL versions and the Alliance league among them. One thing they all had in common was little high-end-talent. I threw-out 20 players from the USFL that went on to be high-quality players in the NFL but I do not believe I could name two from all those more recent attempts.

Also, I have a lot-of-love for Aaron Donald. Just go-back to the first sentences of my original post on this thread. But please, don't tell my wife ...