A specific provision in the CBA means that a holdout for Aaron Donald would be particularly costly if it continues into the preseason. The CBA dictates that players in the midst of their fifth-year option are subject to daily fines of $30K during preseason training camp, which is less than the usual $40K fine. However, each missed preseason game for fifth-year option players results in a fine equivalent to one week of regular season salary, Mike Florio of PFT notes.
For Donald, a holdout lingering into the preseason will cost him $405K per game. If he were to miss the full preseason, that would come out to more than $1.62MM of his $6.892MM salary. That doesn’t ensure Donald will show up for the exhibition games, but it’s certainly something for the defensive standout to think about.
Here’s more from sunny L.A.:
- The Rams’ new deal for running back Todd Gurley is a game-changer for obvious reasons, but Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap (Twitter link) sees it as a potential turning point for some less obvious factors as well. He wonders aloud if elite running backs like Gurley with today’s lighter workload and better conditioning can last longer than the last set of backs who hurt the market. If that’s the case, then the running back market may finally move on a trajectory similar to other key positions.
- We have the details on Brandin Cooks‘ new deal with the Rams, courtesy of Ben Volin of The Boston Globe (on Twitter). Cooks will receive a whopping $50.46MM guaranteed and will carry a $27.46MM cap number in 2019 and a $20.36MM figure in ’20.
- The Cooks deal is a huge investment for a player who has been traded twice in two years and hasn’t played a down for the team he is currently under contract with, Fitzgerald writes. His cashflow is also extremely impressive when compared to the league’s other top wide receivers. He’ll receive the largest Year 1 take home of any wide receiver and, after two years, he’ll earn more than any player except for Antonio Brown. The flow tails off a bit in the fourth and fifth years of the deal, but he can top every other receiver in those seasons via incentives.
- On Tuesday, the Rams signed defensive end Ryan Davis.
The reason Cooks was traded twice had nothing to do with skill. Rams made a great trade to get him. Odds are the first round pick will not have ended up being a player as good as Cooks
If Donald does end up reporting, even if he misses preseason, the Rams would likely waive the fines as a “goodwill” gesture to him. Either way, I don’t see the Rams giving Donald a contract extension. He wants to be paid as the top defensive player, which he is and deserves, and the Rams know they can save a bit of money if they just tag him. Considering all the money the Rams are giving out, he should consider sitting out the 2019 season if he’s tagged (or at least the minimum amount of games before he would no longer be eligible for free agency). It’s a lot of money, but at the end of the day the Rams can’t/shouldn’t be playing the “we don’t have enough money” card. The defense will basically fall apart without him as they have little outside pass rush, are relying on him and Suh to generate their pass rush, and their corners are volatile (extremely skilled but aren’t likely going to be there long term).