How to get cap space for Aaron Donald

[Turducken]

AD played 90% of defensive snaps in 2018 (his most dominant season). He played 76% of snaps in his last season (still an all-pro but slightly behind Chris Jones).

If he returned as a rotational piece to create mismatches on 40-50% of snaps (playing at a pro bowl level) he's probably worth $15-20 mil for the season.

 

[DzRams]

Except injuries happen….

Sure, to all teams. We could have major injuires just as other top contenders could have injuries while we remain healthy.

As is, which includes being healthy, I feel we'll win. I don't see Donald as a need. But I'd badly love to see him play with Garrett.

 

[OldSchool]

View: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/qGm1XMB9LHg

 

[jap]

While they may have been tongue in cheek, his prior comments about making a return if the Rams got Parsons makes me think the idea of playing on a front where he wouldn't be double or triple teamed all the time intrigued him.

Agreed!!! I believe Aaron was getting tired of carrying the defensive front seven pretty much by himself every single blessed year! The idea of a partner who would command almost as much attention as he did must be intriguing.

 

[FrantikRam]

While they may have been tongue in cheek, his prior comments about making a return if the Rams got Parsons makes me think the idea of playing on a front where he wouldn't be double or triple teamed all the time intrigued him.

Yep this.

Verse and company were good, and certainly would have been the best group he played with since Quinn and company....

But if you are sick of your workload at your job and don't need the money, and your primary issue is both the training (training camp) and the workload (i.e. getting triple teamed), it stands to reason that if you enjoyed working for that employer otherwise, you'd be open to coming back if they reached out and said "hey we got someone to take on more than half of your workload" and then I have to assume they'd figure something out for camp as well.

 

[Liberator]

AD played 90% of defensive snaps in 2018 (his most dominant season). He played 76% of snaps in his last season (still an all-pro but slightly behind Chris Jones).

If he returned as a rotational piece to create mismatches on 40-50% of snaps (playing at a pro bowl level) he's probably worth $15-20 mil for the season.

50 percent and then 75 percent in the playoffs

 

[Merlin]

I don't think there's a team in this league better than the Rams at creating cap space. So if AD wants to return I'm sure it gets done.

 

[MansSearch]

Yep this.

Verse and company were good, and certainly would have been the best group he played with since Quinn and company....

But if you are sick of your workload at your job and don't need the money, and your primary issue is both the training (training camp) and the workload (i.e. getting triple teamed), it stands to reason that if you enjoyed working for that employer otherwise, you'd be open to coming back if they reached out and said "hey we got someone to take on more than half of your workload" and then I have to assume they'd figure something out for camp as well.

I agree with this as well. Not being the #1 threat will make him a devastating force IMHO. I will go bonkers if he signs w/ the team at any time in the season.

 

[RamFan58years]

Like I said, I'm glad there will be some finality to it finally. He either comes back now or he comes back never. We have to get past this constant will he or won't he stuff.

I don't recall AD saying much if anything other than the flippant Parsons comment and now this. It's not like he's been teasing the Rams and then backing off the last two years.

 

[LARAMSinFeb.]

Except injuries happen….

...and arrests. How naive of me. :/

 

[dieterbrock]

I get a big chuckle when I think back to the folks that thought we should trade Donald instead of paying him

 

[El Chapo Jr]

I get a big chuckle when I think back to the folks that thought we should trade Donald instead of paying him

Trading AD has never crossed my mind..... maybe heavy drugs and alcohol were involved?

 

[dieterbrock]

Trading AD has never crossed my mind..... maybe heavy drugs and alcohol were involved?

Not saying you did or didnt, however there were many folks tired of Donald contract re-negotiations/holdout threats and thought he could be traded. I'm too lazy to pull the receipts

 

[El Chapo Jr]

Not saying you did or didnt, however there were many folks tired of Donald contract re-negotiations/holdout threats and thought he could be traded. I'm too lazy to pull the receipts

Nah I'm not saying ya did just commenting on your post and whole heartedly agree with how fucking crazy that is to even think or say. I'm sure like many others, I would have lost my shit if we didn't re-sign AD. You don't let rare talent like that ever walk.

 

[dieterbrock]

Nah I'm not saying ya did just commenting on your post and whole heartedly agree with how fucking crazy that is to even think or say. I'm sure like many others, I would have lost my shit if we didn't re-sign AD. You don't let rare talent like that ever walk.

Yeah for sure, I was solidly in the "Pay the Man" group. Sounds like you were too!

 

[El Chapo Jr]

Yeah for sure, I was solidly in the "Pay the Man" group. Sounds like you were too!

Lets just say this was me....

 

[HitStick]

I get a big chuckle when I think back to the folks that thought we should trade Donald instead of paying him

That was a thing? Why do I not remember that?

That would have been the stupidest thing the Rams could have done.

 

[kurtfaulk]

That was a thing? Why do I not remember that?

That would have been the stupidest thing the Rams could have done.

It wasn't a thing with the Rams but some fans get so butt hurt when a player holds out.

We all thought it was the Rams dragging their feet but in the end it turned out AD was waiting to see what the Rams were doing to better themselves. He didn't want to commit to a loser franchise.

.

 

[kmramsfan]

It wasn't a thing with the Rams but some fans get so butt hurt when a player holds out.

We all thought it was the Rams dragging their feet but in the end it turned out AD was waiting to see what the Rams were doing to better themselves. He didn't want to commit to a loser franchise.

.

Ram fans are accustomed to player holdouts, like AD's that netted him a nice haul, Steven Jackson's that secured him as being a top paid running back, and we can't forget ED's lengthy (seemed like it) holdout that went south, and it ultimately finished his time in LA at the end of the day.
And then there was the Sean Gilbert story. He held out for an entire season I think, and then was finally just traded to the Steelers.

 

[PhillyRam]

Ram fans are accustomed to player holdouts, like AD's that netted him a nice haul, Steven Jackson's that secured him as being a top paid running back, and we can't forget ED's lengthy (seemed like it) holdout that went south, and it ultimately finished his time in LA at the end of the day.
And then there was the Sean Gilbert story. He held out for an entire season I think, and then was finally just traded to the Steelers.

Pace pissed me off. I think he took the franchise tag a few times, which was very cap punitive. That likley cost the Rams the opportunity to add a few FAs during their peak years in STL.