Rams expect Aaron Donald to make season debut Sunday

Rams’ Aaron Donald gets back to the business of playing

Gary Klein

http://www.latimes.com/sports/rams/la-sp-rams-report-20170913-story.html

His holdout because of a contract dispute is over and he is back on the practice field with Rams teammates.

But “the business side of things,” as defensive lineman Aaron Donald repeatedly described it Wednesday, continues to hover.

In the meantime, Donald is preparing for Sunday’s game against the Washington Redskins.

“My main thing is just football,” he said after participating in full-team practice for the first time this season.

Despite his prolonged absence, which included sitting out the Rams’ season-opening victory over the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday, Donald is on track to start against Washington, coach Sean McVay said.

“He looked fast, looked fresh,” McVay said, adding, “Didn’t look like he missed a beat.”

Donald, who has two seasons remaining on his rookie contract, sat out offseason workouts, attended but did not participate in a mandatory June minicamp and sat out all of training camp because he wants a new deal.

Donald and his representatives at CAA Sports are believed to be seeking a contract that will make him the NFL’s highest-paid defensive player.

Now that he is on site, the Rams might be more inclined to negotiate the finer points of an extension with the three-time Pro Bowl selection.

Donald was asked if he had achieved what he wanted through is holdout, whether the Rams had made him an offer that would make him the league’s highest-paid defensive player, and whether he was close to a deal.

Donald, wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with CAA Sports across the front, responded to each question by saying that he would let his agents handle it.

“I love football, so being away from it definitely was tough,” he said, adding, “The way I chose to handle it is the way I chose to handle it and I’m here now.”

Donald worked out in Pittsburgh the last few months and said he was in “great shape.” He acknowledged, however, that it was not the same as playing football.

“So, just going day by day here and just seeing how I feel as the week goes on,” he said.

Donald played in a 4-3 scheme during his first three NFL seasons. New defensive coordinator Wade Phillips has installed a 3-4.

Not a problem, Donald said.

“I don’t feel like I’m behind or anything as far as knowing the plays,” he said. “I might mess up here and there, but when I was out there … I felt pretty solid.”

Throughout Donald’s holdout, teammates supported him and said they looked forward to welcoming him back.

Donald was in team and position group meetings Monday. But Wednesday was the first full practice since his return.

“It’s nice seeing him across the line of scrimmage again, making practice hard for us again,” quarterback Jared Goff said.

It felt “normal” to have Donald on the field, defensive tackle Michael Brockers said.

And there apparently was no drop-off in Donald’s performance.

“He’s making plays, he’s getting to the backfield before me, and stuff like that,” Brockers said. “You definitely notice he’s out there because you’re like ‘Dang! I should have made that play’ and you kind of get a little jealous, but it’s all love. … We feel complete with him here.”

It remains to be seen if, or how much, Donald plays Sunday.

General manager Les Snead and the team’s analytics staff has studied how many snaps players returning from holdouts have logged, McVay said. So Donald will be monitored throughout the week and on game day.

Redskins coach Jay Gruden said that he expected Donald to be lined up in a familiar spot, just off an offensive guard’s outside shoulder.

“He’s got every move you want — he can power rush you, he can spin you, he can rip you, he gets off the snap with great tempo and he’s fast,” Gruden said, “so it will be a great challenge.”

The Rams recently made several financial moves with other players that appear to be laying the groundwork for a possible new deal for Donald and others such as linebacker Alec Ogletree and safety Lamarcus Joyner.

During his holdout, neither the Rams nor Donald’s representatives publicly criticized each other.

Asked whether he felt animosity toward the Rams front office, he gave an unemotional response.

“Just business,” he said, “that’s all.”

Etc.

Safety Maurice Alexander (shoulder), cornerback Kayvon Webster (shoulder), linebacker Connor Barwin (rest) and offensive lineman Andrew Whitworth (rest) did not practice, according to the Rams injury report.

Staff writer Lindsey Thiry contributed to this report.[

Aaron Donald is already dominating Rams practices

Alden Gonzalez

Link: http://www.espn.com/blog/los-angeles-rams/post/_/id/35334/aaron-donald-is-already-dominating-the-rams-practices

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — The Los Angeles Rams ran a play that called for Sam Rogers to take a handoff during Wednesday’s practice. But Aaron Donald penetrated the line of scrimmage and worked his way into the backfield before the rookie fullback could even touch the ball. And that’s when Todd Gurley knew that Donald was really back.

“Aaron’s Aaron,” Gurley said. “He’s going to dominate practice.”

The Rams expect him to dominate in the upcoming game, too, even though he basically spent the entire summer working out on his own. Donald ended his holdout on Saturday, but he didn’t practice with the team until Wednesday and he wasn’t in full pads until Thursday. Teammates still didn’t notice much of a dropoff.

“Some things you just know,” Rams left guard Rodger Saffold said. “He’s been doing this for a long time now. I expect him to continue to do the same. As far as conditioning and everything else, it seems like he’s fine. You never really know when you get into a game, but I bet money that he’s going to be fine playing.”

Rams defensive coordinator Wade Phillips said Donald will be “on a pitch count” in the Week 2 home game against the Washington Redskins. Phillips said the same thing about Robert Quinn heading into the opener, and Quinn wound up playing 25 snaps, or 50 percent of the defensive workload. Donald could get something similar, maybe even a bit less. The Rams’ Week 3 game will be the following Thursday, on the road against the San Francisco 49ers, and that quick turnaround may be a consideration.

“He looked to be in good shape,” Phillips said of Donald. “You know, football shape and shape are two different things because you’re carrying a lot more weight with pads on and so forth. But he doesn’t seem to be bothered too much by the reps we’re giving him in practice. It’s not wearing him out.”

Donald isn’t really expected to be in football shape yet.

“I’m not even in football shape, so I doubt he’s in football shape,” Gurley said, laughing. “It takes a while. But hey, you never know. He’s built differently. He’s one of a kind, so there’s no telling. He might already be right. I’m pretty sure he wasn’t just chilling. I know he was definitely getting it in back at home, so he’ll be fine.”

Aaron Donald will be “on a pitch count” in his return to the field on Sunday, according to Rams defensive coordinator Wade Phillips. Kevin Reece/Icon Sportswire
The Rams, coming off a 46-9 blowout of a shorthanded Indianapolis Colts team, have a much tougher test in their second game of the season. The Redskins’ offense — formerly under the direction of Rams head coach Sean McVay — boasts a solid offensive line, a proven quarterback in Kirk Cousins and an array of weapons, including Jordan Reed, Terrelle Pryor and Jamison Crowder. The Rams’ front seven will have to bring consistent pressure to make Cousins uncomfortable and take some of the strain off their secondary, which is why Donald’s return is so crucial.

But is it fair to expect Donald to be the same guy after missing so much time?

“Yeah,” Rams inside linebacker Alec Ogletree said. “I don’t see why he shouldn’t be the same person because he’s just that type of athlete, and he’s a guy that I know works hard when he’s not here. I wouldn’t expect anything less.”

Donald, who eventually may be the game’s highest-paid non-quarterback, skipped the three weeks of organized team activities during the spring, then held out for 43 days in training camp and in the preseason. But he was with the Rams during their voluntary minicamp in late April and during their mandatory minicamp in the middle of June. He was able to pick up a lot of Phillips’ defense then. It’s a new scheme, but Donald’s role won’t really change — he’ll still line up as the 3-technique, and he’ll still rush the quarterback.

“When he goes in there, we tell him, ‘Go,'” Phillips said. “It’s not real complicated for him.”

Phillips believes Donald’s presence has “energized our team.” He didn’t address the players when he returned, and McVay didn’t even bring up Donald’s absence during the first team meeting on Monday. The Rams moved forward as if he had been there all along. The players didn’t feel as if Donald owed them an explanation.

“There’s a business side to this situation,” Ogletree said, “and he had to handle it the way he had to handle it. We weren’t mad or anything. We welcomed him back, just like we’ve been saying we would.”

“He’s got to do what’s best for him and his family, so we’re not going to question him about any decision he makes as far as contracts,” Saffold added. “We’re just happy to have him back in the building, because we feel like we have something special here.”