As this continues, I think Aarons in a no win situation with alot of fans. If the rams win, then more fans will look for a trade or to just keep him inactive this year. If the rams lose, especially close ones, fans will place much of the blame on him. The rams have maybe their best offseason ever with finally bringing in the right coaching staff, an awesome draft considering the picks we had initially, great FA additions and subtractions, the whole we not me mantra, things are looking so much better than last and now we're barely losing games as our best player who was offered more money than any defender in nfl history wants a ridiculous opt out clause that no team will agree to? Yeah, I see some donald jerseys being canceled
Screw the trade. Let him sit and let his leverage whither away on the vine. If he sits the whole year, he's just extended the amount of time the Rams can have control over him, and meanwhile, he has a year sitting at home making unreasonable contract demands, which will mitigate some of his value. Plus, he will have to show up by 30 days prior to the opener next year, or lose yet another year of free agency eligibility.
If he sits for a chunk of the year, but shows up for the last 6 games or so in order to get his year of eligibility, I find it hard to believe that he will be as effective as he has been. At that point, what incentive would any team have to make him an offer that would make him the highest paid defensive player in the league?
Basically, AD has spent all of his leverage. In either of the above scenarios, if Donald comes back next season and again demands to be the highest paid player in the league, the Rams can very likely answer with something like "Aaron, you were the best defensive player in 2016, and we tried to reward you by making you the highest paid defensive player at the beginning of 2017, but it wasn't enough. Now, with 2017 in the books, you're no longer the best defensive player in the league, so why should we pay you like that?"
Again .. the Rams HAVE made the fair offer. Ian Rappaport has said it, Adam Schefter has said it, Allbright has said it and Vinny Bonsignore has said it. AD wants contract structure that would hurt the teams CAP and strangle them in the very near future ,while also giving AD the ability to get another mega deal within 3-4 yrs.
No .. the team should NOT budge. They aren't being cheap. They are being prudent. AD and his reps are being greedy. They don't have the leverage and the Rams do. Even Nate Burleson said yesterday on NFLNet that he wouldn't give in to his demands. It sets a bad president not only for the Rams in future negotiations, but for the league as a whole. AD is asking for things NO player has ever gotten ... not while still being under contract for two more yrs AND only 3 yrs into his career.
Once I heard ( and have heard by several sources) what the Rams have offered and what demands AD wants and is holding out for, I am totally behind the team on this.
Ditto everything you said.
Twice.
Guarantee the man his money, that he's earned. And he'll be here showing Smart, Walker, Westbrooks, Brockers, and others how to get Son of Bums defense running.
If the Rams are offering him a contract that makes him the highest paid defender in the NFL, you can be sure it comes with a sh!tload of guaranteed money. At this point, the only thing preventing Aaron Donald from getting his guaranteed money is Aaron Donald.
