Aaron Donald’s contract situation

[Merlin]

New Orleans has become an habitual offender when it comes to dead money. Last year they also led the NFL in dead money, with $35 million in charges and they already have the early lead in 2017 with about $8 million on the books.

Wow. Nice read.

Of note is that the Saints went 7-9 that season on the backs of a horrible defense. But then went 11-5 in 2017 thanks to shrewd drafting and personnel moves and advanced in the playoffs to the divisional round. Have to think they're one of many NFC teams with a real chance to do something this year too. So dead money aside they still matter.

 

[Rams43]

This is why I've been saying the Rams need to play hardball at this point. Let him know he's got a fair offer on the table, and if he doesn't show up they're going to use the CBA against him with the fines which he will feel. That on top of missing games (which he will feel even more IMO) will hopefully get him to look at this thing from the required perspective to help a deal get done. I'd tell him he's not going to get out of this, that he can plan on sitting out 3 years (this year plus 2 franchise years) because I'm not going to trade him. Hardball. And I'd keep the discussions going to get him inked all the while.

That pressure the CBA brings is real, and it's a tool they need to use. In order to get that dude inked and in horns for the long term.

I approve your message, Merlin.

Hell, I’ll even hold your beer. Lol.

 

[Ram_Rally]

I'm trying to think of who some of those players who overplayed their hands are. There aren't many who come to mind. Carson Palmer with Cincy maybe but this is a different situation entirely. Anyone?

Not a clue . Was he referring to just Donald's situation or holdouts in general?

 

[Ram65]

The Saints had a great draft last year to help them rebound. The don't have much money to spend this year.
https://overthecap.com/calculator/new-orleans-saints/

While everyone in the NFL makes contractual missteps, the Saints situation seems more compromised by the lack of any long-term vision or planning. Many teams are very deliberate in their roster planning strategy. The Saints are arguably the most haphazard team in the NFL.

Demoff and the Rams seem to becoming very deliberate planning roster moves. Resigning Austin and Ogletree may have been a little reckless but, he was able to get out from under them.

Demoff has shown he likes to pay up front. That is the opposite of what the Saints, Cowboys and Whiners did that got them in trouble. While I think he can make things work at 22-23 Million the Rams may not want to go any higher for a DT type player even as great as Donald is. Gurley did get a substance signing bonus IIRC while Cooks didn't. While pay the man is easy to say it has ramifications on other player personnel. I would really like to see the computer program he works with. It hard to see what the numbers are going to look like when the Rams resign Donald. Goff, Peters and anyone else. Got to think Demoff has a plan and wants to stay as close to it as possible.

 

[12intheBox]

I was using DE numbers - I thought.

 

[ReekofRams]

This is the interesting thing: while some teams have come close, no team has won a super bowl with a player making $20 million per year - at least last I checked, and assuming I did good research.

Because I know for sure no team paying their QB that much has ever won. Broncos with Manning came close, and ironically he was terrible.

Which is one reason why I am actually kind of 50/50 on whether to sign him.

With the salary cap going up each year that'll change. You can't base future salaries based on past salaries as the salary caps don't match up.

 

[12intheBox]

Not a clue . Was he referring to just Donald's situation or holdouts in general?

I took it as holdouts in general

 

[Ram65]

Wow. Nice read.

Of note is that the Saints went 7-9 that season on the backs of a horrible defense. But then went 11-5 in 2017 thanks to shrewd drafting and personnel moves and advanced in the playoffs to the divisional round. Have to think they're one of many NFC teams with a real chance to do something this year too. So dead money aside they still matter.

When I looked up their recent record this picture showed up.

The Saints did four Jeff Fisher's (7-9) in six years from 2012 to 2017. That's with future HOFer Drew Brees at QB. Took awhile to get things right.

https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/nor/index.htm

 

[FrantikRam]

With the salary cap going up each year that'll change. You can't base future salaries based on past salaries as the salary caps don't match up.

Sure.

But it's interesting that the cap has been increasing and it's been at least five years, if not longer, since the first $20 million per year contract - yet we haven't seen a super bowl winner with that contract yet.

At some point every team will have that contract, and really it speaks more to one player taking up a % of the cap.

 

[LesBaker]

Why? Neither side has really disputed ANY off the tweets. I don't think they give two shits about what these guys say.

100% correct..........the reporters covering this don't have any effect on the negotiations at all. And never have.

Point is he doesnt have the same impact as say.. a QB, WR, or RB. And that's the disconnect that some fans don't see, simply saying "pay the man" doesn't help this team out long term

I agree on QB, as long as it's a upper end and not a bottom feeder.

On WR and RB it depends, but AD has as much to do with a game's outcome as any player on defense and that has value. The trick is deciding how much, and that's where Demoff and Donald's agent disagree.

 

[Merlin]

On WR and RB it depends, but AD has as much to do with a game's outcome as any player on defense and that has value. The trick is deciding how much, and that's where Demoff and Donald's agent disagree.

My idea of what is fair for AD has changed a lot as this has gone forward. Have to say that for a future Hall of Fame and defensive MVP type talent that 80% of the QB elite pay chart sounds fair. Which surprises myself even as I type it. So I wonder are the Rams offering $24M? Or is the dysfunction based on his reps lookin for 86% (based on Suh contract with Phins) or more?

I like that this is still amicable and all as it bodes well for us. But it sure would be nice to see figures out in the public eye so we can know wtf is going on.

 

[RamFan503]

A talking head? That speaks? WOW!
Is this talking head of yours trustworthy? Is this someone we should take seriously?
Is this talking head actually your head?

I dunno. This response seems a little dickish. Just sayin'. And yes - I did note the blue font.

So.... why do I keep clicking on this thread and actually expect some news..?

It's an illness. I have it too. Maybe we need to start a support group.

 

[Psycho_X]

It's an illness. I have it too. Maybe we need to start a support group.

 

[kurtfaulk]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMO13qI_Bbg&feature=youtu.be

another talking head pushing the "there's alot of personality in that locker room, how will they gel together" line. what did all these talking heads do, have a pow wow together and decide this was the angle they were gonna use when talking about the rams this year?

.

 

[kurtfaulk]

Interesting note above that Suh's contract was 86% of top QB money, and that the defensive market hasn't moved (those two contracts now being 63% of what top QBs make).

Really wish I knew what each side was offering/arguing for. But I'd guess that AD's reps want something along that 86% range, and the Rams are obviously not there.

that wasn't the market, that was the dolphins being the dolphins. the market is when all the teams pay that amount, not just one horribly managed team.

.

 

[kurtfaulk]

the signal the players see is that the rams are offering enough money to make ad the highest paid player in nfl history but it's still not good enough for him. they saw cooks and gurley take their generous deals. they'll be thinking if ad doesn't want that money, some of it should come to me when my time is due.

.

 

[Jacobarch]

This is why I've been saying the Rams need to play hardball at this point. Let him know he's got a fair offer on the table, and if he doesn't show up they're going to use the CBA against him with the fines which he will feel. That on top of missing games (which he will feel even more IMO) will hopefully get him to look at this thing from the required perspective to help a deal get done. I'd tell him he's not going to get out of this, that he can plan on sitting out 3 years (this year plus 2 franchise years) because I'm not going to trade him. Hardball. And I'd keep the discussions going to get him inked all the while.

That pressure the CBA brings is real, and it's a tool they need to use. In order to get that dude inked and in horns for the long term.

This ^^

I think the Rams are dealing with a greedy agent tbh. He's trying to reset the market for a position that doesn't need to be reset. You can argue the RB position did need to be reset due to the fact that over the last 7 years the RB position has slowly gone the way of the Buffalo. Up until recently over the last couple of years we've seen a reemergence of the position so I agree with what the Rams did with Gurely. As far as AD is concerned you're 100% right. We need to play hardball with these guys or they're not going to lower their numbers to more of a team friendly deal. We all know he's not going to sit for 3 years and watch other players get paid and possibly see the Rams become a consistent playoff team. Plus at the end of those 3 years he's going to be 30. No one's going to make him the highest played Defensive player in the game at that point. And he knows that. So it's a lose-lose for him.
What's really ironic / funny about this whole thing is with the current numbers they gave him he would still be the highest paid defensive player, sans Macks contract. I guess that's still not good enough. lol.

 

[ReekofRams]

I dunno. This response seems a little dickish. Just sayin'. And yes - I did note the blue font.

I'm sorry it bothered you.