Aaron Donald’s contract situation

[jrry32]

6 hours, 25 minutes to sign Donald. Tick tock.

The "deadline" isn't significant for Donald. It doesn't matter to him if he's a RFA or UFA.

 

[FaulkSF]

The "deadline" isn't significant for Donald. It doesn't matter to him if he's a RFA or UFA.

That's just like your opinion, Jerr-uh. If he's an RFA he can sign offer sheets from another team that can pay him what he wants. If he's a UFA he's getting tagged twice a year at well below the $21M per year the Rams have offered with the potential of injury and smaller future contracts. I expect two options to occur:

1) He signs by 1159 Est tonight.

2) He signs in fourth week of preseason since a deal has already been hashed out, but he doesn't wasn't to risk injury in preseason. Rams have been covering themselves and so has Donald by leaking items to the media

 

[jrry32]

That's just like your opinion, Jerr-uh. If he's an RFA he can sign offer sheets from another team that can pay him what he wants. If he's a UFA he's getting tagged twice a year at well below the $21M per year the Rams have offered with the potential of injury and smaller future contracts. I expect two options to occur:

1) He signs by 1159 Est tonight.

2) He signs in fourth week of preseason since a deal has already been hashed out, but he doesn't wasn't to risk injury in preseason. Rams have been covering themselves and so has Donald by leaking items to the media

You can franchise tag a RFA. Donald is going to get paid no matter what.

 

[RamBall]

That's just like your opinion, Jerr-uh. If he's an RFA he can sign offer sheets from another team that can pay him what he wants. If he's a UFA he's getting tagged twice a year at well below the $21M per year the Rams have offered with the potential of injury and smaller future contracts. I expect two options to occur:

1) He signs by 1159 Est tonight.

2) He signs in fourth week of preseason since a deal has already been hashed out, but he doesn't wasn't to risk injury in preseason. Rams have been covering themselves and so has Donald by leaking items to the media

It doesnt matter if he is RFA or UFA, he will be franchise tagged if he isnt willing to sign whatever offer the Rams put on the table. IIRC, if he doesnt show up today he will not get credit for this season thus making him a RFA and unable to sign an offer sheet. Isnt it UFAs that are free to sign an offer sheet? Or do I have them mixed up?

 

[Florida_Ram]

____________________________________

 

[Mackeyser]

We don't know that. We don't know what numbers were actually discussed.

I don't recall if it was a tweet from a reporter or Demoff outright saying it, but what I recall (as iffy as that is) was that they came out saying that they already knew ADs worth and weren't going to mess around and started at what would clearly make AD the highest paid defender in the NFL.

I could be mistaken, but I recall that they said that.

 

[RamDino]

The agents for Donald and Mack are waiting for the other to set the market. If Donald signs for 21 or 22 million, and then Mack signs for 24 or 25 million, Donald's agent will not be happy. Likewise, if Mack signs for 21 million, and Donald is paid 23 or 24 million, his agent won't be happy. I believe this is what has slowed the negotiations for both sides, but I also believe the Rams and the Raiders are doing the right thing in trying to limit the market for great defensive players. Not sure how this is going to end. We appear to be locked in a stalemate. JMHO, of course.

 

[Mackeyser]

Honestly, all this AD stuff is harshin' my buzz, man.

Even more so because I don't expect to see much in preseason.

I decided to put all this into a pic because this is how it feels. May not be how it is...but this is how it feels...to me.

 

[Karate61]

https://www.captiongenerator.com/1056342/Aaron-Donald-contract-status

Adolph Hitler and his staff chime in on AD's holdout.

Must see video. Tongue in cheek. Funny as hell.

Fricking can't stop laughing! Thanks for sharing Bubba!

 

[Rainram]

The "deadline" isn't significant for Donald. It doesn't matter to him if he's a RFA or UFA.

But it may matter to his potential suitors.

As an RFA, some teams might not be willing to cough up the first round pick in addition to signing him. So his potentially legitimate prospects would be teams that

1. Have enough cap space
2. Are willing to pay the amount he’s seeking
3. Are willing to give up a first round pick

As an UFA he could have truly tested the market. (And all he had to do to make that happen was show up for work).

I would also add that IMHO it should matter to him if he’s restricted or not. You’re right...he’ll get paid. But if he plays under a tag as opposed to a long term deal he’s taking much more risk.

 

[Mackeyser]

The agents for Donald and Mack are waiting for the other to set the market. If Donald signs for 21 or 22 million, and then Mack signs for 24 or 25 million, Donald's agent will not be happy. Likewise, if Mack signs for 21 million, and Donald is paid 23 or 24 million, his agent won't be happy. I believe this is what has slowed the negotiations for both sides, but I also believe the Rams and the Raiders are doing the right thing in trying to limit the market for great defensive players. Not sure how this is going to end. We appear to be locked in a stalemate. JMHO, of course.

Well that'd be super ignorant on AD's agent's part if that's the case because the Rams don't have the cap space going forward like the Raiders do and the Raiders need a star when they move into their temp digs in LV next year, iirc.

The Rams and Raiders aren't in the same place.

Now, Cleveland is paying Tyrod Taylor less than $10m/yr. THEY are about the only team in the NFL that could pay AD...or Mack.

Short of that... I can't see it.

Here's where it falls apart for AD.

Let's say the Rams overall D really steps up early, they do sign Galette and he's a monster and Suh and Brockers are just beastly against the run...and our secondary is legendary....and the Rams start smoking people early.

What does AD add to that?

The worst thing for AD would be for the Rams to start out hot and just smoke teams. And that's entirely possible. Our O is looking really good and our D is giving our #1 offense fits.

AD shows his value by being in the center of the maelstrom, not sitting on the beach.

Teams paid up for the QBs because they have seen for awhile that without a decent QB, a team is going nowhere unless they have a historically good defense (aka the '85 Bears and the 2000 Ravens...you could add the '07 and '11 Giants to that except the ONLY time Eli Manning is a really good QB is in the playoffs. Go figure.)

That outsized adjustment isn't going to follow to every other elite player at every other position. Firstly, it can't because the increase for QBs was something like twice the percentage raise of the cap over the same 3-4 year period. And secondly, teams have won with a number of configurations, but almost none win without a solid QB.

Which again, puts Mack in a MUCH better position than AD. The Raiders should have the money and space going forward to sign him to a massive deal. Maybe even 2nd Tier QB money (>$20M/yr). The Rams have WAY, WAY more elite talent and simply cannot pay top tier QB money to anyone other than a QB. Goff being on his rookie deal really helps afford a few more big pieces, but once Goff gets paid, it's gonna get a lot tighter.

This is a situation where because we have so much more info than we used to, we all can do the basic math. The grey area for the Rams is somewhere between $21-23M/yr. Below that, it's a slam dunk. Above that, it's likely undoable. If AD is going to insist on $25M+, he's going to lose out overall.

Firstly, he's not going to get a 3-4 year deal. That's essentially the same as an opt-out clause. Likely the Rams want to go with a 6 year deal which precludes two mega contracts. NO TEAM including the Browns would be dumb enough to go with a super short deal like 3 years.

Secondly, he's not going to get $25M+. It's not that hard to do the math on this.

Thirdly, if he insists on this path and let's say after three more contentious seasons, he FINALLY gets his record setting payday. Let's say he gets $28M/yr after a few more years of the cap increasing. Okay. By the end of what would have been the 6 year contract with the Rams, he still will have lost money overall. So it doesn't seem that overall most money matters, but that record setting contract. Which is dumb and fails at basic math.

Fourth and lastly, none of that takes into account post-career earnings. Ask Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, either Manning or Tom Brady what it looks like to have outside income. Even though Brady is playing as is Eli, both have extensive ad contracts and have made cameos in movies. You can't tell me that AD couldn't become the front man for a national ad campaign for a tool company or one of the truck companies (tell me he wouldn't make a mint if he retired a Ram legend selling Ram Tough trucks...).

But, if him and his team are content with this path that leads to a Big paycheck as a consolation to winning, then fine.

We're lifting the Lombardi with or without him. I'd rather it be with him, but no one can make him get on the bus.

GO RAMS!

 

[dang]

It doesnt matter if he is RFA or UFA, he will be franchise tagged if he isnt willing to sign whatever offer the Rams put on the table. IIRC, if he doesnt show up today he will not get credit for this season thus making him a RFA and unable to sign an offer sheet. Isnt it UFAs that are free to sign an offer sheet? Or do I have them mixed up?

So its official Donald is not worried about the UFA/RFA deadline. It may not matter to Donald but it matters to the Rams. His status as an RFA gives the Rams more options for keeping him under contract and limiting his salary next year.

 

[jrry32]

But it may matter to his potential suitors.

As an RFA, some teams might not be willing to cough up the first round pick in addition to signing him. So his potentially legitimate prospects would be teams that

1. Have enough cap space
2. Are willing to pay the amount he’s seeking
3. Are willing to give up a first round pick

As an UFA he could have truly tested the market. (And all he had to do to make that happen was show up for work).

I would also add that IMHO it should matter to him if he’s restricted or not. You’re right...he’ll get paid. But if he plays under a tag as opposed to a long term deal he’s taking much more risk.

It's Aaron Donald. Somebody will cough up a big contract and a pick if it goes that far.

 

[Mackeyser]

So its official Donald is not worried about the UFA/RFA deadline. It may not matter to Donald but it matters to the Rams. His status as an RFA gives the Rams more options for keeping him under contract and limiting his salary next year.

As far as that goes, i'm only concerned if he starts missing game checks and it becomes clear that he won't show until week 10.

At that point, I wash my hands.

Earl Thomas has a MUCH better case to get paid in that he's not asking for QB money, he's just asking for elite Safety money as an elite Safety and he can't even get that.

 

[dang]

As far as that goes, i'm only concerned if he starts missing game checks and it becomes clear that he won't show until week 10.

At that point, I wash my hands.

Earl Thomas has a MUCH better case to get paid in that he's not asking for QB money, he's just asking for elite Safety money as an elite Safety and he can't even get that.

Part of me is thinking Donald is milking this to skip the risk of injury and the grind of training camp/preseason. He may prefer to work out on his own and it worked out for him and the Rams last year. Once he misses regular season games - my attention will be on the 53 man roster and my allegiance to/patience with Donald will decline as each week passes.

 

[Mackeyser]

Well that'd be super ignorant on AD's agent's part if that's the case because the Rams don't have the cap space going forward like the Raiders do and the Raiders need a star when they move into their temp digs in LV next year, iirc.

The Rams and Raiders aren't in the same place.

Now, Cleveland is paying Tyrod Taylor less than $10m/yr. THEY are about the only team in the NFL that could pay AD...or Mack.

Short of that... I can't see it.

Here's where it falls apart for AD.

Let's say the Rams overall D really steps up early, they do sign Galette and he's a monster and Suh and Brockers are just beastly against the run...and our secondary is legendary....and the Rams start smoking people early.

What does AD add to that?

The worst thing for AD would be for the Rams to start out hot and just smoke teams. And that's entirely possible. Our O is looking really good and our D is giving our #1 offense fits.

AD shows his value by being in the center of the maelstrom, not sitting on the beach.

Teams paid up for the QBs because they have seen for awhile that without a decent QB, a team is going nowhere unless they have a historically good defense (aka the '85 Bears and the 2000 Ravens...you could add the '07 and '11 Giants to that except the ONLY time Eli Manning is a really good QB is in the playoffs. Go figure.)

That outsized adjustment isn't going to follow to every other elite player at every other position. Firstly, it can't because the increase for QBs was something like twice the percentage raise of the cap over the same 3-4 year period. And secondly, teams have won with a number of configurations, but almost none win without a solid QB.

Which again, puts Mack in a MUCH better position than AD. The Raiders should have the money and space going forward to sign him to a massive deal. Maybe even 2nd Tier QB money (>$20M/yr). The Rams have WAY, WAY more elite talent and simply cannot pay top tier QB money to anyone other than a QB. Goff being on his rookie deal really helps afford a few more big pieces, but once Goff gets paid, it's gonna get a lot tighter.

This is a situation where because we have so much more info than we used to, we all can do the basic math. The grey area for the Rams is somewhere between $21-23M/yr. Below that, it's a slam dunk. Above that, it's likely undoable. If AD is going to insist on $25M+, he's going to lose out overall.

Firstly, he's not going to get a 3-4 year deal. That's essentially the same as an opt-out clause. Likely the Rams want to go with a 6 year deal which precludes two mega contracts. NO TEAM including the Browns would be dumb enough to go with a super short deal like 3 years.

Secondly, he's not going to get $25M+. It's not that hard to do the math on this.

Thirdly, if he insists on this path and let's say after three more contentious seasons, he FINALLY gets his record setting payday. Let's say he gets $28M/yr after a few more years of the cap increasing. Okay. By the end of what would have been the 6 year contract with the Rams, he still will have lost money overall. So it doesn't seem that overall most money matters, but that record setting contract. Which is dumb and fails at basic math.

Fourth and lastly, none of that takes into account post-career earnings. Ask Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, either Manning or Tom Brady what it looks like to have outside income. Even though Brady is playing as is Eli, both have extensive ad contracts and have made cameos in movies. You can't tell me that AD couldn't become the front man for a national ad campaign for a tool company or one of the truck companies (tell me he wouldn't make a mint if he retired a Ram legend selling Ram Tough trucks...).

But, if him and his team are content with this path that leads to a Big paycheck as a consolation to winning, then fine.

We're lifting the Lombardi with or without him. I'd rather it be with him, but no one can make him get on the bus.

GO RAMS!

To tack onto this, I would add if you look at our schedule, there's no reason we shouldn't go not just 3-0, but with convincing wins. I think the Rams start out 8-0. That's realistically possible if they beat the Vikes at home.

@ Raiders. W - That baseball field won't be an advantage for the Raiders this early in the season.
Cards. W - Suh has the game circled and while David Johnson is a beast, I think our secondary gives Bradford fits.
Chargers. W - Chargers are snake bit early, once again. If healthy, this is a dangerous team, but they're already taking on water.
Vikings. W - One of three major tests of the season. I think people underestimate how much went right for the Vikes with Case Keenum.

Anyway, point being that if the Rams start like we know they can and should, then AD's bargaining power goes in the crapper.

 

[Ramit]

OWINGS MILLS, Md. – A key deadline was expected to come and go Tuesday night in the on-going training camp holdout of Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald, the importance of which is negligible at the moment but could eventually turn into something much more significant.

By not reporting to the Rams by 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, Donald relinquishes his rights to unrestricted free agency at the end of the season. That sounds like a big deal — and it still could be, depending on how all of this plays out — but with the Rams and Donald actively working on a new contract extension, the hope is Tuesday’s deadline ends up being a moot point.

That’s the hope, anyway.

But with the two sides still plugging away nearly two years after Donald first began expressing an interest in a new deal and sitting out OTAs, minicamps and training camps to leverage the Rams into doing right by him, there is no guarantee that happens anytime soon.

And if a resolution isn’t reached, that’s when deadlines such as Tuesday’s (and the ones rapidly approaching) become a significant issue. For instance, if Donald opts to sit out regular-season games, he not only faces the prospect of losing serious money — each game representing 1/16th of his $6.9 million salary for this year — but he’ll also put his status as a restricted free agent in peril if he blows through the deadline to report by the 10th week of the season.

If that’s the case, and if the Rams wanted to play hard ball, they could simply renew Donald for next season at 110 percent of his current salary. Which means Donald would end up with a salary of roughly $8 million rather than the more lucrative money an extension, or franchise tag designation, would provide.

So, as you can see, whatever leverage Donald currently holds is rapidly evaporating. The Rams have a firm grip on most of the cards, including the key trump card: No matter what happens, they have control of him for at least the next three seasons.

All that said, it’s important to note those are worst-case scenarios. And while Donald’s holdout and the inability of the Rams and their star player to close the gap on a new deal is not ideal, you don’t get the sense the situation has reached dire straits just yet.

In fact, there is a strong sense the Rams are content with Donald remaining out of harm’s way working out in Pittsburgh rather than exposing himself to the rigors and injury risk of training camp. He proved last year he didn’t really need training camp to maintain his dominant level of play, unleashing himself on the NFL after sitting out all of training camp and ending up the league’s Defensive Player of the Year. There is no reason to think he can’t do the same this year under similar circumstances.

In that sense, nothing of significance is being lost through Donald’s current holdout. And if it protects the Rams’ future long-term and expensive investment, all the better.

The key is whether both the Rams and Donald’s agent, Todd France, use this time wisely. Four weeks remain until the start of the first regular-season practice on Sept. 4. Ideally for the Rams, they have Donald present and accounted for at that point and preferably under a new, lengthy contract that eliminates the possibility of an angry, resentful Donald playing out the last year of a deal not befitting a player of his stature and all the distractions that come with it.

Can that happen over the next month?

The Rams appear willing to make Donald the highest-paid defensive player of all time and the first non-quarterback to make more than $20 million a year. If so, Donald would be able to take pride in establishing new contract marks at his position and for non-QBs — something along the lines of $21 million per year with more than $70 million in guarantees.

But, as a rival NFL executive told me months ago, if this was simply about Donald ending up the highest-paid defensive player ever, the deal would have already been consummated. The sense around the league is that Donald is seeking elite quarterback money. That would mean $25-$30 million a year and $80-$90 million in guarantees.

The differing opinion of Donald’s worth — good quarterback money vs. elite quarterback money — seems to be the hold-up.

The Rams and Donald have roughly a month left to close that gap. That’s plenty of time. And the Rams seem perfectly fine with Donald remaining out of harm’s way in the meantime.

That makes the passing of Tuesday’s deadline not only expected, but also on some level preferred.

Top Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

 

[Mackeyser]

Finally an article that sums it up decently.

it shouldn't be that hard.

 

[Jacobarch]

OWINGS MILLS, Md. – A key deadline was expected to come and go Tuesday night in the on-going training camp holdout of Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald, the importance of which is negligible at the moment but could eventually turn into something much more significant.

By not reporting to the Rams by 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, Donald relinquishes his rights to unrestricted free agency at the end of the season. That sounds like a big deal — and it still could be, depending on how all of this plays out — but with the Rams and Donald actively working on a new contract extension, the hope is Tuesday’s deadline ends up being a moot point.

That’s the hope, anyway.

But with the two sides still plugging away nearly two years after Donald first began expressing an interest in a new deal and sitting out OTAs, minicamps and training camps to leverage the Rams into doing right by him, there is no guarantee that happens anytime soon.

And if a resolution isn’t reached, that’s when deadlines such as Tuesday’s (and the ones rapidly approaching) become a significant issue. For instance, if Donald opts to sit out regular-season games, he not only faces the prospect of losing serious money — each game representing 1/16th of his $6.9 million salary for this year — but he’ll also put his status as a restricted free agent in peril if he blows through the deadline to report by the 10th week of the season.

If that’s the case, and if the Rams wanted to play hard ball, they could simply renew Donald for next season at 110 percent of his current salary. Which means Donald would end up with a salary of roughly $8 million rather than the more lucrative money an extension, or franchise tag designation, would provide.

So, as you can see, whatever leverage Donald currently holds is rapidly evaporating. The Rams have a firm grip on most of the cards, including the key trump card: No matter what happens, they have control of him for at least the next three seasons.

All that said, it’s important to note those are worst-case scenarios. And while Donald’s holdout and the inability of the Rams and their star player to close the gap on a new deal is not ideal, you don’t get the sense the situation has reached dire straits just yet.

In fact, there is a strong sense the Rams are content with Donald remaining out of harm’s way working out in Pittsburgh rather than exposing himself to the rigors and injury risk of training camp. He proved last year he didn’t really need training camp to maintain his dominant level of play, unleashing himself on the NFL after sitting out all of training camp and ending up the league’s Defensive Player of the Year. There is no reason to think he can’t do the same this year under similar circumstances.

In that sense, nothing of significance is being lost through Donald’s current holdout. And if it protects the Rams’ future long-term and expensive investment, all the better.

The key is whether both the Rams and Donald’s agent, Todd France, use this time wisely. Four weeks remain until the start of the first regular-season practice on Sept. 4. Ideally for the Rams, they have Donald present and accounted for at that point and preferably under a new, lengthy contract that eliminates the possibility of an angry, resentful Donald playing out the last year of a deal not befitting a player of his stature and all the distractions that come with it.

Can that happen over the next month?

The Rams appear willing to make Donald the highest-paid defensive player of all time and the first non-quarterback to make more than $20 million a year. If so, Donald would be able to take pride in establishing new contract marks at his position and for non-QBs — something along the lines of $21 million per year with more than $70 million in guarantees.

But, as a rival NFL executive told me months ago, if this was simply about Donald ending up the highest-paid defensive player ever, the deal would have already been consummated. The sense around the league is that Donald is seeking elite quarterback money. That would mean $25-$30 million a year and $80-$90 million in guarantees.

The differing opinion of Donald’s worth — good quarterback money vs. elite quarterback money — seems to be the hold-up.

The Rams and Donald have roughly a month left to close that gap. That’s plenty of time. And the Rams seem perfectly fine with Donald remaining out of harm’s way in the meantime.

That makes the passing of Tuesday’s deadline not only expected, but also on some level preferred.

Top Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

I've been saying this for weeks. Nothing new here