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znModeratorKevin Dotson: 90.4 gap run-blocking grade in 2023
1st among all Guards đ§ pic.twitter.com/dGNQqBuDlM
— PFF LA Rams (@PFF_Rams) April 2, 2024
znModeratorJourdan Rodrigue, from https://theathletic.com/5378295/2024/04/02/los-angeles-rams-contracts-free-agency/?source=emp_shared_article
Pastoors speaks with select reporters once a year at the NFLâs annual meetings, last week in Orlando, Fla., and was able to provide insight into a few interesting Rams contract items â and clarity in other areas.
Cost-control
The Rams, as previously reported, decided to invest the bulk of their 2024 resources into their offensive line. Because they were actively studying the guard market in the chance they couldnât extend right guard Kevin Dotson, they identified left guard Jonah Jackson as a possible replacement. They also believed theyâd try to re-sign center Coleman Shelton.
Yet the three-year, $48 million deal with Dotson got done before the legal tampering period. Jackson was not re-signed by Detroit. The Rams then pivoted to also signing Jackson instead of waiting on Shelton to discern his market and decided to move second-year lineman Steve Avila to center (where he played at a high level at TCU). Jacksonâs deal is three years and $51 million. They have also offered a second-round tender to left tackle Alaric Jackson (one year, $4.89 million) and have right tackle Rob Havenstein under contract for the next two years at about $25 million. Tight end Colby Parkinson could also count as an investment at this position because of the blocking work he has done and will do in Los Angeles â another three-year deal, this for $22.5 million contract.
The general duration of the contracts aligns with the amount of time left on Avilaâs cost-controlled rookie deal, as well as that of receiver Puka Nacua and the final two years of lead running back Kyren Williamsâ contract. Receiver and running back are enhanced by strong offensive line play. Obviously, players who continue to play well could be eligible for early extensions â especially at positions such as offensive line and receiver.
Why so many three-year deals? When the rookie class comes in after the draft, their contracts will be the first on this roster to span past 2026.
âI think thereâs a couple of things there. I think youâve seen that trend in the league, players want shorter deals,â Pastoors said. âIt allows them to get back to free agency. As the cap continues to grow, theyâre not stuck in a deal they are unhappy with because the numbers are antiquated. ⊠I think the other part of it is probably just the evolution of Sean (McVay) and Les (Snead), and wanting to be able to make moves and make adjustments and not have huge ramifications. We can be coached, we can grow and evolve, too.â
Some of the multiyear deals have an interesting structure, too â particularly at positions where the Rams have not historically invested (or at an age of a player).
For example, cornerback Darious Williams signed a three-year, $22.5 million deal in free agency to rejoin the Rams. He is 31. At 32, the second year of Williamsâ deal, the Rams would take just a $2 million dead money hit in 2025 if he were released and a $1.1 million dead money hit in 2026 â with about $14 million in cap savings. Yet $15 million is guaranteed on the contract â with $7 million guaranteed at signing as a bonus. This essentially makes the contract friendly for a player in the latter years of his career while also incentivizing him if he plays well in 2024 (but allowing the team to get out of the deal without too much pain if not).
Safety Kam Curl is the first at his position to sign a multiyear deal with the Rams since 2019 (Eric Weddle). The team has generally opted to draft safeties in later rounds, but McVay said that once they realized Curl was still in free agency, they didnât want to miss out.
Of Curlâs two-year, $9 million contract, $6 million is guaranteed, but the dead money hit in 2025 in the off chance of a release is just $2 million because $4 million is guaranteed to Curl in 2024 at age 25.
âI know Kam (also) has a way in which he himself can void (the final year),â Pastoors said. âWe thought, with both of those guys â given where the markets were, given the caliber of players we were able to get â it made sense to do multiyear and to get them at a number that really made sense for the team this year and next year.â
Aaron Donaldâs cap numbers
Before Donald announced his retirement last month, the Rams restructured his contract to convert $13 million of it to a signing bonus.
âThis year, right after he retired, I think (a report) came out that we had redone it. That was always part of the plan,â Pastoors said. âHe had an option in there, that option has since been declined ⊠the option was not exercised. That took a fake year of 2026 and prorated it back into 2024.â
Donaldâs new cap number for 2024 is about $24 million, and it is $9 million in 2025.
Pastoors added that the Rams have control over Donaldâs contractual rights even after he files retirement papers, which means he canât suddenly decide to come back and play for another team (not that he would â remember, Donald is the one who wanted the no-trade clause in his original contract).
When negotiating Donaldâs previous extension in early 2022, Pastoors said Donald âlooked me in the face and said, âIâm playing two years.’â The Rams added the third year, 2024, âjust in caseâ â in doing the deal, the team believed he would play it through and the option enclosed inside it would give Donald and the team time to make the decision. As McVay noted, though, it became pretty clear (while unspoken through much of the year) that 2023 would be Donaldâs last.
…
Quick notes
âą Stafford and receiver Cooper Kupp will play through 2024 on their current numbers (Kuppâs is $29.7 million). After signing this yearâs draft class, Pastoors said the Rams expect to be âpretty tightâ up against the salary cap (between $4 million and $8 million). That doesnât mean they will stay there, but if they opt to restructure their top two contracts, they would have to move that money elsewhere, including into the future against the contracts of players who will be 36 and 31 when the season begins.
There is also some benefit in not pulling those levers unless the right opportunity emerges. The Rams always factor the trade deadline into their financial calendar.
âWe havenât had to convert anyone,â Pastoors said, âso I think that the âtrade deadline questionâ ⊠weâll always be able to do things (at the deadline) because we have kept things wide-open so far. We havenât had to convert anybody. We should be just fine when it comes to that.â
Restructures can occur at any point of the year.
âą While backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppoloâs cap number for 2024 is listed at just over $3 million, his two-game suspension has to be additionally factored into the sum, per Pastoors. Thatâs a long, long way from the âup toâ numbers initially reported for the one-year deal (always be wary of those). Garoppolo can, however, hit âup toâ $12 million in incentives if Stafford gets hurt, Garoppolo then starts most of the year and carries the Rams to the NFC title game. Simple!
znModeratorlahornsgear@Horns2016@Horns2016According to http://overthecap.com the Rams have 14.3 in cap space and after they pay their rookie class, they will 10.5 million in cap space.I just went to over the cap. They donât list Whiteâs contract yet. So I doubt itâs 14 M. Whiteâs deal is reported to be 8.5 M. âŠ
Elvis
That 8.5 probably comes with a lot of incentives so it will be interesting to see what his cap number is gonna be. I’m expecting more like 5 mil, or even less, but that’s really just a guess…
znModeratorFair enough.
znModeratorYoungblood sack on broken leg
znModeratorCameron DaSilva@camdasilvaLast time Rams drafted an edge rusher in the first two rounds was 2011 13 years ago! Insanity, but that *should* change this yearznModeratorlahornsgear@Horns2016@Horns2016According to http://overthecap.com the Rams have 14.3 in cap space and after they pay their rookie class, they will 10.5 million in cap space.I just went to over the cap. They don’t list White’s contract yet. So I doubt it’s 14 M. White’s deal is reported to be 8.5 M.
…
znModeratorInteresting movie fact.
4 of the best American movies about war came out in 1970. And they’re all completely different.
In alphabetical order
Catch-22
Kelly’s Heroes
MASH
PattonI can quote every single one of them from memory.
* âHelp the bombardier!â
* âI am the bombardier.â*”Sergeant, this bank’s not gonna fall into the hands of the American army. It’s gonna fall in our hands. You see, we’re just a private enterprise operation.”
* “You… the American army!”
* “No, baby, we ain’t.”* âThat man is a prisoner of war, Doctor.â
* âSo are you, sweetheart, but you don’t know it.ââ When you put your hand into a bunch of goo that a moment before was your best friend’s face, you’ll know what to do.â
znModeratorHow many yards will Demarcus Robinson have this upcoming season? đ pic.twitter.com/YsBYx8L3vw
— Rams Tapes đ„¶ (@RamsTapes) March 31, 2024
znModeratorwell thatâs kinda what i mean. certainly front seven needs to be addressed but not necessarily with the first pick. it could be corner. it could even be oline. front seven could come in the second and third rounds.
We can of course go back and forth on this forever, but I really think that the 1st pick will be front 7. In fact, I bet you a lifetime’s supply of monopoly money. Unless there’s just some startling prospect who has fallen. They could trade down too and maybe stay in the 1st and get an extra 3rd.
znModeratorso does this mean another possible signing before training camp starts?
Unlikely. They like to carry a cushion into the season.
Maybe a bargain “ronin” type like Robinson and Witherspoon were last year.
znModeratorrams should just draft best player available. trying to replace like with like seems like a mistake to me. and there should be plenty of talent available as long as they donât tie themselves to one position.
I think it’s pretty clear they’re going to draft front 7. But not as a replacement for Donald per se, more like now that we don’t have Donald we need 2-3 new guys, plural, in the front 7.
Edge/LB, DT, DE. My bet is they take 2 of those 3 positions within the first 4 picks.
znModeratorMost games with 100+ receiving yards since 2021:
Justin Jefferson – 22
Cooper Kupp – 20
Davante Adams – 19
Tyreek Hill – 18
CeeDee Lamb – 16
Amon-Ra St. Brown – 15
AJ Brown – 15
Stefon Diggs – 14
JaâMarr Chase – 14
Travis Kelce – 12
Amari Cooper – 12— NFL Stats (@NFL_Stats) March 30, 2024
znModeratorlahornsgear@Horns2016@Horns2016According to http://overthecap.com the Rams have 14.3 in cap space and after they pay their rookie class, they will 10.5 million in cap space.ÂznModeratorLos Angeles Rams mock draft roundup 2024: Analyzing expertsâ Round 1 predictions
The Los Angeles Rams surprisingly made the playoffs in 2023 and while that did hurt their positioning in the 2024 NFL Draft, it bodes even better for the teamâs future. With draft day approaching, itâs time to take another look at the latest Rams mock draft roundup.
NFL free agency changed things for os Angeles. The Rams made significant improvements to their secondary and interior offensive line, creating more flexibility in the early rounds. Unfortunately, the retirement of Aaron Donald added a new position to the list of Rams draft needs in 2024.
Rams mock draft roundup 2024: Los Angeles hits defense
Laiatu Latu, EDGE, UCLA BruinsLos Angeles Rams mock draft roundup 2024Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports
Expert: The Athleticâs Ben Standig, Daniel Jeremiah of NFL NetworkThere is so much to like about UCLA Bruins edge rusher Laiatu Latu.If production matters to you, heâs coming off a unanimous All-American selection that saw him record 21.5 tackles for loss, 13 sacks with the fifth-most pressures (62) among FBS edge rushers and the highest PFF pass-rush win rate (26.2 percent). As for his athleticism, Latu recorded a 9.32 Relative Athletic Score. Latu is not only the most polished defensive player in the 2024 NFL Draft, he also offers a ceiling as a perennial Pro Bowl edge rusher. Medicals (neck injury) are the lone red flag, but Latu could be the best edge rusher the Rams have had in years.
Jared Verse, EDGE, Florida State Seminoles
Los Angeles Rams mock draft roundup 2024Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY SportsExpert: ESPNâs Matt Miller
Related: Los Angeles Rams first-round trade scenariosOne theme youâll quickly pick up on in the Rams mock draft roundup 2024 is the number of analyst projecting an edge rusher to Los Angeles. After all, even with Aaron Donald on the field, the Rams finished a moderate 14th in ESPN pass-rush win rate (42 percent) this past year so thereâs room to improve. Florida State edge defender Jared Verse â 9.56 Relative Athletic Score â is a force when it comes to creating pressure. He tied Latu last season in pressures and he brings outstanding athleticism. While Verse doesnât have exceptional arm length, he knows how to win with power and speed. Pair all of that with a lightning-quick first step and a good ability to bend, you have a pass rusher capable of recording double-digit sacks. While Latu would be our preference for Los Angeles, Verse is way more than a consolation prize.
Chop Robinson, EDGE, Penn State Nittany Lions
Los Angeles Rams mock draft roundup 2024Kirby Lee-USA TODAY SportsExperts: Danny Kelly of The Ringer
Fans certainly recognize that NFL teams value traits a lot more than production. Thatâs why Penn State edge rusher Chop Robinson has elevated his stock during the pre-draft process. This past season, Robinson ranked 13th in PFF pass-rush win rate (20.9 percent), but he only placed 156th in total pressures. So, what makes him special? A 9.71 Relative Athletic Score and explosiveness that compared to former Penn State edge rusher Micah Parsons. Itâs important to recognize that Robinson is much less polished than Parsons was at this stage, but the athletic traits are comparable. The Rams have done a great job developing defenders and Robinsonâs upside is right up there with Latuâs ceiling when healthy.
Byron Murphy II, DT, Texas Longhorns
Los Angeles Rams mock draft roundup 2024John David Mercer-USA TODAY SportsExperts: Brad Spielberger of Pro Football Focus
Related: 2024 NFL Draft wide receiver rankingsRounding out our Rams mock draft roundup is the player who seems perfect for Los Angeles. Donald canât be replaced but if general manager Les Snead and head coach Sean McVay at least want to replicate having a game wrecker on the defensive interior, itâs Byron Murphy II. He led FBS defensive tackles in PFF pass-rush win rate (19.6 percent) and pass-rushing grade (91.5), resulting in an absurd 45 pressures at defensive tackle. Murphy is arguably the best option for Los Angeles, but heâs a top-15 prospect who will either need a draft-day slide or for the Rams to trade up if heâs going to land in Los Angeles.
znModeratorJared Verse turned into a workout machine during Covid , working out with his father who was a Marine. He gained 45 lbs of muscle working out 2-3 times a day. This man works hard and has elite pass rush skills. Latu is solid but if itâs between Verse and Latu Iâll take Verse⊠pic.twitter.com/ZWoWGzxK64
— Ramsoholic (@ShayTweetedThat) March 30, 2024
znModeratorLake stands 6-foot-1 and weighs 201 pounds. At that size, he is ideally suited as an NFL safety. But he is so versatile that he has filled in at several positions in the teamâs secondary.
Darious Wms is known for being strong in match/zone D. Curl is known for his versatility. So is Lake.
That looks like they’re scheming up a secondary that does both match/zone and excels in disguised coverages. If you have 2 safeties known for their tremendous versatility, you are in an ideal position to do unexpected things in spite of your initial pre-snap look.
I promise you this will be a “thing.” This will be the Rams D in coverage. Versatility that allows them to screw with the qb’s head. Disguised coverages at a sophisticated level from a veteran group.
znModeratorI call my own number…
They have 3 WRs in 24 (barring injury). & in spite of everything he did as a rookie, the talk on Nacua from analysts who know their stuff is that he still can improve (route runnning, drops) which I expect will happen. So CK doesn't need 1000 though I don't rule it out.
— zn (@znramsfan) March 30, 2024
znModerator
znModeratorIâve been doing more reading around on him. I am not so sure he checks out medically (?)
well reports are that he cleared medical exams at the combine. but who knows? he lost a year to the neck injury. they thought his career was over. he transferred to ucla and had two great years. otherwise heâs a surefire first rounder looks like. it freaks me out a little bit but it also depends on what the doctors say. i could see him slipping. sounds like the most pro-ready edge rusher though.
this is from the following espn article. https://africa.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/39615406/ucla-lb-laiatu-latu-hearing-no-concerns-neck-history â[Watkins] just looked at my scans and cleared me,â Latu said. âBecause heâs had guys with the same, similar stuff, like Danielle Hunter and Peyton Manning, and he really just told me I would be able to play football.â that does ease my concern. if thereâs no issue with the neck draft him.
Okay
znModeratorBlaine Grisak @bgrisakTSTHaason Reddick to the Jets for a conditional 2026 3rd round pick. Really wanted him to go the Rams. Seems clear that they’re going to be patient and see how their pieces shake out. With Reddick no longer available, feels like it’s definite EDGE at 19 for the Rams.znModeratorwhoâs the worst clunker in ramsâ history under the les snead regime?
Canât complain too much about Lesterâs draft picksâŠ.. Tavon and TutuâŠ. Tiny Tavon over DeAndre Hopkins, Robert Woods, Keenan Allen, and GoodwinâŠ.
Greg Robinson. But from what I read apparently even Holmes was behind that pick and still defends it. They saw it as swinging at the fences for greatness. But…they could have traded that pick. If the trade Buffalo did make that draft is any indication, the Rams would have gotten their 1st that year (9th) and their 1st in 2015 (19th). That would be with Lewan still available.
znModeratorwow. that makes me feel a little bit better about latu. iâm just worried about his neck injury he suffered, but if he checks out medically why not?
I’ve been doing more reading around on him. I am not so sure he checks out medically (?)
znModeratorCongratulations to Rams Director of Rehabilitation/Assistant Athletic Trainer Byron Cunningham, who was named the Professional Football Athletic Trainers Society's 2024 NFC Assistant Athletic Trainer of the Year:https://t.co/yf7hTFUdts
— Stu Jackson (@StuJRams) March 29, 2024
znModeratorWhy Rams invested heavily at guard position in free agency, and what’s next as the 2024 NFL Draft approaches
Stu Jackson
https://www.therams.com/news/rams-approach-initial-wave-2024-free-agency-what-s-next-draft
ORLANDO, Fla. â Externally, there may have been some ideas of the Rams’ biggest roster needs â namely on defense â and those positions subsequently being addressed as the new league year began.
But as free agency unfolded, the signings leaned toward the offense with the return of Kevin Dotson and the signings of Jonah Jackson, Colby Parkinson and Jimmy Garoppolo.
Of course, defense was addressed with the signings of defensive backs Kamren Curl and Darious Williams. Overall, though, each move was part of a strategic pivot and investment to best position the Rams in 2024.
“I think to (head coach) Sean (McVay) and (general manager) Les (Snead)’s credit, (as well as Vice President, Football & Business Administration) Tony (Pastoors) and the scouting staff, when you enter free agency with a lot of money for the first time, a lot of salary cap space, I think they looked at it as, ‘how do we build the best team?'” Rams President Kevin Demoff told theRams.com at the NFL Annual Meeting earlier this week. “Maybe not what the holes at the time were, (but) it’s always a long offseason. Last year proved you can fill holes all the way up through the season. I mean, I even think Carson Wentz right at the end. And the really good teams go out to the best players and (are) not just filling holes that stage. So I think, Sean, Les, the offensive staff, Tony, Matt Shearin, John McKay, Matt Waugh, had a vision that the best value in this year’s free agency is going to be at the guards, it’s where they thought the best player value alignment (was).”
Asked about their evaluation of the guard market, Pastoors said the entire offensive line as a market “has grown by leaps and bounds.” He pointed to what tackles on both sides are getting paid now, and how they’ve been fortunate with former left tackle Andrew Whitworth being on a team-friendly deal, as well as current starting right tackle Rob Havenstein and his agent Joe Panos always being great to work with.
“So we kind of had been fortunate to stay out of that, to some extent, out of the new heights of those markets,” Pastoors said. “From an interior, we’ve been kind of the same. We knew that growth was coming. We try to keep a pulse of what’s going on across the league, and you hear from other agents and what they thought it could be. And so when we were able to get the Kevin deal done prior to the start of free agency, I think that was really helpful because (it’s), ‘okay, we’re settled now.'”
According to Snead, Jackson got on their radar when he successfully made the jump from Rutgers to Ohio State as a grad transfer. They continued to follow his career after he got drafted by the Lions, and were monitoring him as a potential replacement for Dotson if they were unable to re-sign Dotson.
Pastoors said they were surprised that Jackson got to the negotiating period prior to the official start of free agency. They thought the Lions would try to bring Jackson back and do what the Rams had done with Dotson.
“When they didn’t, I think Sean and Les and the staff felt there was an opportunity to get bigger and stronger,” Pastoors said, adding that having two young, premier guards on deals that made sense was something they weren’t necessarily expecting, “but certainly excited to have.”
With Parkinson, it reminded Demoff of when the team signed Robert Woods as a free agent. Demoff emphasized he wasn’t saying Parkinson is going to be Woods, just that Parkinson is another really young player who they liked coming out of college and maybe didn’t have the role at his previous team where you see it a little bit differently for him.
“The size and fit for a Sean offense are really strong,” Demoff said. “And obviously Tyler (Higbee) has been such a workhorse for us, we’ve known we’ve needed to change that anyways, but where can you find a complement to a Davis Allen? And obviously coming off an injury, too.”
Demoff also said the Rams had been tracking Williams as a player who might potentially get cut. Meanwhile, Curl “was a player we really liked in the process,” but they thought he would be signed by another team right away. So when that didn’t materialize, they pivoted and worked to get him signed.
Curl’s situation is a little bit similar to Jackson’s, according to Demoff, in that you’re evaluating the entire market because you might lose a player â referring to Jordan Fuller’s market â but at the same time finding “a really valuable piece you might like.”
As for Garoppolo, Snead said they felt like his familiarity with their offensive system and playing style made him a better fit for the backup quarterback role, as much as they were “fans of” Carson Wentz.
So, what’s next?
Demoff points to last offseason serving as a lesson that some of the Rams’ best signings in free agency have come later in free agency, or after the draft, bringing up names like John Sullivan, Nickell Robey-Coleman, and more recently, Demarcus Robinson, Ahkello Witherspoon and Dotson.
“That’s where John McKay, Matt Waugh, our personnel department do some of their best work,” Demoff said. “I think you’ll see, we should never shut down that process.”
Along those lines, Demoff said you have to keep your finger on the pulse of the league. He recalled when the Rams were at the NFL Annual Meeting back in 2018 when Ndamukong Suh “kind of popped up out of nowhere, (and) we got the deal done.” They also left that year’s meeting with the chance that they might be able to trade for Brandin Cooks, and did so one week later.
“I think this is when you start to see some of the guys who may not get deals, or teams think they might better the price range, this is, as you get in and around the draft, when you can make those trades,” Demoff said. “Hey, a guy’s not there on draft day that you expected, there’s a vet you like, I think this is when we do our best work as a franchise. I’m excited to see what we do between now and that first Sunday in September, but then even from there until really through the trade deadline and the rest of the year. What you’re trying to do now is to set yourself up for success the rest of the time, and hopefully we will do that.”
znModerator12 players have recorded a 91.0+ PFF pass-rushing grade over a full season of work as a college edge rusher since 2014.
8 of the 12 are NFL Pro-Bowlers.
One of the ones that isn't is UCLA's Laiatu Latu, and he's done it twice.
— Sam Monson (@PFF_Sam) March 28, 2024
znModeratorAs great as Rams Class of 2023 was last season, feel like one or more of these Day 3 picks are going to make a leap in Year 2:
Nick Hampton (OLB)
Warren McClendon (OL)
Davis Allen (TE)
Tre Tomlinson (CB)
Ochaun Mathis (OLB)
Zach Evans (RB)
Jason Taylor (S)
Desjuan Johnson (DL)— J.B. Long (@JB_Long) March 28, 2024
znModeratorNFL head coaches react to Aaron Donald’s retirement, reflect on his legacy and impact
Stu Jackson
ORLANDO, Fla. â With Aaron Donald retiring after a decorated 10-year NFL career earlier this month, theRams.com asked a handful of head coaches at this year’s annual league meeting about his legacy and impact.
Here’s what they had to say:
Steelers HC Mike Tomlin
Given his lengthy tenure in Pittsburgh, Tomlin is very familiar with Donald â a native of the city who went to Pitt, which shares a facility with the Steelers â and has known him for a long time. So for him, what he remembers most about Donald is who he is as a person off the field, and his work ethic, more so than the on-field impact.
“I think my memories about him are probably more than personal than impact on the game. I have had the pleasure of knowing him since he was about 18 years old, and I just have witnessed his relationship he has had with the game. I have seen him getting out of his car when it was still very dark in the morning, and working solo over the course of a 12-month calendar.
“I remember when when the Rams won the Super Bowl man, it was probably less than a week later, man I saw him getting out of his car in Pittsburgh, PA, with sweats on and his bag, going to work. And I think that’s just indicative of who he is as a football man, and why he’s had the type of career he’s had and impact on the game he’s had. The secret is, there is no secret, man. This guy has built that thing brick by brick, and I’m just so respectful of what he’s done and how he’s gone about it.”
Bengals HC Zac Taylor (former Rams assistant WRs coach 2017, QBs coach 2018)
“He’s a game-wrecker. That’s who you had to start with when you play the Rams is, ‘How are we going to protect against this guy? How are we going to run against this guy?’ I’m thankful we don’t have to play him anymore.”
“(In practice), he’s one of those guys who, you just let him do his thing. And his wife Erica and my wife kind of came up together in Green Bay, their dads are close together. So I’m always pulling for them as a family. He always did it the right way, worked his tail off. He earned everything he ever got. So when you see him â he wasn’t always in every training camp I was at, and it always worked out well for him. He always showed up, and immediately hit the ground running, and I appreciated that. You always hold your breath, and then he showed up the first game, and all was good in the world. But a big fan of Aaron Donald and thankful we don’t have to play him anymore.”
Bills HC Sean McDermott
McDermott was a defensive coordinator for the Panthers when Donald entered the league, and was in his second season as head coach of the Bills when Donald won his second NFL Defensive Player of the Year award.
With Carolina, he saw Donald go for 4 total tackles, 2 sacks and 2 QB hits, though the Panthers won 13-10 in 2016.
With Buffalo, he coached against Donald twice. In the first game in 2020, Donald’s performance of 6 total tackles, two sacks, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery was highlighted by recovering his own forced fumble on a strip-sack on Bills quarterback Josh Allen, though the Bills won 35-32.
In the second game in 2022, Donald had two total tackles and one sack.
“He’s a former wrestler, that’s what I love about him. Going against him, I hated going against him, because he can wreck a gameplan. When you watch (him), I mean that’s what an elite 3-technique does, is he makes you gameplan for him. He makes those around him better, because when the protection’s going to him, other guys are being productive. And so what a great career. Super proud of him and the way he’s handled himself. And for him to get a ring is special. He capped a heck of a career.”
Texans HC Demeco Ryans
Ryans has an extensive background on defense between his 10-year NFL career playing linebacker and his sixth seasons on the 49ers’ staff, and that tenure in San Francisco gave him a twice-a-year look at Donald.
So while he didn’t necessarily have to gameplan for him as a coach â obviously he was focused on Los Angeles’ offense with San Francisco, and Houston didn’t play L.A. in his first season as head coach â he still has a great appreciation for what Donald did for interior defensive lineman, particularly once who may be viewed as undersized.
“With Aaron retiring, we’re losing a great one. He’s truly one game who changed the game, when you talk about the defensive tackle perspective and getting pressure on the interior, quick pressure, Aaron Donald, he set the trend. I think he also set to trend for more smaller, athletic defensive tackles being selected in the draft. Where he was selected, there was a lot of doubt and uncertainty about it, but he proved a lot of people wrong. He was dominant for every year that he played in the league. He was a dominant player.
“You talk about having to slide protection to him, having to always account for where he lined up. When you’re game planning an interior defensive tackle, you know he’s a great player. So congrats to Aaron on awesome career. Always loved watching him, always loved the intensity in which he played with. He played the game the right way, and he deserves all the accolades he received.”
Chiefs HC Andy Reid
The head coach of the defending Super Bowl champions called back to one of the highest-scoring games in NFL history â the Rams’ 54-51 win over the Chiefs at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in 2018 â a game in which Donald was a force with 4 total tackles, 2 sacks and 2 forced fumbles.
The first forced fumble â a strip-sack on Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes â led to an 11-yard scoop-and-score by linebacker Samson Ebukam. The second â also a strip-sack â set up a touchdown-scoring drive by the Rams offense.
“That fifty-whatever to fifty game we had in L.A., he was a disruptor. We had a nice plan for him, and he dismantled that plan (laughs). So he’s a heck of a player. Great kid, too. Like the person.”
Falcons HC Raheem Morris (Rams DC 2021-2023)
A longtime NFL coach hired as the Falcons’ head coach earlier this offseason, Morris has a unique perspective having coaching against and with Donald throughout his career. Of course, that tenure coaching with him was highlighted by two core memories: Seeing Donald win the Super Bowl in 2021, and watching him bring along and have fun with young teammates in 2023.
“Coaching against him was a hot mess, because no matter what you planned, it really didn’t matter, because he was the X-Factor. He was going to beat whatever you thought, or whatever the case could be. He was going to figure out a way to make that play happen. And then coaching with him, you just marvel at the amount of things that he could do. Whether it was watching the outside was from the inside. Actually got a chance to see him rush some off the ball, which you pointed out, but there was nothing he couldn’t do and have fun.
“And I love the fact of watching him go from winning the Super Bowl, the reason you came here with all the pressure going all in, and then I watched him get with a young team and absolutely develop people and make them better. And I don’t think you get better perspective from watching the guy and his greatness in the three years that I did.”
znModeratorBlaine Grisak @bgrisakTSTI’m not necessarily concerned about White having another injury after signing with the Rams. More concerned about what his ceiling is. Likely not a top-5 CB like he was. After ACL and Achilles, two very significant injuries, what does that look like?znModeratorThis was the game I rewatched last night on all 22 and thought to myself if the #Rams get this Tre White they are golden. pic.twitter.com/ZKh6CDS9kF
— JAKE ELLENBOGEN (@JKBOGEN) March 27, 2024
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