Snead on negotiations with Aaron Donald: 'No movement'

[Riverumbbq]

If Sammy is really fully healthy and takes off this year, there is also the consideration that this is a contract year for him, and he will need to be paid in 2018.

I'm not so sure that is true. 2018 would be Donald's contract year if he plays this season and next, but should he choose to skip 2017, 2018 wouldn't be a 5'th year option any longer being that he'd only have 3 years of playing time logged in. Would have to check with the NFLPA on this, although i'd have to believe his contract would remain as it is scheduled for year 4 of his current contract. jmo.

 

[bdfitz]

First. Agents suck. If this is good advice I hope they have a plan B 'cause just as with Tru or any other player, the Rams have likely decided they would rather live without AD than pay one guy 100 mil. Get used to life without him but from a business standpoint the Rams would be stupid to pay a ransom with 2 years left on his contract. Look for AD to sit out 2017 and be traded in 2018, likely around the draft. As much as I love DLine Donald didn't change the scoreboard or win any games last year. We need Goff, Gurley, Watkins and other D players on this team. Can't have everything.

Hey with the new Kicker/Punter Travis Coons maybe McVay has a plan to trade Hekker to the Patriots for a boatload of picks from Belichick. lol

 

[Legatron4]

http://www.thesportster.com/entertainment/top-15-longest-holdouts-in-sports/
I thought this was an interesting article. Most holdouts end up being a mistake for the player. Very rarely do they come out that season and continue their production from previous seasons. Most likely scenario, Donald comes back right before the season opener. With or without a contract.

 

[jap]

I'm not so sure that is true. 2018 would be Donald's contract year if he plays this season and next, but should he choose to skip 2017, 2018 wouldn't be a 5'th year option any longer being that he'd only have 3 years of playing time logged in. Would have to check with the NFLPA on this, although i'd have to believe his contract would remain as it is scheduled for year 4 of his current contract. jmo.

I meant this season is a contract year for Sammy Watkins---not Aaron.

 

[yrba1]

Who is Aaron Donald's agent? I have a hit list ready

 

[tempests]

There won't be any progress while Donald is sitting out. Teams can't cave in to this kind of behavior. It's a terrible precedent.

Look for AD to sit out 2017 and be traded in 2018, likely around the draft.

I really don't see Aaron missing any game checks. Sitting out the season would suggest an irreversible split between player and management to the point where said player is willing to do anything to get out of LA.

By far the most likely scenario is Donald signing a long term deal, but not until after he reports to camp. Hopefully sooner rather than later.

 

[RamBall]

Those two things might be mutually exclusive for the next two years. I think we're projected to have 38 million in cap space next year. 20 million to Donald wouldn't leave us much to sign all the other defensive starters, replacements for this year's one year rentals, rookies, replacements for anyone who won't sign, and worst case scenario situations.

Hopefully it can get worked out, but that much money going to anyone but a QB (with the every play impact they bring to the offensive game) could be a problem.

Almost 7 of that 20 mil is already alocated to AD, so it would be13 of the 38, leaving 25 million. I am confident that KD has a plan and in all honesty I believe the reason for doing TAs deal last year was to make it possible to pay AD what he deserves after this season. KD could have waited 1 more year to do TAs deal but that would have prevented the team from being able to do ADs deal next off season. Not getting a deal done with Tru also makes it impossible to give AD what he deserves without having to make major cuts to create cap space. AdD can hold out for as long as he wants but he will not gain a thing from it except for reducing his risk of injury. But we all know AD is working out and injuries can happen in the weight room also, so he may as well get his ass in camp and join his teammates in destroying NFL Os until his payday comes. It will come everyone knows this.

 

[RamBall]

First. Agents suck. If this is good advice I hope they have a plan B 'cause just as with Tru or any other player, the Rams have likely decided they would rather live without AD than pay one guy 100 mil. Get used to life without him but from a business standpoint the Rams would be stupid to pay a ransom with 2 years left on his contract. Look for AD to sit out 2017 and be traded in 2018, likely around the draft. As much as I love DLine Donald didn't change the scoreboard or win any games last year. We need Goff, Gurley, Watkins and other D players on this team. Can't have everything.

Hey with the new Kicker/Punter Travis Coons maybe McVay has a plan to trade Hekker to the Patriots for a boatload of picks from Belichick. lol

No chance the Rams trade him, let him sit out as long as he wants, the Rams have all the leverage. AD just needs to show he is a team player and wait his turn.

 

[RamsSince1969]

It's these freaking scumbag agents. Donald wants to play but he's been drinking slimey agent kool-aid. uke:

My thoughts exactly! Again, I hate to bring up other teams, but damn it, the fricken hated Pats players take less money to play on a great organization. The players make it up in endorsements and hardware. Dare I say, the Rams are now becoming a great organization with the new coach, new stadium, new So Cal location, new T.V contracts etc... I know, we have to pay the man, but he has to be reasonable. That's all we ask.

 

[fanotodd]

In a limited cap team game you have to be careful to not overpay even an all world player like Donald. I want him here, but we need other peices to.

Give him a solid offer and stand firm.

That's the monkey in the wrench, isn't it?
At $20mil per, there is no way the Rams won't eventually have to cut loose a guy they might otherwise have kept. That's the reality. It's a hard pill to swallow, but you have to think about losing guys, good players.

We've seen this when QBs re-up at around the same amount. Teams take a step back for a couple of seasons because they let guys go they might have kept. The saints traded their top TE, and their defense went bye bye. Rogers became the most battered QB, running for his life. Flacco and company has had to basically rebuild the entire defense (lost a lotta FAs). The falcons had a couple of disappointing seasons before turning it around.

...and those are QBs. Guys who actually get points on the board. Despite the incredible play of Donald, how many games has he helped the Rams win?
Harsh words I know, but it's a team game and the Rams have needed more pieces than Donald.

DONT BE GREEDY!

 

[LARAMSinFeb.]

http://www.thesportster.com/entertainment/top-15-longest-holdouts-in-sports/
I thought this was an interesting article. Most holdouts end up being a mistake for the player. Very rarely do they come out that season and continue their production from previous seasons. Most likely scenario, Donald comes back right before the season opener. With or without a contract.

I've been thinking this as well. It's hard to imagine this being an off-year on the field for Donald, but McVay is rapidly bringing about a positive and respectful culture change Donald's intentionally not a part of thus far. I hope he joins the team before there's some emotional rift that degrades his play.

 

[1maGoh]

First. Agents suck. If this is good advice I hope they have a plan B 'cause just as with Tru or any other player, the Rams have likely decided they would rather live without AD than pay one guy 100 mil. Get used to life without him but from a business standpoint the Rams would be stupid to pay a ransom with 2 years left on his contract. Look for AD to sit out 2017 and be traded in 2018, likely around the draft. As much as I love DLine Donald didn't change the scoreboard or win any games last year. We need Goff, Gurley, Watkins and other D players on this team. Can't have everything.

Hey with the new Kicker/Punter Travis Coons maybe McVay has a plan to trade Hekker to the Patriots for a boatload of picks from Belichick. lol

You can't blame the agent. Donald is a grown-ass man, capable of making his own decisions. He's intentionally choosing to listen to his agent's above on purpose and of his own volition.

It's not like Donald is a 6 year old whose Mommy told him to not go outside and play.

Not that you specifically are blaming the agent. Agents do suck. But I've seen others blame the agent. It doesn't make sense to me.

 

[Riverumbbq]

Who is Aaron Donald's agent? I have a hit list ready

Perhaps Arya would add him to her list.

 

[rdlkgliders]

This is now a distraction and detrimental to the team. If you are going to get this deep into it as a franchise you must find your priorities and consider all options.....All

 

[wolfdogg]

Given the TA and tru contracts I find it hard to believe that the rams offer isnt very reasonable. And if that is the case, I'd tell AD, personally, that we love having you here, you're a huge part of the team, blah, blah, blah, but this IS a team and we can't and won't be held hostage by an unrealistic contract demand. You can either accept what we feel is a generous offer or you can play under your current contract.

 

[FRO]

Donald has two years remaining on his contract but has decided to tear it up. Fine him the maximum allowable, let him play out his contract, then franchise tag him for the two seasons following his contract. F him ! Ethical standards still matter to some of us, if he doesn't want to play within the rules agreed upon by his own union, then he can retire from the game. jmo.

Do you get upset when teams cut guys and don't honor contracts?

 

[Mikey Ram]

One of the last things I would want to see happen to this team is to lose Donald...Having said that, I would prefer that to losing several good football players because there's no money left...IMO, no one guy is important enough to tear down an entire upwardly trending football team...Sounds harsh, I guess, but I tired a long time ago of the "pay the man, whatever it takes"...I'm just not in that group, though I understand it...

 

[kurtfaulk]

At $20mil per, there is no way the Rams won't eventually have to cut loose a guy they might otherwise have kept.

Welcome to the salary cap era. Tough decisions have to be made every year.

.

 

[thirteen28]

No chance the Rams trade him, let him sit out as long as he wants, the Rams have all the leverage.

That's what Donald needs to realize at this point. If he wants to play extreme hardball, the Rams could theoretically control his rights for another four years including this one. Everybody knows he deserves a new contract, and the Rams brass has even stated as much publicly. Unless they are absolutely low-balling him (which I doubt) then we are rapidly approaching territory where he is only hurting himself.