Aaron Donald

West Notes: Broncos, Charles, Riley, Rams

May 22nd, 2017 at 9:12pm CST by Sam Robinson

More details are available about Jamaal Charles‘ Broncos contract, courtesy of 9News’ Mike Klis. The former two-time All-Pro running back signed a one-year deal worth $1MM base value, with the pact including several incentives, as Klis reported Sunday. More specifically, the former Chiefs starter has escalators tied to his performance and the Broncos’, with that portion of the contract totaling $1.25MM if all are achieved.

Should the running back gain 500 all-purpose yards, he will earn $100K. For surpassing the 750-yard barrier, it’s a $300K bump. For going over 1,000 yards from scrimmage, the 30-year-old Charles will see $500K. If Charles manages to turn back the clock and overcome a string of knee issues, Kansas City’s all-time leading rusher stands to earn $1MM in incentives by exceeding 1,400 yards from scrimmage. Charles has finished with 1,300-plus yards from scrimmage five times, but the last came in 2014. Charles hitting these incentives and the Broncos making the playoffs would continually bring bigger bonuses. The 1,000-yard playoffs bonus is $650K, for example.

The Broncos took out waivers on both of Charles’ knees, Klis reports. Each was operated on last year due to problems in each of the back’s menisci. This came after Charles underwent reconstructive knee surgery in 2015.

Here’s the latest from some of the league’s westernmost franchises.

Perry Riley received steady playing time despite being picked up during the season, and the Raiders attempted to gauge what it would take to bring back the middle linebacker, Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle reports (on Twitter). It sounds like the negotiations progressed well, with numbers being exchanged, but Tafur reports the sides couldn’t agree on a figure that would bring Riley back for a second Raiders year. Reggie McKenzie said earlier this month the door isn’t closed on that prospect, but Tafur said the team will attempt to see what it has on its defensive second level before revisiting a Riley reunion. The former Redskins starter will be going into his age-29 season. The Raiders did not use a high draft pick on a linebacker and have several uncertain cogs vying for time in the middle alongside Bruce Irvin and UFA addition Jelani Jenkins.
The Rams‘ cap situation won’t serve as an impediment to what would surely be a landmark extension for Aaron Donald, Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com reports (via Twitter). This is interesting because the Rams are just $2.142MM under the cap, according to OverTheCap. Gonzalez offers that a Trumaine Johnson extension would help free up space, with the cornerback tethered to a $16.74MM cap figure, but Les Snead said the team won’t hold extension talks with Johnson until after OTAs conclude. Gonzalez also posits that Donald could look to compromise on a deal, with the Rams agreeing to raise his salary before an extension kicks in after the 2018 season. That said, it would likely have to be a considerable bump for such a sacrifice to be a consideration for Donald’s camp considering how high the two-time All-Pro’s value is presently.
The Broncos handed out a $20K guarantee to UDFA safety Jamal Carter, and Klis reports that agreement — split up into a $10K signing bonus and $10K base guarantee — is the most the team has promised a UDFA rookie in years. Carter attended Miami and was viewed as a possible Day 3 pick. The Broncos also gave a $12,500K signing bonus to fellow UDFA safety Orion Stewart (Baylor), which is the largest bonus the team has authorized to a post-draft signee since return man Isaiah Burse received that $12.5K amount in 2014. Denver spent two draft choices on safeties last year, in Justin Simmons and Will Parks, and has Darian Stewart signed long-term. T.J. Ward is entering a contract year. Denver also gave defensive tackle Tyrique Jarrett (Pitt) $10K to sign, per Klis.

Rams Advance Aaron Donald Extension Talks

May 22nd, 2017 at 5:18pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Rams are progressing on what would be a major development for their long-term plans, with GM Les Snead confirming the team’s contract talks with Aaron Donald are advancing. They’re now in the “serious” phase and have gotten to the point the All-Pro defensive tackle is not presently at OTAs, Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com reports.

Donald may be trying to avoid injury while these talks are ongoing, Steve Wyche of NFL.com tweets. Snead said the parties have been discussing an extension for a while and hopes the sides can reach a deal soon, per Wyche. The GM said at the Combine that Donald “deserves a raise.”

Gonzalez offers that a deal for Donald may indeed have to make him the NFL’s highest-paid defensive player, at least during his extension years. Donald has two years remaining on his rookie contract — the first at $3.225MM and the fifth-year option season at $6.892MM. It’s unknown at this point if the Rams are talking about a deal that would go into effect in 2017 or ’18, or commence after those years conclude. It’s likely Donald’s camp would want an extension to begin as soon as possible, given the raise that would be attached to such an agreement.

Snead confirmed in March these talks were coming, and they look to be moving well. A Donald deal would stand to reset the market for defensive tackles, even though he could be categorized as a 3-4 end after the Wade Phillips-orchestrated move will shift the Rams’ base to that scheme. As a 4-3 defensive tackle, Donald’s moved into a class by himself. He rated as Pro Football Focus’ top interior defender last season. has two first-team All-Pro slates to his credit and hasn’t missed a game in his three years in St. Louis and Los Angeles.

The defensive line market stops at Ndamukong Suh‘s six-year, $114.3MM deal. Von Miller also signed for six years and $114MM-plus and became the league’s highest-paid defender last summer. Either way, Donald would be looking at a monstrous raise.

Los Angeles currently has barely $2MM in cap space, but that’s scheduled to expand considerably come 2018. Per OverTheCap, more than $54MM is set to be available for the Rams, before factoring in any cuts. This figure also doesn’t consider a possible long-term extension for Trumaine Johnson, who is anchored to Los Angeles’ payroll at a $16.742MM cap figure.

Rams Exercise Aaron Donald’s Option

April 12th, 2017 at 8:13am CST by Zachary Links

The Rams have exercised Aaron Donald‘s fifth-year option for the 2018 season, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. The option is worth $6.892MM and is guaranteed for injury. The move was an absolute no-brainer for Los Angeles.

Donald has been playing at an elite level in each of his three NFL seasons. Last year, Donald finished out as Pro Football Focus’ top ranked interior defender with a score of 95.8. Even Calais Campbell‘s career year (90.4) didn’t come close to taking the No. 1 spot from the Rams star. Remarkably, Donald had an even stronger showing in 2015 when he had a 96.6 score.

Donald, the No. 13 overall pick in the 2014 draft, is slated to play out 2017 at a $3.225MM cap figure. He’s on the books for roughly $6.9MM in 2018, but it’s more likely that the two sides will hammer out an extension between now and then.

A new deal for Donald should reset the market for defensive tackles. Currently, Ndamukong Suh has the top deal at six years and $114.4MM 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.

While the Rams will be switching from a 4-3 to a hybrid 3-4 under Wade Phillips, the scheme change likely won’t impact Donald’s role in the defense or his ability to stifle opponents.

NFC Rumors: 49ers, Rams, Donald

March 2nd, 2017 at 2:41pm CST by Zachary Links

49ers GM John Lynch won’t rule out approaching another team about a quarterback trade.

“We’re not closing the door on any options,” Lynch admitted (via ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Facebook). “We have the number 2 pick and that’s a valuable asset. Fortunately for Kyle (Shanahan) and I, we weren’t part of that 2-14 season. And so now we get to walk in and the good side of that is we have the number 2 pick, and I think that opens a lot of doors for people to try to talk to us about that pick, as well. Or we can sit back and get a really talented player right there, so we’re excited about that.”

Of course, the 49ers have been heavily connected to Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins. However, they’d have to give up a ton to pry him away in addition to giving him a lucrative new extension. The latest word is that the Niners are unwilling to go that far to get a QB.

Here’s more from the NFC as news continues to pour in from the combine:

49ers GM John Lynch says that he would have released Colin Kaepernick had he not opted out (Twitter link via SiriusXM).
Rams GM Les Snead says extension talks for defensive tackle Aaron Donald are “definitely coming (Twitter link via Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com). Donald, the former No. 13 overall pick in the 2014 draft, is under contract through 2017 at a $3.225MM cap figure. Last year, he graded out as Pro Football Focus’ No. 1 interior defender with a stellar 95.6 grade. A new deal for Donald will likely reset the market for defensive tackles.
Rams GM Les Snead isn’t ruling out the possibility of working out a long-term deal with Trumaine Johnson before the July 15 deadline, but they’ll revisit those discussions after OTAs, Gonzalez tweets. That’s because the Rams want to wait until they have a better feel for whether Johnson is a good fit under new defensive coordinator Wade Phillips.
The Falcons are moving on from defensive tackle Jonathan Babineaux but it is believed the 35-year-old will continue playing elsewhere, Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com tweets. Babineaux, he notes, has connections to coaches around he league. It sounds like the veteran doesn’t plan on retirement, but in a league that is getting progressively younger, it’s not a given that he’ll find work.
Discussions about a potential extension for Saints safety Kenny Vaccaro aren’t expected until later this summer, Nick Underhill of The Advocate tweets.

Reactions To Von Miller’s Deal

July 15th, 2016 at 7:25pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

In a day packed with enthralling stories across the NFL, none was as important to a team’s long-term future as the Broncos’ record-setting contract agreement with all-world pass rusher Von Miller, the reigning Super Bowl MVP. After a lengthy and contentious battle over guaranteed money, the Broncos finally locked up the linebacker shortly before Friday afternoon’s contract deadline for franchise-tagged players. The defending champions inked Miller to a six-year, $114.5MM deal with $70MM in guarantees. Here’s a roundup of reactions to the accord:

While Miller was adamant about remaining a Bronco over the long haul, his threat to sit out the season in lieu of playing under the tag was not a bluff, according to agent Joby Branion. Having avoided that scenario, Branion praised Denver’s front office, calling general manager John Elway & Co. “extraordinarily smart people.” The two-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback and now-title-winning executive is “the ultimate competitor,” Branion added (Twitter links via Troy Renck of the Denver Post).
Negotiations between the Broncos and Miller became serious July 7 for two reasons, writes Mike Klis of 9News: 1. The team needed to begin drawing up trade plans for Miller if if knew it wouldn’t be able to sign him by the deadline. 2. Elway had out-of-country vacation plans. Elway’s urgency led the Broncos to significantly raise their offer from $39.8MM in full guarantees over the first two years and $58MM in partial guarantees during the initial three to $42MM and $70MM, respectively. That increase was enough for Miller to sign on the dotted line and avoid a season-long holdout or a trade.
Largely as a result of their tug of war with Miller, the Broncos have established themselves as a brutal team to negotiate with, per Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports. That stubbornness is sometimes to the Broncos’ detriment and sometimes to their benefit, notes Robinson, who reports that it’s the former in this instance. The Broncos could have re-signed Miller at a lower guaranteed amount in February, multiple sources told Robinson, who argues that doing so might have enabled them to retain quarterback Brock Osweiler via the franchise tag instead of having to use it on Miller. Without the tag tying him down, Osweiler departed for Houston in free agency, leading Denver to acquire derided signal-caller Mark Sanchez and use a first-round pick on Paxton Lynch.
With Miller under wraps, attention in Denver now turns to contract-year receiver Emmanuel Sanders, Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post explains. As of last week, negotiations between the Broncos and Sanders went on the back burner while the club turned its entire focus to Miller. Sanders hopes to stay a Bronco, though, and Elway said in June that extensions for Miller, linebacker Brandon Marshall and Sanders by mid-July would be “ideal.” The only one of those three Elway hasn’t since re-upped is Sanders, so it seems like a matter of time for the 29-year-old.
As the cap continues to rise, Miller’s new pact will eventually set the standard for Raiders superstar defensive end Khalil Mack and Rams dominant defensive tackle Aaron Donald, Cameron Wolfe of the Denver Post contends. Mack and Donald – who, like Miller, are among the league’s premier players – are controllable under their current deals for three more seasons. The two 2014 first-round picks have 2018 fifth-year options that, barring something catastrophic, their teams will undoubtedly exercise when the time comes.

West Notes: Donald, Seahawks, Monroe, Rams

June 20th, 2016 at 2:08pm CST by Zachary Links

Agent Todd France believes that Rams lineman Aaron Donald will soon be in line for a monster contract extension a la fellow defensive tackles Fletcher Cox, Ndamukong Suh, and Marcell Dareus (Twitter link via Alex Marvez of SiriusXM). Donald, 25, was named the AP Defensive Rookie of the year in 2014 after a stellar freshman campaign. Last year, he played in all 16 games for the Rams and amped up his overall production, notching 11 sacks and 69 total tackles.

Here’s more from the NFC West:

The Seahawks have been linked to free agent tackle Eugene Monroe, but Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times doesn’t see it happening and envisions some other team paying him the ~$5-6MM he’s probably seeking. Some observers feel that the Seahawks could use a boost on the O-Line, but Condotta writes that they are more content with what they have than some may think. As the Seahawks’ page on Roster Resource shows, the Seahawks are currently slated to trot out Garry Gilliam at left tackle, Mark Glowinski at left guard, Justin Britt at center, Germain Ifedi at right guard and J’Marcus Webb at right tackle.
Chiefs fifth-round receiver Tyreek Hill has the most unusual contract of any rookie in the 2016 class, Ben Volin of The Boston Globe writes. Hill received the slotted $218K of guaranteed cash, but KC slashed his signing bonus to $70K. In exchange, Hill received guaranteed money in the form of 2017 base salary and offseason roster bonuses and gave him a total of ~$150K in roster bonuses over the length of the deal for staying on the team each year.
More from Volin, who writes that other NFL teams can’t be happy with the Rams‘ refusal to include offset language in their rookie contracts. Offset language, of course, prevents a player from collecting on two salaries in the event that he is cut and signed by another squad. In cases where there is offset language, the team only owes the difference between the old and new salary. The Rams and Jaguars, however, are not putting this provision in deals and the Rams specifically are setting a bad precedent for other teams by doing things this way with No. 1 overall pick Jared Goff.

Beckham, Donald Win ROY Honors

January 31st, 2015 at 8:29pm CST by Zachary Links

As expected, Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. was named as the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Year, as Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk writes. Meanwhile, Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald took home the honors on the defensive side of the ball, as NFL.com’s Marc Sessler writes.

Beckham, the No. 12 overall pick in the 2014 draft, started the year on the bench thanks to injuries. After sitting out for the first four weeks of the season, the LSU product was eased into the offense over the next three games. After that, however, it was off to the races for one of the most naturally talented young athletes in the NFL. Beckham finished the year with 91 catches for 1,305 yards and 12 touchdowns, becoming a bright spot for a Giants team that struggled on the whole.

Rams coach Jeff Fisher said prior to the season that he expected Donald to win Defensive Rookie of the Year honors. Ultimately the No. 13 overall pick made his coach proud as he became the second straight defensive lineman to win the award. Donald had nine sacks on the season and Pro Football Focus (sub. req’d) had him rated as the best defensive tackle in the game.

Beckham, Donald Named Top Rookies

January 13th, 2015 at 12:21pm CST by Luke Adams

Giants wideout Odell Beckham Jr. has been named the NFL’s 2014 Rookie of the Year and Offensive Rookie of the Year, the Professional Football Writers of America announced today in a press release. The PFWA also voted Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald as 2014’s Defensive Player of the Year.

Beckham, the 12th overall pick last May, got off to a late start, missing the Giants’ first four regular season games due to hamstring issues, but made up for lost time the rest of the way, compiling 1,305 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns on 91 receptions. In his final nine contests, the LSU product averaged an incredible 133 yards per game, helping to rejuvenate a passing game that was without Victor Cruz.

As for Donald, the Rams rookie was selected 13th last spring, one pick behind Beckham. The former Pittsburgh defender made a strong Rams line even better, recording nine sacks and grading as the league’s best defensive tackle, according to Pro Football Focus’ metrics (subscription required).

Here are the full All-Rookie teams, per the PFWA:

Offense:

QB: Teddy Bridgewater (Vikings)
RB: Jeremy Hill (Bengals), Tre Mason (Rams)
WR: Odell Beckham Jr. (Giants), Mike Evans (Buccaneers)
TE: Jace Amaro (Jets)
C: Corey Linsley (Packers)
G: Joel Bitonio (Browns), Zack Martin (Cowboys)
T: Taylor Lewan (Titans), Ja’Wuan James (Dolphins)

Defense:

DL: Aaron Donald (Rams), Timmy Jernigan (Ravens), Kony Ealy (Panthers), Justin Ellis (Raiders)
LB: Chris Borland (49ers), Khalil Mack (Raiders), C.J. Mosley (Ravens)
CB: Kyle Fuller (Bears), E.J. Gaines (Rams)
S: Deone Bucannon (Cardinals), Ha Ha Clinton-Dix (Packers)

Special teams:

K: Cody Parkey (Eagles)
P: Pat O’Donnell (Bears)
KR: Jarvis Landry (Dolphins)
PR: De’Anthony Thomas (Chiefs)
ST: Trey Burton (Eagles)

Wagoner On The Rams

June 22nd, 2014 at 8:51am CST by Rory Parks

Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com recently hosted an online chat with fans about the Rams’ offseason, what questions the team must answer as they head into training camp next month, and what to be expected of certain players this year. The entire conversation is worth a read, but here are some of the highlights:

Wagoner generally cautions, and rightfully so, about making any bold proclamations based upon what transpired in OTAs and minicamp. For example, in response to a question as to whether any of the Rams’ receivers flashed the ability to become a true No. 1 receiver, Wagoner writes, “The receiver group had some really nice moments in camp, from guys like (Kenny Britt) and (Chris Givens) on down to someone like Emory Blake. But in the grand scheme, it doesn’t mean a whole lot.” Similarly, Wagoner adds, “Brian Schottenheimer said (Brian Quick) was the most improved player in camp. He definitely had some good moments. But that’s nothing new, either. Quick has always showed great promise in practice. It’s about doing it in games. Let’s see where he’s at when the real stuff begins.”

On what the Rams could reasonably expect to pay if they wanted to extend Sam Bradford:

“I’d think he’d be in the $15 million range on an annual basis depending on how well he plays. Jay Cutler‘s contract would be a likely baseline, I’d think. Again, that’s based on him playing well enough for the Rams to want to do an extension.”

On Kenny Britt‘s potential impact:

“Hard to say but if the season started today, I’d think some combination of Givens, Britt and (Tavon Austin) would get the first crack at the receiver spots. But a long way to go.”

Whats moves to add veteran depth might the Rams make before the season begins?

“As of now, they don’t seem to be in a hurry to do anything else in terms of vets and they will need some cap space to get through the season with injuries and such. If they do, I think (outside linebacker and safety) would make the most sense, especially a veteran linebacker.”

How many quarterbacks might the Rams keep, and who are they?

“If neither (Austin Davis) nor (Garrett Gilbert) shows much, I could see the Rams keeping two and then putting Gilbert on the practice squad. If Gilbert plays well in the preseason, I think they keep all three. But I do think Davis would have to really surprise to make it.”

On if the three big contracts on the team’s books for Bradford, Jake Long, and James Laurinaitis will unduly hinder the Rams:

I don’t think it’s much of an issue because, as we sit here right now, what has it really cost them? Long and Laurinaitis have been good, productive players. And both of them have cap numbers that reduce in the next two years (especially in the case of Laurinaitis). Bradford’s contract is really nobody’s fault, it was the going rate for a No. 1 overall pick at the time. Have the Rams got the return on that investment? No. But as you point out, the Rams have the ability to move on from him soon without paying much dead money soon enough if he doesn’t take the next step or stay healthy in 2014.

On Aaron Donald‘s potential:

“I could see him getting seven or eight sacks as a rookie. I think he’ll work on sub package stuff a lot early on, coming in on passing downs. He should be able to do some damage there right away given his polish.”

Rams Sign Robinson, Donald, Eight Others

June 12th, 2014 at 5:12pm CST by Luke Adams

5:12pm: Donald doesn’t have offsets in his deal either, Breer adds (on Twitter).

5:01pm: The Rams’ deal with Robinson does not have offsets, tweets Albert Breer of NFL Network. He’s the first player to get that concession this year and that could factor into the Jaguars’ talks with Blake Bortles, Breer adds.

4:34pm: The Rams may have waited the longest of any NFL team to get a draft pick under contract, but it didn’t take the team long to complete the process once it was started. According to Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (via Twitter), the Rams have signed all 11 of their 2014 draftees. In addition to the previously reported Lamarcus Joyner, that group includes first-rounders Greg Robinson and Aaron Donald and 249th overall pick Michael Sam.

A year ago, Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that St. Louis head coach Jeff Fisher wanted to take the team’s rookies through “Financial Planning 101” before those players received their signing bonuses. According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, the Rams did the same thing this year, delaying the signing process to ensure that their players know how to manage their money when they receive it.

Among those signing bonuses, Robinson’s will be the largest — according to Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap, the signing bonus for the No. 2 pick should fall just short of $14MM. As the 13th overall pick, Donald will be in line for a bonus of $5.692MM. The remaining eight bonuses range from about $46K to $638K.

Besides Robinson, Donald, Joyner, and Sam, the Rams now have the following draftees under contract:

Tre Mason, RB, Auburn (3.75)
Maurice Alexander, S, Utah State (4.110)
E.J. Gaines, CB, Missouri (6.188)
Garrett Gilbert, QB, SMU (6.214)
Mitchell Van Dyk, OT, Portland State (7.226)
Christian Bryant, S, Ohio State (7.241)
Demetrius Rhaney, C, Tennessee State (7.250)

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