The official Aaron Donald holdout thread - #Questfor100

[UKram]

I'm interested in why you take something like a player holdout in the NFL so personally. Do you feel the same towards a team when they cut a player with years & millions left on a contract?

Nope because i hear the words contract year ....a lot

How much of that if guaranteed money does he team get back if the guys signs a monster deal and mails it in every year or flat out sucks .... two way street

 

[RedRam]

Donald's first game check of 2017...

 

[Zodi]

Nope because i hear the words contract year ....a lot

How much of that if guaranteed money does he team get back if the guys signs a monster deal and mails it in every year or flat out sucks .... two way street

I get you, and people get furious, too, when a player is seemingly overpaid. Yet when a guy like Donald is the best defensive player in the league making a little over a million a year, that level of disgust isn't there.

Aren't the Rams just as responsible for this situation with AD as he & his agent are? They overpaid Tavon when they had two years of control left with him. They overpaid Mark Barron, too. Yet our best defensive player holds out (like some of the previous Rams greats have) and certain fans take it personally? "You're dead to me AD." Wow.

 

[bluecoconuts]

I'm interested in why you take something like a player holdout in the NFL so personally. Do you feel the same towards a team when they cut a player with years & millions left on a contract?

This isn't ever a good comparison.

Players being cut typically speaking do so because they're not helping the team as much as they should. Even if they're helping the team, if they have a really high cap hit, but they're not worth said hit, they might be cut in order to help get better players at said position or others.

You're cutting weak links in order to get better as a whole and help the team.

Players holding out doesn't hurt owners. It doesn't hurt their team value enough to really mean anything, it's not like the owners lose money. The only thing it hurts is the team, and it's something that's unfair to fans. Fans are the reason why Donald gets paid so much, without fans there's no demand, and with no demand, contracts are significantly lower.. That's assuming the league is still there. So when a player holds out the biggest thing they're doing is hurting the fans. Hurting the fans to the point they hope they turn on the team, and thus pressure them into giving in to the players demands. The entire idea of a holdout is to hurt the fans, hurt the team, and hurt their teammates.

That doesn't mean I don't think that Donald doesn't deserve to be paid. He does. What he doesn't deserve is an opt out clause. If that's the case, and he absolutely refuses to sign without one, I say let him sit. Come right out and say "Donald wants a 3 year out clause. We will not do that. He can sign anytime he wants, otherwise we're done. He has a choice now, he can sign and play or retire, because those are his only options."

And I'd support the Rams there.

Now if the Rams are playing stupid games, then I would blame them, but at this point it seems that they're trying. Donald unfortunately has an agent with a reputation of making players do shit like this. If that's the case, that's his own fault. He's the one that has decided to hurt the fans in order to get his pay day. Not the Rams.

 

[thirteen28]

I'd say shift attention to resigning Ogletree and the other priority free agents like Sammy Watkins. Just to spite Donald. None of them are jeopardizing the season. Then go to Donald and say sorry, we can't afford you. Get the jalapeño Doritos for game day, they're the best for watching football.

Damn right. Neither 'Tree nor Sammy is hurting us. They showed up and are getting ready to play. They are demonstrating their value to the team right now. Donald is doing nothing to help the Rams right now. It's obvious to me who is more worthy of being rewarded.

Also, I think the Rams at this point should release their offer and disclose what Donald is balking at. The time for playing nice is over.

 

[gabriel18]

Trade him to the Browns or Jets .

 

[nighttrain]

Trade him to the Browns or Jets .

Jets!
train

 

[Zodi]

This isn't ever a good comparison.

Players being cut typically speaking do so because they're not helping the team as much as they should.

Is some of a player receiving a new contract not paying them for past production, too? Of course it is. You're banking on them continuing to play at that level of production. Yet I hear nobody giving the Rams shit for the way they handled a player like Chris Long-- always an upstanding, team-first guy, who didn't even know he wasn't making the move with the team to LA until after he had already began preparations.

Like I said before, you can't take business so personal. It baffles me how quick fans can turn on a player over something related to the business side of a GAME, even with a fan-favorite like AD.

Saying something like "you're officially dead to me AD" when you know damn well if he shows up against Indy, you'd be ecstatic as the next guy lmao. It's just a knee-jerk emotional response; it's easy to deal with hypothetical absolutes when the subject has no impact on your everyday life. But it's just as easy to brush it off.

 

[DaveFan'51]

You're officially dead to me, AD. We're officially in selfish prick territory.

By not showing up now, for week #1 Donald is now Hurting the Team By
* Make us adjust our Roster for his lack of presents!
* Making us sign Players we wouldn't, if he where on the Team!
* Basically making us change the way we would scheme a game!
* If I don't hear by tomorrow morning, he showed. Piss on him! I would come out and publically say " OK NFL TEAMS what are you offering!?"

 

[Riverumbbq]

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

 

[bluecoconuts]

Is some of a player receiving a new contract not paying them for past production, too? Of course it is. You're banking on them continuing to okay at that level of production. Yet I hear nobody giving the Rams crap for the way they handled a player like Chris Long-- always an upstanding, team-first guy, who didn't even know he wasn't making the move with the team to LA until after he had already began preparations.

Like I said before, you can't take business so personal. It baffles me how quick fans can turn on a player over something related to the business side of a GAME, even with a fan-favorite like AD.

Saying something like "you're officially dead to me AD" when you know damn well if he shows up against Indy, you'd be ecstatic as the next guy lmao. It's just a knee-jerk emotional response.

Of course I'd be happy if Donald comes back, I'd always welcome him back, I never suggested that I wasn't.

I'm not going to blame the Rams for Donald holding out, why would I? Are the Rams telling him not to play?

It'd be one thing if the Rams weren't trying, or were lowballing him, but there's nothing to suggest they are. If they were, I'm sure Donald's agent would be letting that be known.

I always make sure that I note a lot of my feelings towards Donald are based on the rumored 3 year out clause. If Donald does indeed want that, then he can go pound sand. Why would I willingly let someone screw me over in 3 years? If we give him that clause the only way he doesn't use it is if he's under-performing his contract significantly. Otherwise he'll trigger it and we're forced to pay up or watch him walk, and that's incredibly stupid. If Donald doesn't care enough about the Rams and just wants to use us as a big pay day so he can then jump ship somewhere else, then why would I want that? He'd just be screwing us over.

I blame Donald for this holdout because it's his own fault. He's the one doing it. I'd welcome him back, but the longer it goes the less and less I care about him. The more and more it seems that he doesn't care about us.

Whatever is holding things up, I'll judge on that. If it's a 3 year opt out clause, then Donald can continue to sit. I'm not big on giving a player a ticket to fuck us over in 3 years when he's already shown he'd be willing to use it.

 

[gabriel18]

Jets!
train

I must have missed something. What is with all the train quotes ?

 

[Ramhusker]

Well, it might be time for somebody to whisper in AD's ear, "Dude, have you thought about you just might be the sacrificial lamb in this equation?" His agent may be getting calls from the NFLPA to stick it to the Rams with this clause that is apparently the hangup. Why not do it to a team that everybody thinks is no good anyways? I mean they are giving up a home game every year to play abroad. Why not try and hold them hostage by denying them their best player in hopes new ground is gained for ALL players? Who cares if AD misses the season and his paychecks? He'll get it back later right? Right? Or maybe not AD. There's a possibility you could end up like Colin Kaepernick, essentially blackballed from the league by trying to cross a contract line that NO team wants to cross. How valuable will you be to a team three years from now after not playing a game since last season? Your window is closing quicker than you think but I bet your agent isn't mentioning this scenario to y0u. His career could last for decades. Yours will end most likely midway through the next decade. The Rams would be a better team with you on the field but they'll play without you just the same. Every game they win, your leverage wanes and the Rams' leverage waxes. The only way out for you now is to fire your agent, take the pay raise, and yell, "WE NOT ME" as loud as you can. Everybody would be behind you except for those that are trying to use you for their agendas.

 

[EasyE]

Is some of a player receiving a new contract not paying them for past production, too? Of course it is. You're banking on them continuing to play at that level of production. Yet I hear nobody giving the Rams crap for the way they handled a player like Chris Long-- always an upstanding, team-first guy, who didn't even know he wasn't making the move with the team to LA until after he had already began preparations.

Like I said before, you can't take business so personal. It baffles me how quick fans can turn on a player over something related to the business side of a GAME, even with a fan-favorite like AD.

Saying something like "you're officially dead to me AD" when you know damn well if he shows up against Indy, you'd be ecstatic as the next guy lmao. It's just a knee-jerk emotional response; it's easy to deal with hypothetical absolutes when the subject has no impact on your everyday life. But it's just as easy to brush it off.

We are FANatics...thats why....we are so emotionally invested in our team.....and it feels GOOOOD!

 

[RedRam]

Is some of a player receiving a new contract not paying them for past production, too? Of course it is. You're banking on them continuing to play at that level of production. Yet I hear nobody giving the Rams crap for the way they handled a player like Chris Long-- always an upstanding, team-first guy, who didn't even know he wasn't making the move with the team to LA until after he had already began preparations.

Like I said before, you can't take business so personal. It baffles me how quick fans can turn on a player over something related to the business side of a GAME, even with a fan-favorite like AD.

Saying something like "you're officially dead to me AD" when you know damn well if he shows up against Indy, you'd be ecstatic as the next guy lmao. It's just a knee-jerk emotional response; it's easy to deal with hypothetical absolutes when the subject has no impact on your everyday life. But it's just as easy to brush it off.

"You're dead to me!" Is typically just a figure of speech. Fans are pissed off and, quite frankly, rightfully so.

Aaron Donald is under contract. Is he over playing it? For sure. The Rams don't have to do Richard. They don't have to offer Donald squat. Yet, the Rams have said well before this holdout started, that they wanted to reward Donald with a better deal. The Rams came to the bargaining table. Donald went to Pittsburgh while his teammates, who stand to suffer financially from Donald's mega dollar deal, bust their butts in the summer heat for the TEAM. If I'm a teammate, I'd be very pissed off at Donald.

So.... Which side is bargaining in good faith?

 

[OldSchool]

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 and his contract wouldn't turn a year so he'd be under contract now for 2018 and 2019.
2)No
3)Yes if they chose to he could be franchised 3 times making him a Ram until 2022 if he sits out the entirety of 2017(which I don't think he does).
4)Yes
5)Uncertain, the common rumor is he's trying to get something no other NFL player has ever gotten. I hope he doesn't get it as it'll ruin the NFL like it has the NBA IMO. The opt out clause has made free agency a joke in the NBA.

 

[wolfdogg]

Great scene from north dallas 40 with relevance to what we've been discussing. I'm all for AD getting what he deserves but there's always a point where the demand is impossible to meet because it hurts the team's ability to win in the future. Players need to recognize this point and accept their paltry 70 mil guaranteed. Oh wait, no player has ever had to say no to 70 mil guaranteed.


View: https://youtu.be/Mzcpr5fE018

 

[-X-]

Great scene from north dallas 40 with relevance to what we've been discussing. I'm all for AD getting what he deserves but there's always a point where the demand is impossible to meet because it hurts the team's ability to win in the future. Players need to recognize this point and accept their paltry 70 mil guaranteed. Oh wait, no player has ever had to say no to 70 mil guaranteed.


View: https://youtu.be/Mzcpr5fE018

That was illegal motion by Elliott. Refs are blind.

 

[PhillyRam]

The Brown's, I believe, are in to the "money ball" sabermetrics stuff. I would be surprised if they feel spending $120M and forking over premium picks for a DT makes sense.

The obvious team would be Steelers, they need to win now in Big Ben's final seasons and their 1st rounder won't be a top 3 pick. So if your the Rams would you take two late 1's and player or other picks for Donald?

 

[wolfdogg]

That was illegal motion by Elliott. Refs are blind.

Shit. My phone must copied the wrong scene.