Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald did not commit to appearing at training camp in a radio interview on Thursday. Donald gave Alex Marvez and Mark Dominik of SiriusXM a non-answer when asked if he would be on hand when camp starts in July. 
“I’m just [going to continue] working, just grinding, and we’re going to see what happens,” Donald said.
Donald reported to mandatory minicamp earlier this summer, so it stands to reason that he would report to training camp even without a deal. It’s possible that the 26-year-old is looking to drum up a little extra leverage for himself with an empty threat. It’s also possible that he’s serious about missing the start of camp, though it would cost him a fair amount of money to sit at home.
The defensive tackle is scheduled to carry a paltry $3.225MM cap number in 2017 before his salary jumps to $6.892MM in 2018 under the fifth-year option. A new deal for Donald will likely reset the market for defensive tackles.
Currently, Ndamukong Suh has the top deal of any DT – he’s in the midst of a six-year, $114.4MM pact with $60MM guaranteed. Unlike Suh, Donald will not be negotiating his deal on the open market. However, a new pact this year would make him two years younger than Suh at the time of signing and the salary cap has increased significantly since Suh’s deal in 2015. There’s also this: Donald is arguably an even better player than Suh was in his prime.
Sign the man!