Rams DE Aaron Donald has proven his point, now it's time to stop holding out

[FRO]

Wow. I can't believe I saw fans saying we should trade Donald. Quite a few years ago, the Colts had an elite player who held out. They took it personally. They traded him to the Rams for draft picks. I bet you the Colts regretted trading NFL MVP and HOFer, Marshall Faulk, for chump change.

I do not advocate trading Donald at all. I do have a hard time paying a DT 20 million per year. Donald is a special player though and it's dumb to let hall of fame players walk. If the Rams were to trade him they would need much more than a second round pick in return. I don't even know if a team would offer fair compensation for Donald.

 

[rdlkgliders]

Obvioisly there are 2 sides to this and we as fans will be on 1 or the other, neither is right or wrong.
Usually a contract is an obligation. a promise to serve and provide within the language, BUT in sports and entertainment it is merely a suggestion and for those who don't work within these boundaries all we have is our opinion. Anyway I don't like it

 

[1maGoh]

Wow. I can't believe I saw fans saying we should trade Donald. Quite a few years ago, the Colts had an elite player who held out. They took it personally. They traded him to the Rams for draft picks. I bet you the Colts regretted trading NFL MVP and HOFer, Marshall Faulk, for chump change.

Not the best example. We won a super bowl, which is great. But they've been in the playoffs almost every year since then and won a super bowl, which is also great. It's not like trading Faulk killed their chances of being a good team.

 

[nighttrain]

Not the best example. We won a super bowl, which is great. But they've been in the playoffs almost every year since then and won a super bowl, which is also great. It's not like trading Faulk killed their chances of being a good team.

at the time Faulk was a 5year vet, and the Colts drafted Eddgarrin James
train

 

[LesBaker]

Sometimes no one is wrong. It just sucks for us fans. If we knew the contract demands and offers made, it might be easier for us to critique. But we don't. So let's not criticize Aaron Donald or the Rams.

Since this was perfect I will break this clip out........

 

[kurtfaulk]

He's playing a kids game and is a millionaire doing it...

I hate when people say this. He's an employee in a multi billion dollar industry. He wants to be paid his worth. He got railroaded into signing a dud contract. This is his only way to ensure he is paid his worth.

.

 

[Loyal]

I hate when people say this. He's an employee in a multi billion dollar industry. He wants to be paid his worth. He got railroaded into signing a dud contract. This is his only way to ensure he is paid his worth.

.

I hate it when people don't realize that both are true...Also, that many who play with NFL minimum for three years, make what most average American's who buy football jerseys and scrimp in their daily lives to buy tickets to see an athlete like Aaron Donald, does in a lifetime of work. Yeah, life is not fair..But pampered millionaire athlete, cry me a river with your woes...

 

[kurtfaulk]

I hate it when people don't realize that both are true...Also, that many who play with NFL minimum for three years, make what most average American's who buy football jerseys and scrimp in their daily lives to buy tickets to see an athlete like Aaron Donald, does in a lifetime of work. Yeah, life is not fair..But pampered millionaire athlete, cry me a river with your woes...

AD hasn't said a thing. He's certainly not crying. It is what it is, a business move.

.

 

[Loyal]

AD hasn't said a thing. He's certainly not crying. It is what it is, a business move.

.

His actions have spoken for him, saying "I made millions of dollars and it's not enough."

and that's ok at the proper time..not with 2 years left on a contract,.

 

[dieterbrock]

Not the best example. We won a super bowl, which is great. But they've been in the playoffs almost every year since then and won a super bowl, which is also great. It's not like trading Faulk killed their chances of being a good team.

While true, it remains to be seen how GREAT they could have been. If they didnt have to draft Edge (who was a stud) they could have had Champ Bailey, Chris McCallister, Jevon Kearse etc
How good could that team have been with one of those guys AND Faulk on the team

 

[jrry32]

Not the best example. We won a super bowl, which is great. But they've been in the playoffs almost every year since then and won a super bowl, which is also great. It's not like trading Faulk killed their chances of being a good team.

We got arguably the best player in the NFL from 1999 to 2001. They got a 2nd and a 5th. It was a shitty deal for them because they let emotions dictate a business decision.

It's a great example of why Rams fans are foolish if they're thinking of trading Donald for holding out.

Peyton Manning bailing the Colts out on that bad decision doesn't make it a good decision.

 

[jrry32]

His actions have spoken for him, saying "I made millions of dollars and it's not enough."

and that's ok at the proper time..not with 2 years left on a contract,.

Whenever AD decides it is the proper time, it is the proper time. He's the one putting his body on the line. He's making the Rams far more money than they're paying him. That's why holding out works. The Rams need him more than he needs the Rams.

 

[Loyal]

Whenever AD decides it is the proper time, it is the proper time. He's the one putting his body on the line. He's making the Rams far more money than they're paying him. That's why holding out works. The Rams need him more than he needs the Rams.

Then fine the shyte out of him...fair?

 

[jrry32]

Obvioisly there are 2 sides to this and we as fans will be on 1 or the other, neither is right or wrong.
Usually a contract is an obligation. a promise to serve and provide within the language, BUT in sports and entertainment it is merely a suggestion and for those who don't work within these boundaries all we have is our opinion. Anyway I don't like it

You can breach a contract at any time IRL. You just have to face the consequences of it.

 

[jrry32]

Then fine the shyte out of him...fair?

Have at it. Odds are that he won't pay the fines. It's more or less an empty threat.

 

[Loyal]

Have at it. Odds are that he won't pay the fines. It's more or less an empty threat.

The NFL should do away with all contracts..Start with a league minimum for EVERYONE, and then add incentives for doing the job well up to AD money..Let their worth be decided every year. Earn it? then fine...Not, enjoy the half a million.

 

[jrry32]

The NFL should do away with all contracts..Start with a league minimum for EVERYONE, and then add incentives for doing the job well up to AD money..Let their worth be decided every year. Earn it? then fine...Not, enjoy the half a million.

That would mean that no player is tied to any team.

 

[Loyal]

That would mean that no player is tied to any team.

NAw..tied to every team with a set number of years, under the same program of base pay and incentives

 

[Loyal]

That would mean that no player is tied to any team.

re-signing players might be a problem, however..hmmm

 

[Mackeyser]

The Easley situation proves AD's point.

If AD has an ACL, he's going to lose 10s of millions. If he has a back injury or savage knee/ankle injury, it could effectively end his career.

All the more reason to get paid asap. If ownership had their druthers, they'd not only have AD through 5 years, but they'd also likely franchise him twice before getting him that 2nd contract.

AD is making it clear that you have to pay the best defensive player in the NFL. They got 3 years, two with him as either the best or 2nd best defensive player in the NFL for rookie cheap. Either ownership is committed to winning or it isn't.

Honestly, unless he's asking like $140M, I don't understand the holdup. The JJ Watt contract should be a nice starting point.

So, again, unless the AD camp is asking for an obscene amount that shatters records, I don't understand why they're trying to slice this so thin.

We'll see soon enough if the Rams care about winning in a real way. We've seen AD take over games. If he's not paid and they deal him, we'll have all the information we need (no, even for an extended holdout, I don't think AD would sit out the season, but I could see his refusal to participate in any activities outside of games and in season practices essentially necessitating a trade and we've seen that before with others)

I just hope they get it worked out. This roster is really coming together.