Rams free agency buzz: Aaron Donald questions, OL markets, upcoming extension talks

By Jourdan Rodrigue

https://theathletic.com/5323006/2024/03/07/los-angeles-rams-aaron-donald-free-agency/?source=emp_shared_article

The NFL combine came and went, bringing with it a new wave of chatter from agents, scouts, coaches, front-office executives and analysts within the hotel lobbies, restaurants, coffee shops and bars of Indianapolis.

While the Los Angeles Rams’ top brass did not attend (they haven’t since 2020), a small contingent of personnel did work behind the scenes and on the ground on what general manager Les Snead called “specific missions.”

For all 32 teams and the NFL ecosystem at large, a presence at the combine includes getting a clearer picture of free agency. The new league year begins on March 13; the legal tampering period — teams can talk to agents of other teams’ pending free agents — begins Monday.

The Rams will have about $40 million to spend in free agency, plus more pending a few likely upcoming moves (outlined below).

I spent six days in Indianapolis, in part to try to get a sense of the Rams’ plans from league sources. The Rams’ offseason actually starts with a $35 million question — at least, it did for those league sources: Aaron Donald has previously said he’ll return in 2024, but would the star defensive tackle actually walk away?

As other buildings and player representatives work to assess each others’ situations and try to predict the coming markets, some league sources who spoke with me on the condition of anonymity had serious questions about Donald’s plans — especially because the financial ripple effect for the Rams either way wouldn’t just be significant for the team’s own offseason moves, but other free agents and teams as well.

Recent public comments made by Snead did very little to answer those questions — if the team knows what Donald, 33, will do, they aren’t sharing.

“Definitely hope Aaron is (back) … I know Aaron is definitely approaching the offseason where he’s doing his normal getting-away, somewhat trying to get revitalized with the goal of playing good football,” Snead said in late-February, indicating that the Rams were treating Donald with the usual space following a productive season.

This bears reminding: At the end of the 2023 season, Donald said he would “for sure” be committed to carrying forward the progress he and younger teammates made in 2023 into 2024. When Donald signed his three-year extension in 2022 after initially contemplating retirement, multiple sources said the team received his commitment to play through its duration into 2024.

On the fifth day of the new league year, according to Over the Cap and ProFootballTalk, a $5 million bonus kicks in and Donald can also earn a $30 million guarantee on his contract if he is on the Rams’ roster. That is also the final year on his current deal, with two “void” years afterward. He is scheduled to make nearly $35 million in 2024 (still the highest among interior defensive linemen, though others are expected to reach deals into the new league year). That would be a huge amount of money to leave behind.

After the Rams’ season ended in January, Sean McVay was asked whether he was concerned that the decision of former defensive line coach Eric Henderson — a close friend and mentor of Donald’s — to take a job at USC would affect Donald’s intent to return for the final year of his deal. McVay’s response, like Snead’s, wasn’t altogether clear.

“I think those conversations occur at the appropriate time,” McVay said. “There’s so much emotion that takes place right after a game and after a season. … (I think) you give guys the chance to really just digest the season, coaches and players alike, and then we’ll address all those things at the right time.”

I don’t currently sense any consideration from the Rams to look into restructuring his 2024 money to create even more workable cap space, or to ask Donald to take less money. Donald is a future Hall of Famer who was an on- and off-the-field leader for a very inexperienced group in 2023. Further, it is not typically their style to push a player on communication during the break period of the season.

Donald’s salary in 2024, plus his public comments after the wild-card loss in Detroit, would normally not make this a question at all (other than in consideration of his age and previous retirement contemplation). He also has a no-trade clause in his contract.

Yet between McVay and Snead’s non-committal responses to direct public questions, plus ongoing questions behind the scenes from those league sources, this topic does bear monitoring.

If — if — Donald retires, there would suddenly be a $35 million financial swing that would affect other free agents, the Rams’ own free agency, a draft plan in April and certainly other teams. This is why league sources had questions in Indianapolis, including for the Rams directly — questions the team has yet to answer definitively, although the fifth day of the league year may do that for everyone.

Here are more odds and ends gathered from Indianapolis and back in Los Angeles:

• Snead said publicly that the Rams are in consistent communication with representation for starting center Coleman Shelton and starting guard Kevin Dotson. Both players are pending free agents who are expected to test their markets. The Rams would like to bring back both players and will attempt to do so as free agency begins.

Shelton voided a final year on his existing contract to become a free agent. League sources who are monitoring the offensive line market — where suddenly several centers are available — believe Shelton could certainly end up with mid-tier money but if he prefers to stay in Los Angeles, the Rams could work to get something palatable done for both sides.

The guard market is tougher to predict, with wild swings in price projections from $14 million to $20 million per year. I don’t believe that the Rams would overspend here, in consideration of the incoming draft class and their own resources. I can see them instead operating closer to the $12 million to $16 million range for that position.

• After speaking with people who are familiar with reserve offensive lineman Joe Noteboom’s situation, I believe a heavy contract restructure that would keep Noteboom in Los Angeles in a sixth-man role is on the table. The Rams could save almost $10 million against his current contract with such a restructure, instead employing him in the $4 million to $6 million range. Noteboom could also have the option to test the market — and that would likely mean a release, because the Rams will not keep him on his current $15 million salary in 2024. However, both McVay and Snead have publicly expressed their desire to retain Noteboom (his contract just has to be more team-friendly because he is no longer a starter).

• After speaking with league sources, I do not expect inside linebacker Christian Rozeboom, defensive tackle Jonah Williams or outside linebacker Michael Hoecht to receive tenders. The former UFAs could still return after testing free agency, but a tender would have been about $3 million for one year.

• Inside linebacker Ernest Jones is a candidate for an early extension and preliminary talks have begun, multiple sources briefed on those conversations said, but there isn’t a rush here from either side. The Rams usually do those types of deals after OTAs, or into training camp.

• Cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon and safeties Jordan Fuller and John Johnson III are expected to become free agents and test their respective markets. The Rams have had brief discussions with representation for all three players, but historically have not moved with urgency to sign safeties (with regard to Fuller and Johnson).

• The Rams are paying very close attention to the cornerback and edge rusher markets as free agency opens. As a reminder for this team — they do not “close for business” until the trade deadline in the fall.

Very good center FA and draft class. If your team needs one, plenty of options will be available.

Same at safety in FA. Lots of good options. https://t.co/29gN5wvalc

— Jon Ledyard (@LedyardNFLDraft) March 6, 2024

Kobie Turner makes PFF's top 101 players in football for 2023 (87th):

🔵 9 sacks in his last 8 games
🟡 50 total QB pressures

📈 pic.twitter.com/7HCU5q06o5

— PFF LA Rams (@PFF_Rams) March 6, 2024

I've lived in Colorado for almost 21 years, and I've never seen Broncos fans more excited over an offseason than 2022 after Russell Wilson was acquired.

That seems like decades ago now as the Wilson era unceremoniously ends. https://t.co/ap5C5gafUt

— Frank Schwab (@YahooSchwab) March 4, 2024

Assuming Russell Wilson is designated a post-June 1 cut, the aftermath looks like this for the #Broncos …

2024:
$39 million cash*, $35.4M cap

2025:
$0 cash, $49.6M cap

2026:
Off books

A $255.4M salary cap makes that pill go down a little easier …

(*Minus offsets)

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) March 4, 2024

"My big takeaway from the 2024 Combine is that it's the greatest offensive line draft class we've seen in some time… maybe ever. There are twelve- yes, twelve- guys who I could see get taken on Day One."
– @PSchrags pic.twitter.com/GmAcx3dtxj

— Good Morning Football (@gmfb) March 4, 2024

over.the.cap.com still has Rams at just over 40 M in cap space…this is in disparity with sportsrac, which has them at 46 M. Over.the.cap link: https://overthecap.com/salary-cap-space

Jourdan Rodrigue@JourdanRodrigue
I don’t expect the Rams to tender ILB Christian Rozeboom after speaking with a few sources this week. Rozeboom, the Rams’ No. 2 ILB and a core four special teamer, would become a FA in that case. The tender is about $3M. His situation is worth watching with former Rams coaches

Albert Breer@AlbertBreer
As @TomPelissero said, the NFL is working on a proposal that INCLUDES teams having to declare onside kicks. But it’s part of a much larger concept that’ll have teams kicking off from the opponent’s 40-yard line, with an aim on increasing returns, taking space/speed out.

The proposal …

• Kickoff team lines up on the plus-40. Same alignment rules. Everyone but kicker has foot on the 40.

• Return team lines up 9-10 players in setup zone b/w the 35 and 30. Six must have their foot on the 35.

• 1-2 returners b/w the 20 and goal line.

• No one but the kicker and return men can move until the ball is touched by the returner.

• If the ball doesn’t cross the 20 in the air, it’s treated as out of bounds, goes to the 40.

• If kicker kicks it into the end zone on the fly, touchback comes out to the 35.

• If return team lets it roll into the end zone, the touchback goes to the 20.

Idea was developed by Saints STC Darren Rizzi and Cowboys STC John Fassel. Those two and Bears STC Richard Hightower presented it to Roger Goodell and the competition committee last week.

So this is why, again, as Tom said, the onside kick rules needed to be adjusted. The hope is it’ll eliminate the 25-yard headstart to collision that the current space and speed create, and flip the number of touchbacks-to-returns, which is 80/20 now.

Oregon’s Jackson Powers-Johnson talked about what he thinks makes him the best center in this class.

“Just my enthusiastic play and my physicality. I’m a bigger center and I think I move pretty good. Just being a physical, nasty center.” pic.twitter.com/nkls3yjBwI

— Blaine Grisak 💭 (@bgrisakTST) March 2, 2024

A wild course of events: In 2017, the Niners (who had the 2nd pick) didn’t do any homework on then Texas Tech QB Patrick Mahomes because they thought they would be able to sign Kirk Cousins, per @AdamSchefter on @PFTCommenter

The 49ers ended up instead trading for Jimmy… pic.twitter.com/04d24hCX0L

— JPAFootball (@jasrifootball) March 1, 2024