Preseason Game 3, Los Angeles Chargers @ Los Angeles Rams, 08/26/17, 8:00pm EST

[Retroram52]

The Chargers and Rams are basically going to have a glorified practice session in game conditions without the coaches standing on the field with whistles and PA horns. We shall see if the team continues to progress and impress.

 

[ANGELAKERAMS]

Goff will be without his new security blanket ( Kupp ), so that should result in more attention for Watkins.

Looking to see how quickly Goff and Watkins can build a rapport.

 

[ANGELAKERAMS]

Donald is still MIA, and I am starting to sour on this guy. He is putting himself before the team, and quite frankly, no team needs a guy that's that way.

He is not the only rookie from that class to exceed his contract value ( OBJ and Martin for starters ), yet they are in camp and being a team player while the contract issues get hammered out.

If he indeed sits any games over this, it may become cancerous for the locker room, and no team needs a guy like that ( see Kap. )

Worse yet for Donald, if the defense is successful without him ( which could be a possibility ), he loses alot of leverage. Better to show up and let your play elevate your value, not risk losing value by missing games and the defense not miss a beat.

 

[Vitamike]

Donald is still MIA, and I am starting to sour on this guy. He is putting himself before the team, and quite frankly, no team needs a guy that's that way.

He is not the only rookie from that class to exceed his contract value ( OBJ and Martin for starters ), yet they are in camp and being a team player while the contract issues get hammered out.

If he indeed sits any games over this, it may become cancerous for the locker room, and no team needs a guy like that ( see Kap. )

Worse yet for Donald, if the defense is successful without him ( which could be a possibility ), he loses alot of leverage. Better to show up and let your play elevate your value, not risk losing value by missing games and the defense not miss a beat.

Here's top end of his draft class, who else is sitting out?

1. DE Jadeveon Clowney (Texans)...Extended

Jadeveon Clowney​

2. OL Greg Robinson (Rams)...Not Extended

Greg Robinson​

3. QB Blake Bortles (Jaguars)...Extended

Blake Bortles​

4. WR Sammie Watkins (Raiders)...Not Extended

Sammy Watkins​

5. LB Khalil Mack (Raiders)...Extended

Khalil Mack​

6. OL Jake Matthews (Falcons)...Extended

Jake Matthews​

7. WR Mike Evans (Bucs)...Extended

Mike Evans​

8. CB Justin Gilbert (Browns)...Extended

Justin Gilbert​

9. LB Anthony Barr (Vikings)...Extended

Anthony Barr​

10. TE Eric Ebron (Lions)...Extended

Eric Ebron​

11. OL Taylor Lewan (Titans)...Extended

Taylor Lewan​

12. WR Odell Beckham (Giants)...Extended, In Camp while contract is redone.

Odell Beckham, Jr.​

13. DT Aaron Donald (Rams)...Extended, HOLDOUT

Aaron Donald​

14. CB Kyle Fuller (Bears)...Not Extended

Kyle Fuller​

15. LB Ryan Shazier (Steelers)...Extended

Ryan Shazier​

16. OL Zack Martin (Cowboys)...Extended, In Camp while contract is redone.

Zack Martin​

Well there is the top half, and of the 16 only 3 are not extended, and only AD is holding out.

 

[ANGELAKERAMS]

My theory is, they are switching to a 3-4 and he feels it's going to minimize his impact/numbers and wants the big contract before that happens.

Problem is, if he extends his holdout as i mentioned and the Rams defense excels without him, he only further hurts himself ( beyond proving to be selfish and not a team player ).

Get on the field and prove your worth and the Rams will take care of you. Only alienating yourself from teammates/front office holding out 2 years before your contract expires.

 

[UVA_Guy81]

My theory is, they are switching to a 3-4 and he feels it's going to minimize his impact/numbers and wants the big contract before that happens.

Problem is, if he extends his holdout as i mentioned and the Rams defense excels without him, he only further hurts himself ( beyond proving to be selfish and not a team player ).

Get on the field and prove your worth and the Rams will take care of you. Only alienating yourself from teammates/front office holding out 2 years before your contract expires.

If it were up to me, I'd fine him 10k for every day that he misses, whether that's a practice, film session or a game. That'd get him back with the team real quick.

 

[RamsFan88]

My theory is, they are switching to a 3-4 and he feels it's going to minimize his impact/numbers and wants the big contract before that happens.

Problem is, if he extends his holdout as i mentioned and the Rams defense excels without him, he only further hurts himself ( beyond proving to be selfish and not a team player ).

Get on the field and prove your worth and the Rams will take care of you. Only alienating yourself from teammates/front office holding out 2 years before your contract expires.

He's already proven his worth. For the love of god, he is the best defensive player in the league. Snead put himself in this situation by extending the likes of Austin and Quinn who are no where near the caliber of player that Donald is. Get creative and pay the man. Period. It might be a team sport, but he needs to look out for his future and secure financial security for the rest of his life.

 

[ANGELAKERAMS]

He's already proven his worth. For the love of god, he is the best defensive player in the league. Snead put himself in this situation by extending the likes of Austin and Quinn who are no where near the caliber of player that Donald is. Get creative and pay the man. Period. It might be a team sport, but he needs to look out for his future and secure financial security for the rest of his life.

He also needs to honor the contract he signed, just like OBJ and Martin and all the others are doing.

He is the only one holding out, and i could easily make an argument that OBJ has a bigger impact on a game than Donald does, and he's playing despite his contract.

And, like i said before, with the switch to a 3-4, Donald's impact may not be as big as it was in a 4-3, meaning his role could be filled easier by another player vs the impact he had in a 4-3.

That's why he needs to end this nonsense, show what he can do in a 3-4 and then get your extension next offseason just like all the other guys do.

If this was his last year of contract, i would agree with his stance to hold out. But it's not. He's got 2 years left. This should be handled next year, not this year.

 

[ANGELAKERAMS]

One more thing: he's not happy with his current contract ( which he agreed to btw ), but is willing to lose money just to hold out?

Makes no sense. The Rams obviously aren't budging, and why should they? Every other team doesn't extend rookie contracts 2 years before they expire, why should they?

The Rams will have the money to extend him next offseason when they can cut Tavon with minimal cap hit. They are in no position to do it now, hence their stance to not extend him.

 

[ANGELAKERAMS]

He's already proven his worth. For the love of god, he is the best defensive player in the league. Snead put himself in this situation by extending the likes of Austin and Quinn who are no where near the caliber of player that Donald is. Get creative and pay the man. Period. It might be a team sport, but he needs to look out for his future and secure financial security for the rest of his life.

And to your point, he has proven himself as a 4-3 DT, not a 3-4 DT

There is a big difference.

He needs to prove he can have the same impact in a 3-4, then the Rams will pay.

 

[SJ76]

Here's top end of his draft class, who else is sitting out?

1. DE Jadeveon Clowney (Texans)...Extended

Jadeveon Clowney​

2. OL Greg Robinson (Rams)...Not Extended

Greg Robinson​

3. QB Blake Bortles (Jaguars)...Extended

Blake Bortles​

4. WR Sammie Watkins (Raiders)...Not Extended

Sammy Watkins​

5. LB Khalil Mack (Raiders)...Extended

Khalil Mack​

6. OL Jake Matthews (Falcons)...Extended

Jake Matthews​

7. WR Mike Evans (Bucs)...Extended

Mike Evans​

8. CB Justin Gilbert (Browns)...Extended

Justin Gilbert​

9. LB Anthony Barr (Vikings)...Extended

Anthony Barr​

10. TE Eric Ebron (Lions)...Extended

Eric Ebron​

11. OL Taylor Lewan (Titans)...Extended

Taylor Lewan​

12. WR Odell Beckham (Giants)...Extended, In Camp while contract is redone.

Odell Beckham, Jr.​

13. DT Aaron Donald (Rams)...Extended, HOLDOUT

Aaron Donald​

14. CB Kyle Fuller (Bears)...Not Extended

Kyle Fuller​

15. LB Ryan Shazier (Steelers)...Extended

Ryan Shazier​

16. OL Zack Martin (Cowboys)...Extended, In Camp while contract is redone.

Zack Martin​

Well there is the top half, and of the 16 only 3 are not extended, and only AD is holding out.

Mike Evans and OBJ... Sammy Watkins

Pretty salty WR core there.


You can blame Donald. But the Rams FO deserves some blame here too.

My thought here like we've said before, is it a position where you need to put a lot of money in to have a good defense?

 

[RamsFan88]

He also needs to honor the contract he signed, just like OBJ and Martin and all the others are doing.

He is the only one holding out, and i could easily make an argument that OBJ has a bigger impact on a game than Donald does, and he's playing despite his contract.

And, like i said before, with the switch to a 3-4, Donald's impact may not be as big as it was in a 4-3, meaning his role could be filled easier by another player vs the impact he had in a 4-3.

That's why he needs to end this nonsense, show what he can do in a 3-4 and then get your extension next offseason just like all the other guys do.

If this was his last year of contract, i would agree with his stance to hold out. But it's not. He's got 2 years left. This should be handled next year, not this year.

The current rookie deals are structured and are not negotiated like they were under the previous CBA. He has clearly outperformed his contract and he needs to be paid like the player he is. As for the players you mentioned, their situation has no impact on Donald's decision to hold out. Snead and Co. knew this was coming and should have been better prepared to handle this. Not surprisingly, they screwed it up.

One more thing: he's not happy with his current contract ( which he agreed to btw ), but is willing to lose money just to hold out?

Makes no sense. The Rams obviously aren't budging, and why should they? Every other team doesn't extend rookie contracts 2 years before they expire, why should they?

The Rams will have the money to extend him next offseason when they can cut Tavon with minimal cap hit. They are in no position to do it now, hence their stance to not extend him.

Actually, it makes perfect sense. He gets to a new deal for more money, his salary this year will likely increase and his fines get reversed. So, no, he isn't losing money by holding out.

Every other team hasn't handed out garbage contracts to garbage players like the Rams have. The FO could give Donald the contract he deserves and signal to top-tier free agents and other in-house candidates for extensions (Ogletree, Alexander, Watkins, Joyner) that they value good players and will pay them what they are worth.

And to your point, he has proven himself as a 4-3 DT, not a 3-4 DT

There is a big difference.

He needs to prove he can have the same impact in a 3-4, then the Rams will pay.

A player like Donald will fit into any scheme and he isn't changing positions under the new scheme. Again, you're wrong, there isn't a big difference.

 

[SJ76]

Looks like this game is on CBS.

 

[ANGELAKERAMS]

The current rookie deals are structured and are not negotiated like they were under the previous CBA. He has clearly outperformed his contract and he needs to be paid like the player he is. As for the players you mentioned, their situation has no impact on Donald's decision to hold out. Snead and Co. knew this was coming and should have been better prepared to handle this. Not surprisingly, they screwed it up.



Actually, it makes perfect sense. He gets to a new deal for more money, his salary this year will likely increase and his fines get reversed. So, no, he isn't losing money by holding out.

Every other team hasn't handed out garbage contracts to garbage players like the Rams have. The FO could give Donald the contract he deserves and signal to top-tier free agents and other in-house candidates for extensions (Ogletree, Alexander, Watkins, Joyner) that they value good players and will pay them what they are worth.



A player like Donald will fit into any scheme and he isn't changing positions under the new scheme. Again, you're wrong, there isn't a big difference.

Again, if the other teams haven't handed out bad contracts, then why haven't they signed those players to extensions since they have the money?

Because there is no reason to do so because those players have 2 years left on their deals, that's why.

Donald is being selfish. The other guys are being team players. End of story.

And as SJ mentioned, there are other positions to throw money at than DT. He may be the best in the game, but so was Suh when he got his ridiculous contract and where has that gotten Miami?

You can claim he fits in any system, but until he proves it, that statement is not fact.

I would argue Ogletree deserves a big contract before Donald does since his contract is up next offseason, unlike Donald.

Alot of those players drafted before and after Donald have outplayed their contracts, but Donald is the only one showing himself to be a "me first" player instead of a "team first" player.

 

[SJ76]

Donald is a stud and he will fit any system. I'd hate to lose him. But at what price and while our offense has been so bad? Rams FO gave out bad contracts that sent a bad message.

Wonder how much Vince Wilfork was making when the Pats were winning? What was the % vs overall team salaries?

That's a lot of money to have tied up in a DT.


Rams FO has been pretty stupid imo. Should have locked up Tru long ago on the cheap and if Ogletree blows up this year, he's going to want a lot of money too.

Proactive > reactive

 

[SJ76]

Although Brockers is more the DT (Wilfork) on this defense and now Donald is more of a hybrid DE/DT now.

I don't know what the Rams are gonna do or how they can pay him.

 

[Vitamike]

Again, if the other teams haven't handed out bad contracts, then why haven't they signed those players to extensions since they have the money?

Because there is no reason to do so because those players have 2 years left on their deals, that's why.

Donald is being selfish. The other guys are being team players. End of story.

And as SJ mentioned, there are other positions to throw money at than DT. He may be the best in the game, but so was Suh when he got his ridiculous contract and where has that gotten Miami?

You can claim he fits in any system, but until he proves it, that statement is not fact.

I would argue Ogletree deserves a big contract before Donald does since his contract is up next offseason, unlike Donald.

Alot of those players drafted before and after Donald have outplayed their contracts, but Donald is the only one showing himself to be a "me first" player instead of a "team first" player.

Maybe the Rams are going to wait it out for the first 8 games if it goes that far. If so, it's not good news for Aaron Donald because his season could be 'tolled', which means his current deal could be extended by a year.

And at 26, that would mean that AD could be 31 before he gets his first chance with free agency.

 

[Vitamike]

Rams FO has been pretty stupid imo. Should have locked up Tru long ago on the cheap and if Ogletree blows up this year, he's going to want a lot of money too.

Why stop there, we have Gurley, Watkins and Joyner that could all need to get paid soon too. From all reports, the Rams offered a solid deal, but he wanted more.

So if AD's contract is more, it could handcuffs the Rams future at paying these others. It's not like there isn't a hard cap in the NFL, there is, and DT's, even the best in the biz can't be pulling down much more than $20M/year over 5 years. (Which is in the neighborhood of what the Rams reportedly offered)

 

[UVA_Guy81]

Looks like this game is on CBS.

And next week's is going to be shown live on NFL Network.

 

[Rambunctious]

If I were running the Rams org...I wouldn't sign Donald until after the last preseason game...just sayin....