Can the Rams win without Aaron Donald?

Rams starting to feel the absence of All-Pro Aaron Donald

Alden Gonzalez

http://www.espn.com/blog/los-angeles-rams/post/_/id/35151/rams-starting-to-feel-the-absence-of-all-pro-aaron-donald

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — Michael Brockers called Aaron Donald on Monday morning. Not to talk football, not to talk contracts — not to talk about anything in particular, really. Just, you know, to talk. To hear his voice.

“I miss him,” Brockers, the Los Angeles Rams’ nose tackle, said later that afternoon, solemnly. “We need him back. Fast as possible.”

Brockers’ locker resides next to Donald’s, which these days is stuffed with shoes and bags and jerseys that go untouched. He did not practice with his teammates on Monday, which means that Monday was no different from any other day this summer. Except, well, it was.

It’s game week now.

The Rams will likely be without the pass-rush power of Aaron Donald, who is in a contract dispute, in their regular-season opener versus the Colts. Joe Nicholson/USA TODAY Sports
Trumaine Johnson, the Rams’ franchise cornerback, expressed his excitement about that through his Snapchat account earlier in the day, because Monday meant that the season is finally here. For Rams coach Sean McVay, Monday marked what he called “the first day of true preparation for our team and for the Colts.” McVay said after practice that Donald “is not ruled out” for the Week 1 game against the Indianapolis Colts. But it’s hard to envision him playing much, if at all, even if he arrives for Wednesday’s practice.

His teammates seem to be operating under the assumption that he will not.

“We’re playing with the guys here,” Johnson said. “We wish he was here, but he’s not. So we have to keep going.”

“We’re focused on getting ready to play Indy,” inside linebacker Alec Ogletree added. “Aaron has his situation, and it will get handled when it gets handled.”

The Rams at least have the benefit of playing against a Colts team that will be without star quarterback Andrew Luck and his starting center, Ryan Kelly (not to mention primary cornerback Vontae Davis). Scott Tolzien will start in Luck’s place. But Brockers is the only solidified starter on the Rams’ defensive line, with the likes of Ethan Westbrooks, Morgan Fox, Tyrunn Walker, Tanzel Smart and perhaps even newcomer Quinton Jefferson all possibilities to see a lot of snaps.

“You can’t get worried,” Brockers said. “You can’t get worried, man, because we have a game, so you can’t let it become a distraction. You miss him, you want him to be here, but we’ve got to play too. It’s cliché, but one monkey don’t stop this show. So you’ve just got to roll, you know?”

Donald is owed less than $9 million over the next two years, but has performed to the level of the game’s best defensive players. He has made the Pro Bowl in each of his three NFL seasons and has been voted first-team All-Pro after each of the past two. His 28 sacks from 2014-16 are four more than any other defensive tackle. Last year, he led the NFL with 31 quarterback hits and tied for the NFL lead with 17 tackles for loss. Heading into this year, the esteemed Pro Football Focus considered him the game’s best player, regardless of position.

Brockers likes the depth on the Rams’ defensive line, but said Donald is “in his own world.”

“It’s hard to put that combination of leverage, speed, power, strength, all that into one human being. And to make him 280 [pounds], and he can lift two buses? It’s ridiculous, bro. Like, the dude is built for that position. He was made to play it. I look at him, I watch film, I see things that he does, and it’s like, ‘There’s no way I can do that.’ Not saying I’m not good. I’m just not him.”

The Rams haven’t named their captains yet. McVay will have the players vote on it later this week, and it could get a little tricky. Donald was one of the Rams’ captains last year, along with Ogletree, running back Todd Gurley, punter Johnny Hekker and former quarterback Case Keenum. Donald hasn’t been here, so it’s hard to give him that honor once again. But then there’s the thought of keeping him happy, of making him feel wanted.

“The situation is complicated in a lot of ways,” McVay said. “… While I have a lot of respect for what Aaron represents as a leader, I haven’t had a chance to be around him as much as some of these other guys. So I think the team will do a good job of picking guys that they feel like represent who they want to be their captains and to lead us.”

Donald never did return Brockers’ call on Monday. A couple of days earlier, McVay compared reaching out to Donald to “chasing a girl in high school.” Brockers laughed at the thought, maybe because he’s starting to feel that, too.

“I’ve been checking up on him,” Brockers said. “I haven’t really heard anything back, but been definitely checking up on him, trying to see what’s up. I know he’s busy, probably doing some things. He’s got a lot of stuff going on, man. Busy. In my mind, he’s busy.”

Donald seems set on sitting out at least part of the regular season now. They’ll have to win without him.

Maybe we can win without him. If Barwin returns to form and Quinn is healthy, that d line with Brockers is still formidable…. above average at the least.
I’m more worried about the cornerbacks. I hate Troy Hill on game days and we have no Gains.
Of course I want