The official Aaron Donald holdout thread - #Questfor100

[-X-]

Oh yeah -- good point. I forgot we had that.

 

[FRO]

This!

A few players chewing up the majority of the salary cap and then either underplaying or getting injured is a good way to send a team off into mediocrity for several seasons.



True but that only makes sense if the price allows a team to resign its other good players or sign good talent in free agency. There's only so much of the pie to go around.

This is the balance the Rams need to find and decide on. If they don't believe they can pay Donald and field a competitive team they should trade him. I look at the Seahawks model of paying a core group of guys big money and trying to find cheaper pieces around them as a model to keep Donald.

 

[FRO]

I'm leaning more and more towards trading him. I'm not sure there is enough bang for the buck in paying a DT $20 mil a year.

I heard similar things to letting Janoris go. People said he's not worth that sort of money, let him go. He goes on to have an awesome year and now the narrative is, dang we should have kept him. Letting top flight talent go is easy. Replacing them is hard. Guys like Donald show up once every 5 to 10 years. They aren't in every draft.

If the Rams do trade him for draft picks, who's to say that they are able to draft talent that would be comparable. Their track record for the last 15 years hasn't been too good.

 

[wmc540]

I heard similar things to letting Janoris go. People said he's not worth that sort of money, let him go. He goes on to have an awesome year and now the narrative is, dang we should have kept him. Letting top flight talent go is easy. Replacing them is hard. Guys like Donald show up once every 5 to 10 years. They aren't in every draft.

If the Rams do trade him for draft picks, who's to say that they are able to draft talent that would be comparable. Their track record for the last 15 years hasn't been too good.

Janoris signed a deal for what I believed he was worth and should have been the subject of the franchise tag instead of Tru. Time will tell what Donald wants.

 

[JackDRams]

View: https://twitter.com/alden_gonzalez/status/904754860779819009


Just a small wait left...

 

[bluecoconuts]

So when is the ABSOLUTE deadline for him to play in week 1?

I'm pretty sure it was last Friday. If he were to report today he might get a few snaps in, but I'm not counting on that.

Donald won't be playing against the Colts it seems.

 

[Loyal]

To he77 with a trade. Let Donald sit for a year or two if he wants to be bullheaded about a 3 year freakin opt out. Then franchise his @ss in year three....he can play for another team when he's 30.

Dump that agent, AD, because some think...

 

[MauiRam]

Five questions regarding Aaron Donald's holdout ..

1) If Aaron Donald sits out the entire 2017 season, is he still a Ram contractually in 2018?

2) If the answer is yes, and Aaron were to sit out the entire 2018 season, would he then be a free agent?

3) If he is a free agent at the end of 2018, could the Rams still franchise him?

4) If the answer is yes, could they franchise him again in 2019?

5) If the answer to all four questions is yes, is Aaron out of his mind - or is he trying to get traded to another team?

 

[RamBall]

Five questions regarding Aaron Donald's holdout ..

1) If Aaron Donald sits out the entire 2017 season, is he still a Ram contractually in 2018?

2) If the answer is yes, and Aaron were to sit out the entire 2018 season, would he then be a free agent?

3) If he is a free agent at the end of 2018, could the Rams still franchise him?

4) If the answer is yes, could they franchise him again in 2019?

5) If the answer to all four questions is yes, is Aaron out of his mind - or is he trying to get traded to another team?

1. Yes
2. No
3. Only if he plays the minimum # games to acrue the seasons he is under contract for, in 2017 and 2018.
4. Yes
5. I'm not qualified to make that diagnoses, but his actions suggest he may be.

If AD sits out an entire season, that does not count. So he could sit out til hes 40 yrs old and the Rams would still have his rights.

 

[Prime Time]

5) If the answer to all four questions is yes, is Aaron out of his mind - or is he trying to get traded to another team?

Neither. He's trying to get top dollar for his services no matter what happens.

 

[12intheBox]

I'm pretty sure it was last Friday. If he were to report today he might get a few snaps in, but I'm not counting on that.

Donald won't be playing against the Colts it seems.

He could show up Thursday and probably still play full go on Sunday as long as his physical is all thumbs up.

 

[bluecoconuts]

He could show up Thursday and probably still play full go on Sunday as long as his physical is all thumbs up.

I don't think that happens, they talked repeatedly about how training at home doesn't make up for practice, and that they would need to ease him back up to a full game. They were talking about needing to do that if he reported on Friday, if he's not there by today, I don't think he dresses.

 

[Ramsey]

Been lurking in the quicksand quagmire of a downer Aaron Donald hold out. I'm on my soapbox to argue billionaire owners vs millionare haymaking years. Except to say, "It's not black and white, it's not he or she, or even 00101110 digital, it's more like 50 shades of grey."

Let me count the ways I would love Aaron Donald to remain Ram for LIFE!

What is LIFE? It's a magazine. How much does it cost? 100 million dollars. But, I don't have a 100 million dollars. That's Life. What is Life? It's a magazine, it's a trip, It's a contract.

How much does it cost? More money than you or I could ever afford or make.

From LIFE's best outcome to the most inferior, worst, unfavorable debacles you could imagine...
Here are my druthers, my brothers from another mother....

1. Rams extend Aaron Donald for 6 years, making Donald highest paid Defensive Player in NFL and assuring Donald is Ram for life!

2. Donald rejoins team under his Rookie contract, while Rams work out extension during season or at the latest early this offseason, and sign Donald for 5 years. Highest paid defensive player in NFL. Aaron Donald- Ram for life!

3. If Rams and Donald can't agree, trade Donald for an extremely talented young star and high draft picks. Donald is hall of fame material, however if Donald's heart isn't with the Rams then I don't want him here. Let's get something for Donald while the getting is good. There's a window of opportunity for the "Trade Aaron Donald" scenario, I don't know when the window closes to diminishing returns. Your guess is better than mine.

The 3 previous scenarios are palatable to me.

The next few scenarios suck. Fans lose! These scenarios are so rank, that I can't rank them. It's like choosing between being burned alive or slowly torn apart.

- Ram's extend Donald and make him highest paid defensive player in NFL with an opt out clause after year 2 or 3. This option makes me cringe on so many different levels. Rams bankrupt their salary cap and in process lose stars like Alec Olgetree In two or three years Rams are primed for a Superbowl run, but Donald leaves Rams for New England or Pittsburg. We receive a high compensatory pick in following draft.

- Donald holds out for 8 games then joins Rams... so 2017 counts as a year toward FA. 2018 Rinse and Repeat. This scenario embarrasses me and makes me sick.

- Rams play extreme hardball and don't budge an inch. Donald plays for free in 2017 because of accumulating over a million dollars in fines. ( Sorta kidding... Rams would forgo fines) Donald stays under Rookie contract for 2018 and then is franchise tagged until he is 30 years old....OLD for a Ram...YOUNG for ROD.

 

[JackDRams]

View: https://twitter.com/alden_gonzalez/status/904779167014813696

 

[Frogbelly]

If he doesn't show up today, then the next they should talk is face to face in Thousand Oaks, he and his agent. He's under contract. Go ahead, hold out the next two years. It would be a total waste of talent. Rams should move on as if he's not coming period. Personally, I'm tired of the tail wagging the dog!!!

 

[Relwolf91]

View: https://twitter.com/alden_gonzalez/status/904779167014813696

I'm over it. Our front office will just continue to give money out to average players like Tru and Austin while our future hall of famer is no where to be seen. It's life as a rams fan.

 

[bubbaramfan]

Phuc 'em.:jerkoff:

 

[JIMERAMS]

I'm over it. Our front office will just continue to give money out to average players like Tru and Austin while our future hall of famer is no where to be seen. It's life as a rams fan.

You can't give him 70m guaranteed and let him opt out in 2 or 3 years

 

[Relwolf91]

You can't give him 70m guaranteed and let him opt out in 2 or 3 years

Where is the proof that he wants a 2 year opt out ?

 

[12intheBox]

View: https://twitter.com/alden_gonzalez/status/904806586337468416


If this is the case - I say stiffen up, Rams. The $$ offered should go down from this point forward.