HEADLINES

Aaron Donald

Extra Points: Donald, Gruden, Titans, Bills

August 4th, 2017 at 9:02pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

There’s no end in sight to the standoff between the Rams and holdout Aaron Donald, but the two sides remain on “amicable” terms, according to Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com. The superstar defensive lineman is under control through the next two seasons at low costs relative to his play and could be a franchise tag candidate in 2019 and ’20, meaning the Rams don’t have any incentive to give him a long-term mega-deal, one NFL agent told Gonzalez. “The Rams should sit back and do nothing. Let him play out this year, let him play out the fifth-year option, and franchise him,” said the agent.

The agent’s point of view makes sense from a financial perspective, but it wouldn’t be acting in good faith, notes Gonzalez, who writes that Donald is worth breaking the bank for and someone who’s clearly a franchise player. While the Rams are aware of the 26-year-old’s greatness, they also realize that they technically don’t have to cave into Donald, which puts them in a tough situation. Ultimately, if a deal does come together, it might not be until closer to September, observes Gonzalez. That’s when the Rams extended wide receiver Tavon Austin, edge rusher Robert Quinn and nose tackle Michael Brockers in past years. In the meantime, they can fine Donald $40K per day as long as he’s absent.

  • Redskins coach Jay Gruden wouldn’t be surprised if his brother, Jon Gruden, returned to coaching. “It wouldn’t shock me, no,” said Jay Gruden (via John Keim of ESPN.com). “I don’t know why he would want to do that. He has a pretty good job. He has a passion for the game, the way he talks and prepares for the job he has is second to none. He loves coaching and he loves preparing. I don’t know if he’ll come back or not.” Jon Gruden hasn’t coached since 2008, and while the Monday Night Football commentator suggested last week that a comeback was possible, he indicated he’s content in his current role a few days later.
  • Titans receiver Corey Davis, the fifth pick in this year’s draft and the last rookie to sign his contract, will sit out at least a week after suffering a hamstring injury Thursday, head coach Mike Mularkey told 104.5 The Zone in Nashville (via Cameron Wolfe of ESPN.com). Davis will not need surgery, fortunately, though the Titans will evaluate him week to week. He expects to be in Tennessee’s lineup come Week 1, tweets Wolfe.
  • Speaking to reporters Friday, Bills head coach Sean McDermott didn’t rule out foot surgery for left tackle Cordy Glenn. Both the Bills and Glenn can now breathe a sigh of relief, though, as the stalwart’s “fine” and will likely resume practicing next week, reports John Wawrow of The Associated Press. Glenn’s ankle injury limited him to a career-low 11 games last season, but the five-year veteran’s play still ranked an impressive 21st among 76 qualified tackles at Pro Football Focus.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Minor NFL Transactions: 7/29/17

July 29th, 2017 at 5:58pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Rams have officially placed defensive tackle Aaron Donald on the reserve/did not report list, according to Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com (Twitter link). The designation doesn’t mean much, as Donald can be removed from the list at any point. But it clears a roster spot for Los Angeles while Donald stages a holdout over a new contract.

Here are the rest of today’s minor moves:

  • Quarterback Zac Dysert‘s 2017 season was already over after he underwent back surgery, and the Cowboys have now made that official by designating him as waived/injured, per James Palmer of NFL.com (Twitter link). Dysert will go through waivers, but he won’t be claimed thanks to his injury. He’ll revert to Dallas’ injured reserve list.
  • The Raiders claimed running back George Atkinson III off waivers from the Browns, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. The son of former Raiders great George Atkinson, the running back spent time with the Raiders from 2014-15 and played in 16 games as a special-teamer for the Browns last season.
  • Marcel Reece‘s return to the Seahawks will add a big-name fullback to the equation, and it will cut short fullback Algernon Brown. Seattle also waived linebacker Nick Usher, Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times tweets. Usher was part of the Hawks’ UDFA contingent in May, but the team needed to make room for Marcus Smith. Brown’s exit leaves only Reece and Kyle Coleman as Seattle fullbacks, Condotta tweets.
  • Again in need of a replacement linebacker, the Vikings signed Darnell Sankey, Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports (on Twitter). The team waived linebacker Shaan Washington. Tomasson notes (on Twitter) the Vikes originally picked up linebacker Noor Davis to replace Washington, but after a Kentrell Brothers injury, the team added a second new ‘backer.
  • Signed by the Saints and converted to wide receiver earlier this year after a run as a dual-threat quarterback at Georgia Tech, Justin Thomas will need to find another team if he’s going to catch on in the NFL. The Saints cut the rookie wideout, Nick Underhill of The Advocate reports (on Twitter).
  • The Bengals swapped out wideouts by waiving Monty Madaris and signing Lavonte Whitfield, Jim Owczarski of the Cincinnati Enquirer tweets. Madaris resided on the Active/PUP list with a hamstring injury and will revert to Cincinnati’s Reserve/PUP list if he clears waivers, Owczarski notes (on Twitter).
  • The Redskins announced that they’ve signed defensive back Jeremiah McKinnon while waiving/injured DB Lou Young. Young appeared in six games for Carolina a season ago.
  • With Daimion Stafford mulling retirement, the Steelers announced that they’ve signed another safety, 2017 undrafted free agent Malik Golden.
  • The Panthers waived tight end Wyatt Houston, Jourdan Rodrigue of the Charlotte Observer tweets.

Rams’ Aaron Donald To Hold Out

July 28th, 2017 at 7:22pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Rams players were required to check in for training camp by Friday at 11am Pacific time, but star defensive tackle Aaron Donald is a no-show, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Donald will hold out with the goal of landing a lucrative extension, reports Alden Gonzlez of ESPN.com.

Aaron Donald (vertical) “He’s a great player,” said head coach Sean McVay. “We knew this was a potential possibility for us, and we’re constantly going through trying to get a solution to this.”

Los Angeles had indeed discussed a new deal for Donald, but “little progress” has been made in negotiations, per Rapoport. Asking price is almost assuredly an 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.

Donald is slated to earn $1.802MM in 2017 before his salary rises to $6.892MM in 2018.

NFC Notes: Donald, Cousins, Eagles, Bucs

July 7th, 2017 at 7:02pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

While Rams defensive tackle and extension candidate Aaron Donald could be pushing for Ndamukong Suh-like money ($20MM per year), his team control status makes securing that type of deal unlikely, observes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Suh was a free agent when he landed his massive contract with the Dolphins back in 2015, whereas Donald can’t voluntarily leave the Rams for a while. The superstar’s controllable at a relatively meager ~$10MM combined for at least the next two years (the Rams exercised his fifth-year option for 2018), and Los Angeles can then use the franchise tag on him during the ensuing couple offseasons if there’s no long-term deal in place. Because of that, there’s little incentive for the Rams to hurry into a Suh-esque extension for Donald.

More from the NFC:

  • With the Redskins running out of time to extend quarterback Kirk Cousins by the July 17 deadline, the next week-plus could solidify or destroy their future, contends Jerry Brewer of the Washington Post. Locking up the franchise-tagged Cousins would be a sign of stability for the Redskins, argues Brewer, who criticizes the club for lowballing the signal-caller in past negotiations. Washington’s reluctance to buy into Cousins for the long haul has led it to franchise him in back-to-back offseasons, thereby costing the team around $44MM. The Redskins designating Cousins as their franchise player again next offseason probably isn’t going to happen, as doing so would come with a price tag upward of $34MM (the transition tag will come in at $28MM); as such, there’s a legitimate chance the productive Cousins will head elsewhere after 2017 and leave the Redskins searching for an answer under center again.
  • Nolan Carroll and Leodis McKelvin were among the cornerbacks the Eagles relied on most last season, but the former left for the Cowboys in free agency and the latter is on the unemployment line. Now, with training camp approaching, the Eagles are unsure who will fill any of their top three corner roles, according to defensive backs coach Cory Undlin. Not even Jalen Mills, who finished second among Philadelphia’s CBs in snaps as a rookie last season (662), is guaranteed a prominent position. “It’s just going to be who’s going to step up here in training camp and through the preseason,” Undlin said (via Reuben Frank of CSNPhilly.com). “Who’s going to say, ‘Listen, I’m starting here, I’m starting here, I’m going to play the nickel,’ and then here’s the backups.” Mills, whom Pro Football Focus’ ranked as the league’s worst corner last season, and the underwhelming veteran trio of Patrick Robinson, Ron Brooks and Dwayne Gratz are the only Eagles corners with real pro experience. The club does have a pair of rookies with upside in second-rounder Sidney Jones, who tore his Achilles in March and could miss the start of the season, and third-rounder Rasul Douglas.
  • The Buccaneers waived undrafted rookie linebacker Paul Magloire at the end of May, but he’ll stay with the team on injured reserve, reports Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times. Magloire is facing a 30-week recovery after undergoing surgery on a double hernia and torn groin muscle. The Bucs originally added Magloire on a split contract, which will allow the ex-Arizona standout to earn 75 percent of the $465K rookie minimum ($348K) while on IR.

NFC Notes: Giants, Eagles, Donald

July 1st, 2017 at 11:27am CST by Ben Levine

The Giants and quarterback Eli Manning will soon be dealing with a memorabilia fraud lawsuit, but ProFootballTalk.com’s Mike Florio notes that the NFL still has no comment on the situation. Specifically, the reporter wonders if “a civil finding of memorabilia fraud” would ultimately lead to a review under the league’s Personal Conduct Policy, especially considering the vague explanation of the rule:

“Conduct by anyone in the league that is illegal, violent, dangerous, or irresponsible puts innocent victims at risk, damages the reputation of others in the game, and undercuts public respect and support for the NFL. We must endeavor at all times to be people of high character; we must show respect for others inside and outside our workplace; and we must strive to conduct ourselves in ways that favorably reflect on ourselves, our teams, the communities we represent, and the NFL.”

Florio also notes that the list of “prohibited acts” include “[c]rimes of dishonesty such as blackmail, extortion, fraud, money laundering, or racketeering.”

While we await some clarity on that situation, let’s take a look around the NFC…

  • With former second-round pick Dorial Green-Beckham seeking his third team in three seasons, Geoff Mosher says the former Eagles wideout needed “a heavy dose of humble pie.” The writer notes that the talented offensive weapon easily lost focus, ran sloppy routes, and dropped easy-to-catch passes. While the receiver was once compared to Randy Moss, Mosher now believes Green-Beckham is a prime example of “wasted talent.” As a result, the receiver is no longer an elite prospect, and he should instead be considered a “reclamation project.” During his lone season in Philly, the 24-year-old hauled in 36 receptions for 392 yards and two touchdowns.
  • Despite the presence of Ryan Mathews and free agent addition LeGarrette Blount, veteran running back Darren Sproles is still confident that he can contribute to the Eagles running game this season. Sproles told ESPN’s Josina Anderson (Twitter link) that he “can do it all,” and it’s likely that Philly capitalizes on his versatility again in 2017. Last season, the 34-year-old caught 52 receptions for 427 yards and two touchdowns, and he added another 438 yards on the ground.
  • Appearing on ESPN’s NFL Live, Anderson said that she assumes Rams defensive lineman Aaron Donald is likely frustrated that he hasn’t received an extension from the organization (via Rams-News.com). The reporter notes that the team has extended Tavon Austin and Robert Quinn, yet the three-time Pro Bowler still hasn’t receive a new contract. The Rams did exercise the former first-rounder’s fifth-year option earlier this offseason, so Donald will be sticking with the organization through at least the 2018 season.

Latest On Rams’ Aaron Donald

June 29th, 2017 at 3:42pm CST by Zachary Links

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. Aaron Donald (vertical)

“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.

Rams Notes: Donald, Gurley, Johnson

June 28th, 2017 at 5:09pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Let’s take a quick look at the latest from Los Angeles:

  • The Rams and defensive tackle Aaron Donald are “in agreement” that the fourth-year pro has exceeded his current contract, according to Vincent Bonsignore of the Los Angeles Daily News (Twitter links). While that’s seemingly an obvious statement given that Donald, an All Pro in each of the past two seasons, is scheduled to earn a paltry $1.8MM in 2017, the Rams don’t believe Donald is acting in a “selfish” manner in regards to his contract situation, per Bonsignore. Los Angeles has reportedly worked on an extension with Donald, who is controlled through the 2018 campaign via the fifth-year option. Donald, 26, has managed 28 sacks during his first three years in the league and last year graded as the NFL’s No. 1 interior defender, according to Pro Football Focus.
  • While Donald has performed more than well enough to warrant an extension, the same can’t be said for running back Todd Gurley, as Bonsignore tweets. Given that he’s only completed two NFL seasons, Gurley isn’t even eligible for a new deal until the 2017 campaign concludes, but if his production doesn’t improve next year, it may be tough for Gurley to justify an extension, per Bonsignore. Gurley, 22, saw his yards per carry drop by 1.6 yards a season ago, but a revamped offensive line could help matters next season. Los Angeles’ front five ranked 29th in adjusted line yards in 2017, but the club has since added left tackle Andrew Whitworth and center John Sullivan.
  • In case you missed it, Rams franchise-tagged cornerback Trumaine Johnson isn’t going to sign an extension before the July 17 deadline. Instead, Johnson will play out the season — his second consecutive campaign under the tag — while earning $16.742MM.

Miller’s Latest: Prospects, Rams, Chargers, Bears

June 17th, 2017 at 10:07am CST by Ben Levine

Per usual, Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller had several notable opinions and hot takes in his weekly column, led by a debate on whether Ezekiel Elliott is the best running back in the NFL (the writer ultimately surmises that the title belongs to Le’Veon Bell).

Of course, Miller touched on a number of other important subjects. While the entire article is worth reading, we’ve picked out some of the notable tidbits below…

  • Penn State running back Saquon Barkley‘s draft stock continues to climb, as Miller claims that the offensive weapon could end up being a Le’Veon Bell–type player. Meanwhile, the writer declares that Wyoming quarterback Josh Allen is the top signal-caller in the 2018 draft.
  • Speaking of draft prospects, Miller is rather enthusiastic about the talent on Clemson’s football team. The writer believes that defensive tackle Christian Wilkins, defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence and defensive end Clelin Ferrell all have potential to be top-1o picks, although it’s worth noting that Lawrence won’t be available until the 2019 draft.
  • While Aaron Donald showed up to Rams mandatory minicamp, the defensive lineman is still seeking a brand-new contract. Miller believes the former first-rounder will ultimately become one of the highest-paid players in the NFL once he signs an extension. Miller also notes how Texans offensive lineman Duane Brown and Panthers tight end Greg Olsen are also seeking a new deal.
  • The four-year deal for Chargers linebacker Melvin Ingram is “news you should take note of,” said Miller. The organization now has the former first-rounder and Joey Bosa locked up for several years, creating quite the formidable (and youthful) defensive front.
  • Bob Stoops suddenly announced his retirement as the head coach of the University of Oklahoma, shocking the NCAA. Miller notes that the 56-year-old could be in line to replace John Fox if the Bears decide to look for another coach next offseason, although the writer notes that Jeff Fisher could be another candidate.

NFC Notes: Rams, Cowboys, Eagles, Vikes

June 15th, 2017 at 4:06pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Rams had been holding off on extension talks with franchise-tagged cornerback Trumaine Johnson because they wanted to see how he fit in new defensive coordinator Wade Phillips’ scheme during their offseason program. Well, Johnson and Phillips are apparently a match, as head coach Sean McVay said Thursday (via Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com) that he “fits any system. You’re talking about a big corner who can run, he’s physical, he can tackle and he has great ball skills.” The Rams have until July 15 to reach a long-term deal with Johnson, who’s currently scheduled to rake in $16.742MM this year. The same deadline doesn’t apply to superstar defensive tackle Aaron Donald, as he’s still under control for two more years. The sides have discussed an extension, though, and McVay is “optimistic that something’s going to work out.”

More from the NFC:

  • One reason the Cowboys are uninterested in free agent cornerback Darrelle Revis is because they view him as a “progress-stopper,” according to Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk. The Cowboys used three picks this year on corners, including Chidobe Awuzie in Round 2 and Jourdan Lewis in Round 3, and seem content to lean on a group that includes those youngsters, second-year man Anthony Brown (whom they’re bullish on, per Williams) and the established twosome of Orlando Scandrick and Nolan Carroll.
  • After playing just 27 percent of the Eagles’ defensive snaps in 2016, linebacker Mychal Kendricks has been the subject of trade rumors throughout the offseason. For now, Kendricks is still in Philadelphia, and if he remains an Eagle this year, his role is unlikely to change, writes Dave Zangaro of CSNPhilly.com. The Eagles used their nickel package over 70 percent of the time last season, and they’ll probably rely on it heavily again; if so, Kendricks will continue to watch from the sideline as fellow linebackers Jordan Hicks and Nigel Bradham receive the majority of snaps. The 26-year-old Kendricks still has three years left on his contract, but releasing him would cost the Eagles $9.15MM in dead cap this summer. Barring a trade, then, he figures to spend the sixth year of his career with his only NFL employer to date.
  • Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer is finally poised to put his nagging right eye issues behind him. “We’re just about out of the woods,” said Zimmer, who has undergone eight separate surgeries over the past year to repair a detached retina. A checkup on Wednesday revealed that “the retina is perfect, the pressure [in my eye] is great,” Zimmer informed reporters, including Ben Goessling of ESPN.com. The 61-year-old’s doctor told him he’d be “absolutely shocked if anything else happened in this eye.” Zimmer’s eye problems led to his absence from the Vikings’ Week 13 loss to Dallas last season and forced him to miss the first two weeks of organized team activities this spring.

Aaron Donald, Le’Veon Bell May Skip Minicamp

June 12th, 2017 at 8:32pm CST by Rory Parks

We heard earlier tonight that Duane Brown is not expected to report to the Texans’ minicamp tomorrow, and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (article via Conor Orr of NFL.com) reports that Rams DT Aaron Donald and Steelers RB Le’Veon Bell could miss their teams’ respective minicamps as they seek new contracts of their own.

Le'Veon Bell (Vertical)

Bell is now the only franchise-tagged player in the league not to have signed the franchise tender or agreed to a long-term extension, though he and the Steelers have been working on a deal for awhile, and it was reported at the end of last month that neither Bell nor Pittsburgh is worried about the running back’s status. At this point, though, the Steelers have most of the leverage. As talented as Bell is, and as important as he is to the team’s offense, his suspensions and injury history are certainly working against him in contract talks, and the closer we get to training camp, the more difficult it would be for Bell to land a contract on the open market that pays him even $10MM in 2017, much less the $12.1MM he stands to receive under the franchise tender.

As Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writes, the franchise tag value makes a long-term deal unlikely at this point. Bell is no doubt pushing for a multiyear deal that includes twice the amount of the franchise tender in guarantees with a roughly $12MM average annual value, and Bouchette is skeptical that the Steelers would meet those demands (particularly when they can just tag Bell again next season for about $14.5MM, which does not sound too exorbitant for a player of his caliber).

Because Bell is not under contract, he cannot be fined for missing minicamp. The same cannot be said for Donald, who is under club control through 2018, but it is unlikely Los Angeles would actually impose a fine on Donald. We learned last month that negotiations on a long-term deal had entered the “serious phase,” but we have not heard anything since that report. It still looks as if the two sides may reach a multiyear pact sometime soon, though the Rams’ tight salary cap situation could be complicating things a bit. Indeed, Donald’s next contract could make him the highest-paid defensive player in the game, and with hardly any cap room at the moment, the Rams may need to get creative to take on such a contract.

Load More Posts