The official Aaron Donald holdout thread - #Questfor100

[jrry32]

Look man I want to see him back on the field too, but he has ZERO leverage and is going about this the wrong way. If he wanted to skip pre season that's one thing but that's over now. If he stays out then he is only hurting himself.

The Rams aren't sweating anything, this is a game of chicken and Donald can't win it.

I don't know why people keep saying he has zero leverage. Cody Davis has zero leverage. Who cares if he holds out? Aaron Donald has a shitload of leverage. He is the centerpiece of our defense. He's doing what he has to do. You can say that he's going about it the wrong way, but the Rams had months to get him extended before we got to this point.

Now, some will say, "What happens if he's overvaluing his worth?" Then, he's still going about things the right way. That's what he wants to get paid. The Rams have no reason to pay him that if he's on the field. You're right. It's a game of chicken. One side has to blink.

At the end of the day, Donald is hurting the team, but he's not hurting himself. The Rams are absolutely sweating not having Donald. They want to win. He's the best player on the team. Maybe Donald can't win the game of chicken; maybe he can win it. At the end of the day, he's not losing anything by doing what he's doing.

 

[Florida_Ram]

I don't know why people keep saying he has zero leverage. Cody Davis has zero leverage. Who cares if he holds out? Aaron Donald has a shitload of leverage. He is the centerpiece of our defense. He's doing what he has to do. You can say that he's going about it the wrong way, but the Rams had months to get him extended before we got to this point.

Now, some will say, "What happens if he's overvaluing his worth?" Then, he's still going about things the right way. That's what he wants to get paid. The Rams have no reason to pay him that if he's on the field. You're right. It's a game of chicken. One side has to blink.

At the end of the day, Donald is hurting the team, but he's not hurting himself. The Rams are absolutely sweating not having Donald. They want to win. He's the best player on the team. Maybe Donald can't win the game of chicken; maybe he can win it. At the end of the day, he's not losing anything by doing what he's doing.

@jrry32 it's 3:34 am your time.. You should be sleeping damn it. You're keeping me up past my curfew so do us east coasters a favor and stop posting at indecent hours.

 

[jrry32]

@jrry32 it's 3:34 am your time.. You should be sleeping damn it. You're keeping me up past my curfew so do us east coasters a favor and stop posting at indecent hours.

I'm no longer on the East Coast, my friend. I'm now on Mountain Time. But if I were on the East Coast, I'd still be up at this hour.

 

[Merlin]

I look at it this way .... Let's say the players and the owner had a falling out and two leagues were created. In one league - Aaron Rogers, Antonio Brown, and the rest of the NFLPA were playing in unfamiliar uniforms with unfamiliar team names. In the other, the LA Rams played the Seattle Seahawks with replacement players who weren't good enough to make the league otherwise.

What's funny is for that new league to survive they'd have to structure themselves similarly to what the NFL owners have done, and then they'd get to watch players in the next generation holding out in similar fashion when they inevitably don't like whatever bargaining agreement was made. Oh the irony.

 

[UKram]

I'd tell AD we are taking the Texans approach.. come game one all negotions stop and won't resume untill the season finishes. Then when we he reports for the 6-8 games whatever it is.....I'd bench his ass (well he wouldn't want to get hurt playing under this contract now would he) and as soon as the last game is don't I'd reopen negotions

And I'd be prepared to do it all again the season after and the two franchise tags ...good luck getting a 7 year 120 mil 80 guaranteed at the ripe old age of 30

 

[12intheBox]

What's funny is for that new league to survive they'd have to structure themselves similarly to what the NFL owners have done, and then they'd get to watch players in the next generation holding out in similar fashion when they inevitably don't like whatever bargaining agreement was made. Oh the irony.

Not if the league was operated by the NFLPA. Currently the players get what 45%? Even after all operating costs, owner profits are a huge chunk of the money taken in. More pie to go around if you cut the owners out.

 

[Faceplant]

That's the leverage he has. If the Rams had wanted to do it the right way, they would have resolved this by now. The Rams were the one who didn't take care of this BEFORE training camp. They've had since March to get a deal done.

So you are so sure the Rams have not offered a fair market deal? If, in fact, AD is insisting on an opt out after two years, are you of the opinion that the Rams should include it? Not me. Fuck that. Seems to me that AD does not want to be a Ram. If that is the case, so be it. Get what you can for him and move on. We were 4-12 WITH him last year. Perspective indeed.

 

[dieterbrock]

So you are so sure the Rams have not offered a fair market deal? If, in fact, AD is insisting on an opt out after two years, are you of the opinion that the Rams should include it? Not me. freak that. Seems to me that AD does not want to be a Ram. If that is the case, so be it. Get what you can for him and move on. We were 4-12 WITH him last year. Perspective indeed.

It's not a fact that he wants an opt out.
We don't know what he wants or what the Rams offered.

 

[Faceplant]

It's not a fact that he wants an opt out.
We don't know what he wants or what the Rams offered.

Nope. We don't, and I never stated that we did. I said IF. And IF he wants the option to leave in 2 years, then I don't think the Rams should make that deal. Either trade him or franchise him unti, what, 2020? Simple.

 

[dieterbrock]

Nope. We don't, and I never stated that we did. I said IF. And IF he wants the option to leave in 2 years, then I don't think the Rams should make that deal. Either trade him or franchise him unti, what, 2020? Simple.

Well, franchising him isn't really an option if he's not showing up to play. That's 2 years from now and he'll have a new contract long before then

 

[12intheBox]

What we do know is that we need a deal to get done in the next 24 hours or else this thing takes a sour turn. I'm still betting on a deal.

 

[LesBaker]

I don't know why people keep saying he has zero leverage. Cody Davis has zero leverage. Who cares if he holds out? Aaron Donald has a shitload of leverage. He is the centerpiece of our defense. He's doing what he has to do. You can say that he's going about it the wrong way, but the Rams had months to get him extended before we got to this point.

Now, some will say, "What happens if he's overvaluing his worth?" Then, he's still going about things the right way. That's what he wants to get paid. The Rams have no reason to pay him that if he's on the field. You're right. It's a game of chicken. One side has to blink.

At the end of the day, Donald is hurting the team, but he's not hurting himself. The Rams are absolutely sweating not having Donald. They want to win. He's the best player on the team. Maybe Donald can't win the game of chicken; maybe he can win it. At the end of the day, he's not losing anything by doing what he's doing.

Yes there have been months to get a deal done, and the Rams made a huge offer. AD held out. It takes two to tango, your a lawyer you know that.

Just because he has elite talent doesn't give him leverage. The Rams can have him for 5 years for probably less than what he wants in guarantees or at least very close and can make a clean break after those years or trade anytime. All Donald can do is hold out, not get paid and lose accrued seasons.

AD has two options, sit out and make nothing or get a deal done. He isn't going to sit out long, the money will run out eventually and he isn't going to miss a full year or two. He'd kill off his value.

 

[iamme33]

AD has two options, sit out and make nothing or get a deal done. He isn't going to sit out long, the money will run out eventually and he isn't going to miss a full year or two. He'd kill off his value.

I think he has a third option that is to show up but give no effort. this would most certainly cause the rams to give up the franchise tag option. most teams in the nfl would know his play was a lack of effort and not a lack of skill so his value would not be hurt as bad as we think. so this leaves the rams with 3 options 1 is to just wait out the 2 years on his contract 2 give into what ever he wants 3 trade him for what they can get. I think I prefer the trade option.

 

[-X-]

I think he has a third option that is to show up but give no effort.

I don't think it's in his genetic makeup to do that.

 

[bluecoconuts]

I read an article about McVay and Donald talking.... McVay always calls first, and they only talk football. McVay has been left out of contract stuff so he can focus on football only (really smart, I like that)... He did say he tells Donald they all miss him, and he says he misses them too, but that's it.

I don't think it means much, unfortunately. It is positive because McVay is telling him basically all the classroom stuff over the phone, so he will have a better understanding when he does return.

 

[LesBaker]

I think he has a third option that is to show up but give no effort. this would most certainly cause the rams to give up the franchise tag option. most teams in the nfl would know his play was a lack of effort and not a lack of skill so his value would not be hurt as bad as we think. so this leaves the rams with 3 options 1 is to just wait out the 2 years on his contract 2 give into what ever he wants 3 trade him for what they can get. I think I prefer the trade option.

You're leaving out the 2-3 times they can tag him among the options.

And as @-X- pointed out it's not AD's styel, I don't see him going that route. But if he did it would hurt his cause I think.

 

[LesBaker]

I'm no longer on the East Coast, my friend. I'm now on Mountain Time. But if I were on the East Coast, I'd still be up at this hour.

I'm in FL and couldn't sleep..........see the time stamp on my posts LOL.

 

[Angry Ram]

If it doesn't happen by 4 p.m. today (Sunday) he ain't playin week 1.

Thankfully, LA is 2 hours behind so there's still all day today.

 

[-X-]

And as @-X- pointed out it's not AD's styel, I don't see him going that route. But if he did it would hurt his cause I think.

I know I wouldn't sign a guy who mails it in whenever things don't go his way.

 

[LesBaker]

Florio.

He's almost never on the mark and frankly he makes shit up often enough that he has ZERO cred.