Aaron Donald’s contract situation

[bubbaramfan]

WTF, 18 mil or 25 mil. You can't spend either one in a lifetime.
going on 2 years of haggle. Narsacistic egomaniacs.
Trade him. Let another team pay him astronomical money. Get a couple good players.

 

[Rainram]

This might be an over-simplification of sorts. But someone fill in some of the blanks for me....

Option 1: No New Deal/AD Holdout
2018 Salary: $8M
2019: RFA-Tagged at $18.5M
2020: RFA-Tagged at $22M
Three year total: $48.5M

All money guaranteed, but on a year to year basis.


Pros:
- He’s taking a stand for what he believes he’s worth.

Cons:
- Making less money than he would if he signed a new deal
- Anything can happen at any time to change his future. (see: Stedman Bailey, JPP, Malik McDowell...)
- Not being part of the team.
- Potentially, hurting his legacy.
- Could be traded to a worse franchise/city/market/etc.


Option 2: New Deal
4 year extension/$88M/$70M guaranteed ($78 if you count the guaranteed salary for this year)
2018: $8M
2019: $22M
2020: $22M
2021: $22M
2022: $22M

*Obviously those numbers can look different based on the structure/bonuses/etc.

Pros
- Highest paid DE/DT
- Damn near $80M guaranteed...to play a game! With no worry of getting injured, or dealing with the tag, or dealing with the drama every year. Safe and secured multi-millionaire, with LA endorsements to follow.
- Can still sign a second contract at 31 years old or so.
- Can join the team and his friends in a quest for a Lombardi.
- Gets to play ball with other guys that love football-McVay, Gurley, Cooks, Goff, Brockers, etc.
- Be part of a potentially all-time great DLine
- Happy fans (haha...just kidding...I know this part doesn’t matter)

Cons
- I suppose if he feels he’s worth $25M/year, he could see himself being out $12M. (But that’s assuming someone would pay that)


Seems pretty clear to me. But what do I know.

 

[Steve808]

We all want AD signed and motivated for what could be a Super Bowl run. (Who would have thought that 2 years ago?). That said, a defensive player cannot be paid as if he were a QB. Other than Brady who doesn't get the max salary, teams that are winning the Lomabardi have been doing it with QB's on rookie contracts (Wilson, Wentz). That's because the QB getting the rookie salary allows for the teams to carry depth and other significant contributors. If teams with QBs earning the max salary aren't winning the Super Bowls, imagine the Rams paying the equivalence of 2 QB's when Goff's rookie contract is up?

I don't believe AD will sit out the whole season. He will hold out but eventually play enough to get credit to become a FA next season. The key will be for the Rams to win during his hold out. Anyone remember when Emmitt Smith held out on the Cowboys and they started 0-2? He was signed right away and the Cowgirls won the Lombardi. But AD would have little leverage if the Rams are 4-0 without him there.

That said, I hope and pray that cooler heads and common sense prevail because we are definitely better off with a motivated AD on our active roster. We also better hope that Wade can get some mileage out of Easley and some others if not.

 

[shaunpinney]

I'm so bored of the AD situation now... There are so many good things about the Rams at the moment and they excite me.

I don't know why AD doesn't sign Option A as listed by @Rainram

Option 1: No New Deal/AD Holdout
2018 Salary: $8M
2019: RFA-Tagged at $18.5M
2020: RFA-Tagged at $22M
Three year total: $48.5M

All money guaranteed, but on a year to year basis.

Then get a new contract deal in 2021

 

[TexasRam]

Maybe it’s time Donald fire his agent.

Sounds like the Rams have declared their Value and negotiations have stagnated.

i hope they work something out but am growing tired of this crap.

 

[shaunpinney]

Maybe it’s time Donald fire his agent.

Sounds like the Rams have declared their Value and negotiations have stagnated.

i hope they work something out but am growing tired of this crap.

Same as me - I really don't care right at this moment if he suits up or not

 

[1maGoh]

To be fair, I didn't get it because it's a dumb rule, but I understand.

 

[bubbaramfan]

I hope the Rams go 16-0 and win the SB without AD taking a snap during his "Me, not We" contract dispute.

 

[kurtfaulk]

Same as me - I really don't care right at this moment if he suits up or not

Remember it's a business, don't take it personally. Don't listen to the noise. Just remember how good ad is and know he is worth the effort, otherwise the rams wouldn't be bothered with all this.

.

 

[12intheBox]

I suggest we all ease back on AD. I know we all want him in camp, but this is his life and merely entertainment for us. He has hired a team of professionals who are good at their jobs to negotiate the most important monetary transaction of his life - of course he is going to listen to their advise. His options are really limited, holding out is the only card in the deck on that side. Of course they are playing it.

It’s not like he is talking trash in the media or spending his time eating biscuits and gravy at the strip club buffet. This is AD! He is getting ready for the season he is about to play.

It’s easy to tell AD that 20 a year is plenty - it’s more than most of us will ever see. But we are talking about not just a really good player, but an elite - a first ballot hall of fame type player. As such, he is likely getting heat from the NFLPA to set the market.

If he misses a few games, yeah - it will suck, especially if we lose any of them. But it will all be worth it when he in in the fold for his career here at a number we can live with.

 

[OldSchool]

So I read last night the only draft picks under this cba that have held out were represented by the same agency as AD.

 

[Akrasian]

he is likely getting heat from the NFLPA to set the market.

1) The reports are that he has been offered a record contract for a non-QB. That IS setting the market. He apparently is trying to shatter the market.

2) There is a salary cap and a team salary minimum. His getting more does not lead to players overall getting more. Rather, it means that somebody else gets less. So it's not actually the role of the NFLPA to encourage players to set the market. This is being done for himself. While it's his right to do so, let's not pretend that in any way he is being noble or self-sacrificing to do so.

3) Last season at the end of training camp it was reported early in the week that he was giving up his holdout. In fact, he did - but waited to come in until Saturday morning, so he could take his physical, get his game check, but it was really too late to have him play the next day. I see that as a warning shot across the Rams' bow that he could hurt the team at some point. I also see it as a big FU to the team, and coincidentally his teammates. It turned out the Rams didn't need him against the Colts, but he couldn't be certain of that. Getting a game check without any real intention of playing is not the mark of a good teammate.

 

[ReekofRams]

So I read last night the only draft picks under this cba that have held out were represented by the same agency as AD.

Figures. Don't these agents ever realize that they may actually be hurting their clients. They must have their clients so bamboozled into thinking that the agent only wants what's best for them. When a lot of times they're just using the players to make more money for themselves, along with also using their clients to make a name for themselves.

The idea was brought up the other day about maybe Donald and Mack having the same agent. Did anyone ever verify that?

 

[Ramhusker]

Well, I won't AD on the field TODAY but not at a price that wrecks the future. AD is some what the middle man in a circle jerk. No doubt he'll get paid more than we could dream of making in a lifetime but he's still getting used by others. A lot of fingers in this pie. I don't know if everybody can get Happy in the end. I just hope AD does the right thing sooner than later.

 

[Ramhusker]

Mack and AD, Rams vs Raiders on MNF Week One, How ironic is that?

 

[12intheBox]

1) The reports are that he has been offered a record contract for a non-QB. That IS setting the market. He apparently is trying to shatter the market.
.

Of course the offer is a record for a non QB - that has been a given since the league saw who AD was. “Setting the market” is a term used to describe how much more than previous contracts he gets. If it’s just barely over, it isn’t setting the market - it’s in the previous market. So in order to set, you kind of have to shatter.

 

[Rainram]

Yea...I got lazy with my numbers. Sorry.

I understand your perspective. But here’s my general take...

What is the net difference, with either approach? Maybe $10M? Maybe. When he’ll have made around $150M by the end of his career regardless of the path he chooses.

Seems a bit reckless to me to play on some of these one year deals. Risk injury. Add drama every year to your life.

Seems like a strange approach for someone that will make $150M.

Hell...if he wanted to play hardball with the organization that bad he could have reported to camp on time the last two years and been an UFA next year.

Weird appraoch if you ask me. I question his advisors.