Aaron Donald - Pro Football Rumors

West Notes: Raiders, Mahomes, Donald, Bolts

September 7th, 2017 at 6:09pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Raiders decided to place second-round pick Obi Melifonwu on IR earlier this week, but the team is not counting on the safety missing his entire rookie season. Melifonwu is expected to return after eight weeks and be one of Oakland’s two IR-DTR players, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The UConn product is recovering from knee surgery and will use the season’s first two months to rehab. The Raiders have seen their top two draft picks struggle to see the field due to injuries thus far; Gareon Conley missed most of Oakland’s preseason work due to a shin malady. Both are eyed as contributors in a secondary that struggled throughout 2016.

Here’s the latest coming out of the West divisions before the defending AFC West champion Chiefs debut against the Super Bowl champion Patriots.

For now, new Cardinals guard Alex Boone will serve as a backup. “He’s just learning,” coach Bruce Arians told reporters (Twitter link via Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com). “We’ll see. Right now, it’d probably have to be an injury or someone really fail badly. … We’ll see. Right now, it’d probably have to be an injury or someone really fail badly.” Boone started for five straight seasons, lining up as a first-teamer for the 49ers and Vikings.
Despite Patrick Mahomes‘ impressive preseason, the Chiefs‘ plan remains to shelve the rookie quarterback throughout the 2017 season, Rapoport notes (video link). Rapoport also said the possibility of Mahomes sitting to start next season remains in play, adding the team drafted the Texas Tech product knowing he’d be a one- or two-year project. Rapoport adds the Chiefs believed Mahomes was the draft’s best quarterback and they thought four teams would pull the trigger to select him had they not made the trade up to No. 10. Alex Smith‘s contract may also dictate the franchise’s decision. The Chiefs can save $17MM by moving on from their longtime starter after this season, but it’s clear they see a firm line between Smith and Mahomes’ present readiness levels.
Chargers rookie Mike Williams is now off the PUP list but has yet to resume running routes full speed, Anthony Lynn said (via Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk). Recovering from a back injury, Williams has resumed catching passes. Rapoport reported the first-round pick’s likely return date will be in October.
If the Rams are going to sign Aaron Donald to an extension, the deal will have to make the defensive lineman the NFL’s highest-paid defender. Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com writes the team understands this. Von Miller‘s six-year, $114.6MM contract represents that standard presently, and Ndamukong Suh‘s six-year, $114MM Dolphins deal is the high-water mark for interior defenders. Los Angeles is not expected to have Donald this week as his holdout stretches into Month 3.
Sebastian Janikowski‘s small pay cut — from $4MM to $3MM this season — induced Rapoport to suggest this adjustment would free up space for a potential Donald Penn payment (Twitter link). The Raiders left tackle recently returned to the team and is entering the final year of his contract, but it’s clear the 34-year-old blocker is not exactly a content employee.

NFC Notes: Rams, Donald, Falcons

September 7th, 2017 at 11:38am CST by Zachary Links

No surprise here, but Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald is expected to miss Sunday’s season opener against Indianapolis as he continues his holdout, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Donald is presently at home with his family on the east coast and the two sides are not close to an agreement.

Holdouts typically do not drag into the regular season, but Donald has less to lose by staying home than other players fighting for a better contract. Le’Veon Bell, in theory, could have tried to drum up leverage by taking his holdout into mid-September, but that would have meant forfeiting game checks on a $12.12MM salary. Donald, meanwhile, is slated to earn only a fraction of that – $3.225MM – in 2017.

While we wait to see how things shake out between Donald and the Rams, let’s take a look at more news from the NFC:

The Falcons converted $1MM of center Alex Mack‘s $6.75MM base salary into a signing bonus, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. The move creates $750K of cap space for the current season. The Falcons are near the bottom of the league in terms of cap space this year, so every bit of flexibility will help them.
Cardinals punter Andy Lee‘s new contract calls for base salaries of $1MM per year in 2017 and 2018, Mike Jurecki of 98.7 FM tweets. Arizona is hoping that Lee, 35, will help to turn around one of the league’s poorest punting units from 2016.
The Bears auditioned eight players on Wednesday, reports Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune: wide receivers Mario Alford, Montay Crockett, Frankie Hammond, and Darreus Rogers were joined by defensive backs Dante Blackmon, Alex Carter, Brian Dixon, and Damian Swann. While Hammond and Dixon have played in the most NFL games, Carter might the most notable name on the list. A third-round pick of Detroit only two years ago, Carter has been limited by injuries and poor play and has only appeared in one pro contest.
The Cardinals worked out running back Darius Victor on Wednesday, according to Herbie Teope of the Times-Picayune (Twitter link), who reports Victor has another audition on Monday for an unidentified team. Victor, an undrafted rookie free agent out of Towson, spent a month on New Orleans’ roster earlier this summer but was waived during final cutdowns. He’s likely a candidate for Arizona’s practice squad.

Sam Robinson contributed to this post.

Latest On Aaron Donald, Rams

September 6th, 2017 at 11:37am CST by Sam Robinson

As of now, it looks like neither the Colts nor Rams will have their best players available to them Sunday. Andrew Luck already being ruled out may precede the Rams making a similar announcement regarding Aaron Donald‘s status.

The All-Pro defensive lineman is currently back home on the east coast, with NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport noting (on Twitter) both sides tried to reach an agreement but remain apart. The Rams will conduct their first game-week practice of the season Wednesday, and that workout won’t include Donald, further pointing to the dominant defender missing Week 1.

Donald and the Rams met last week but were “not close” to an extension agreement. Sean McVay did not declare a deadline for Donald reporting and being given a green light to suit up for Week 1, but the superstar interior defender would have a harder time immediately resuming game action this season compared to in years past.

Wade Phillips‘ new defensive scheme calls for the all-world three technique to play defensive end in base sets. While Donald would be a welcome addition and help Los Angeles’ cause, it wouldn’t be a seamless transition like it would have been had this scenario played out a year ago.

The Rams have Donald under team control through 2018 for roughly $10MM, and this setup has created rumors of Donald continuing his holdout well into the season — despite the prospect of missing out on game checks.

West Notes: Ward, Donald, Hawks, Schofield

September 4th, 2017 at 8:03pm CST by Sam Robinson

John Elway spoke with T.J. Ward‘s agent earlier this summer and informed him the team did not intend to sign the veteran safety to an extension, with the GM telling media (including Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post) a Ward re-up was not in the team’s plans “at that point of time.” The Broncos made Ward one of the highest-profile cuts of the roster-slashing weekend, but Jhabvala reports the team did not come to a decision on Ward until last week. The rise of second-year safeties Justin Simmons and Will Parks, along with Ward’s injury history, played a role in the departure.

Citing a lack of clarity during the process, Ward on Monday called the Broncos “completely unprofessional” regarding the separation. The divorce came with one season remaining on the 30-year-old defender’s four-year contract. The eighth-year safety will earn up to $5MM with the Buccaneers this season. Ward missed all of Denver’s preseason games with a hamstring injury and missed six games due to injury in three Broncos campaigns — two of which producing Pro Bowls. Mike Klis of 9News described the process as Simmons — a 2016 third-round pick who served as Denver’s third safety last season — Wally Pipp’ing Ward (Twitter link). Klis notes Elway gave Ward “every chance” to make this year’s team.

Here’s the latest from the West divisions, shifting to Seattle, which just made the biggest trade in a week full of them.

The injury to rookie Malik McDowell prompted the Seahawks to trade for Sheldon Richardson, Pete Carroll said, via the Seattle Times’ Bob Condotta (on Twitter). Currently on the NFI list, McDowell does not have a timetable for a return, Condotta adds (via Twitter). Carroll said the team could still look to add another defensive tackle (Twitter link, via Condotta).
Richardson will play the three-technique position in the Seahawks’ 4-3 scheme, the fifth-year defensive lineman said Monday (via Condotta, on Twitter). He will line up inside of Michael Bennett and Cliff Avril, giving the Seahawks one of the most talented defensive fronts in football. Richardson primarily played 3-4 defensive end with the Jets but also saw time at outside linebacker. He played 4-3 defensive tackle at the University of Missouri, though.
Aaron Donald remains a holdout as the Rams begin their Week 1 preparations, but Sean McVay won’t impose a deadline on how late the All-Pro defensive lineman can report to the team and still play Sunday, Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com reports. Rams reps flew to Atlanta to meet with Donald, but the sides reportedly aren’t close to a deal. Gonzalez adds McVay nonetheless remains “optimistic” about a solution.
A two-position starter for the Broncos during the past two seasons, Michael Schofield attracted widespread interest on the waiver wire. The Chargers won out due to their position in the waiver hierarchy, but the Lions, Redskins, Vikings and Saints also put in claims on the fourth-year guard/tackle, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. A 2014 third-rounder, Schofield started for the Broncos at right tackle during their Super Bowl season and lined up at right guard throughout 2016. While Denver didn’t sport particularly effective O-lines during those seasons, Schofield clearly has believers out there.
Speaking of waivers, the Seahawks hoped they’d have a chance to stash wide receiver Kasen Williams on their practice squad, Carroll said (via Condotta, on Twitter), but the Browns swooped in with a claim. The Seahawks will move on without Williams and Jermaine Kearse, traded to the Jets in the Richardson deal. Paul Richardson and Tyler Lockett are now Seattle’s top complementary wideouts, and Lockett (per Condotta, on Twitter) is expected to play in Week 1 after breaking his fibula late last season.

Rams, Aaron Donald “Not Close” To Deal

September 2nd, 2017 at 8:47am CST by Dallas Robinson

Although Rams brass met with Aaron Donald‘s camp earlier this week, the two sides are “not close” on a new deal, sources tell Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.

Donald’s staged holdout has now passed the one-month mark, and there’s apparently no end in sight. With the regular season staring next week, Donald is extremely likely to miss games, something that Rams general manager Les Snead recently admitted. Los Angeles opens the season against the Colts on September 10, and then faces the Redskins, 49ers, and Cowboys.

Los Angeles had indeed discussed a new deal for Donald, but “little progress” has been made in negotiations. Asking price is surely the primary issue in talks, but the Rams’ level of team control over Donald means the club has little incentive to rush discussions. Donald is under contract through 2018 at a total cost of roughly $10MM thanks to the fifth-year option, and the Rams can then deploy the franchise tag in 2019.

That’s not to presume that Donald hasn’t outplayed his contact, a fact with which the Rams agree. Donald, 26, has been absolutely dominant since entering the league as a first-round pick in 2014. A two-time All-Pro, Donald has managed 28 sacks during his three years in the NFL, an astonishing total for a defensive tackle. Donald, who played 828 snaps a season ago, graded as the league’s No. 1 interior defender, according to Pro Football Focus, which awarded him a 99.0 mark for his pass-rushing prowess.

Rams Meet With Aaron Donald’s Camp

September 1st, 2017 at 12:22pm CST by Zachary Links

Aaron Donald‘s holdout is ongoing, but the Rams are working to bring it to an end. Team brass flew to Atlanta on Wednesday for an in-person meeting with Donald’s representatives, sources tell Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter).

Recently, Rams general manager Les Snead admitted that Donald is unlikely to be in uniform for the team’s opener against the Colts on Sept. 10 if he does not end his holdout this week. Snead said the team has tried to “come up with creative scenarios” regarding Donald’s contract, but refused to get into specifics on the negotiations.

Donald, 26, is slated to earn $3.225MM in 2017 and $6.892MM in 2018 through the fifth-year option. It’s not exactly chump change, but Donald is willing to miss game checks and take his holdout into the regular season, if necessary.

Donald may be looking for a deal that tops Ndamukong Suh‘s six-year, $114MM pact, making him the league’s highest paid defensive tackle. The Rams, meanwhile, want to avoid setting a bad precedent by caving into a holdout. Because Donald is such an exceptional talent, L.A. might be able to make an exception in this case without setting the wrong tone for others down the road.

NFC Notes: Donald, Brees, Elliott

August 29th, 2017 at 7:45pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

It’s “probably a safe assumption” the Rams will play their Sept. 10 season opener without defensive tackle Aaron Donald if he doesn’t end his holdout this week, general manager Les Snead told Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com and other reporters Tuesday (Twitter links here). The executive added that the Rams have tried to “come up with creative scenarios” regarding Donald’s contract in their negotiations with the back-to-back first-team All-Pro. Snead otherwise didn’t have much to offer regarding Donald, admitting that he doesn’t know if the 26-year-old will report without having received a new deal. As of now, it appears the Rams will at least go without Donald when they take on the Colts in Week 1.

The latest on a couple other NFC franchises:

Saints quarterback Drew Brees said Tuesday that he texted “Wow” to agent Tom Condon after Lions signal-caller Matthew Stafford signed a five-year, $135MM extension Monday (via Mike Triplett of ESPN.com). Stafford’s deal will pay him $27MM per year – a figure the highly accomplished Brees could rival when he signs a new pact in the next eight months or so. Of course, the 38-year-old Brees’ age will prevent him from approaching Stafford’s pact in length or total value. Brees, who’s on the one-year, $24.25MM extension he signed last summer, has indicated that he won’t worry about his next contract until after the season.
Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott‘s appeal hearing with the NFL regarding his six-game suspension will last through Thursday, Adam Schefter reports (Twitter links). Final briefs are due Friday, notes the Washington Post’s Mark Maske, who adds that a ruling probably won’t come until next week.
Saints cornerback Delvin Breaux is likely to begin the season on injured reserve and come off IR later in the year, Herbie Teope of NOLA.com writes. Breaux, who fractured his fibula in mid-August, won’t be eligible to return until Week 9 if he does head to IR. Teams are allowed to designate two players to return from IR during the season. Meanwhile, it’s possible left tackle Terron Armstead will avoid spending the first six weeks of the season on the reserve/physically unable to perform list because he “might be ready earlier” than that time frame, head coach Sean Payton said Tuesday. Armstead went down with a torn labrum in mid-June and is currently on the active/PUP list.

Rams’ Aaron Donald Could Miss Games

August 17th, 2017 at 12:51pm CST by Zachary Links

Aaron Donald‘s holdout might not end anytime soon. The Rams defensive tackle could take his holdout into the regular season, league sources tell ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (Facebook link).

One of Schefter’s sources even speculated that he could envision Donald sitting out the entire season. That would be an extreme measure, of course, but it says a lot about where negotiations are at this point in time.

Recently, Rams GM Les Snead indicated that the team has made a substantial extension offer to Donald. Apparently, the proposal was not to Donald’s liking.

Donald, 26, is slated to earn $3.225MM in 2017 and $6.892MM in 2018 through the fifth-year option. Those numbers are way below market for the player who graded as the league’s No. 1 interior defender in 2016, per Pro Football Focus. Donald may be seeking a deal that tops Ndamukong Suh‘s six-year, $114MM pact, making him the league’s highest paid defensive tackle.

An extended holdout may give Donald the leverage he needs since he still has two years of club control remaining on his contract.

Latest On Aaron Donald, Trumaine Johnson

August 11th, 2017 at 8:20pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Rams have made a substantial extension offer to Aaron Donald, Les Snead said (via Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com).

Donald remains a camp holdout, and the most recent news coming out of Los Angeles hasn’t moved the needle much on a re-up for the dominant interior defender. Dialogue between the Rams and Donald is ongoing, however, Snead said.

“We want Aaron here and we want to make him a Ram for a long time,” Sean McVay said, via La Canfora, “and in the little bit of time I’ve spent with him it doesn’t take long to see what kind of a special player he is, based on the tape, and what kind of person he is and how much he loves the game of football and his teammates. That’s why we want to get it figured out.”

The 26-year-old defender is due just $3.225MM this season. That number rises to $6.892MM in 2018 because of the fifth-year option. But Donald, a two-time All-Pro, has obviously proven he’s worth top-market money. Ndamukong Suh‘s six-year, $114MM — negotiated while Suh was a UFA — remains the standard for interior defenders. Von Miller‘s six-year, $114.6MM deal represents the high for all defensive players.

La Canfora added the Rams are open to making a trade as well. Shedding Trumaine Johnson‘s $16.742MM franchise tag salary would be an avenue to clear cap space — the Rams hold just $3.78MM at present — and La Canfora reports the Steelers are among the teams inquiring about a possible deal for the sixth-year corner. While that wouldn’t exactly be in Pittsburgh’s draft-centric nature, and La Canfora doubts L.A. would pull the trigger after the Gaines deal, Johnson has proven himself to be an upper-echelon corner. The Steelers return their cornerback trio from last season in Ross Cockrell, 2016 first-rounder Artie Burns and William Gay

NFC Notes: Stafford, Donald, Packers, Cards

August 5th, 2017 at 2:14pm CST by Ben Levine

There have been talks throughout the offseason that the Lions are confident that they’ll get franchise quarterback Matthew Stafford to ink an extension. General manager Bob Quinn expressed those same sentiments to fans on Saturday prior to the team’s “mock game.”

“Matt has taken this situation with his contract in stride,” Quinn said (via ESPN.com’s Michael Rothstein). “It doesn’t bother him and it doesn’t bother me. I’m confident we’ll get something done.

“There’s a long way to go on that, but it’s good on both sides.”

Stafford, 29, is set to enter the final year of his contract, and Rothstein writes that the former No. 1 overall pick could be in line to become the NFL’s highest-paid player. We learned earlier this week that there was still a “substantial gap” between Stafford’s asking price and Detroit’s offer.

Let’s take a look at some more notes from around the NFL…

We learned last night that the Rams and Aaron Donald remain on “amicable” terms despite the interior defender’s holdout. Despite the relative optimism, head coach Sean McVay said not much as changed in regards to negotiations. “Not to this point,” McVay said (via Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com). “Kind of still same as. Hopeful and waiting for some day when we get that good news, but in the meantime we move on and like we’ve said before – confident that he’s working hard while he’s not here and trust that when we do get that worked out hopefully he’ll be ready to go and there won’t be any setbacks. It’ll be good to get him if we’re able to come to that decision and get that thing done.”
Cardinals linebacker Deone Bucannon is on track to return for Week 1, Bruce Arians said (via Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com). Bucannon is on the Active/PUP list presently after undergoing ankle surgery in May, and while Arians hopes the safety-turned-linebacker can have a 10-day preparation period before the regular season, the goal remains Week 1.
Tight end Emanuel Byrd will be auditioning for the Packers, reports Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter). The undrafted free agent out of Marshall initially signed with the Chiefs in May, but he was waived by the organization in late July.
Hall of Famer and former Eagles executive Jim Gallagher died Saturday at the age of 88 (via Philly.com’s Paul Domowitch). Gallagher started working for the organization back in 1949, and he served as the Eagles’ personnel director, public relations director, director of sales and marketing, and director of alumni relations until his retirement in 1995. “Jim was one of the kindest and most remarkable men you could ever meet,’’ Eagles owner Jeff Lurie said. “His dedication to this organization went far beyond the 46 years he spent here, and his impact was far-reaching…Everyone who was fortunate enough to meet Jim knows how much he loved the Eagles, but also how much he truly cared for and invested in the lives of others. To borrow one of his famous phrases, Jim was a ‘first-round pick.”

Sam Robinson contributed to this report.