Pretty much what I've been saying....
Now, that’s a particularly sinister way of looking at the Rams’ intentions. In previous cases like those of Robert Quinn and Tavon Austin — both of whom signed extensions following their third seasons — the franchise has been willing to extend players long before they’d hit the open market. There’s no indication that the organization would look to squeeze every drop of Donald’s value without rewarding him with a long-term deal. But the franchise tag gives the Rams a ton of leverage at this stage of the negotiation.
On the open market, Donald would easily warrant a deal that rivals the best players at his position and some of the most impactful defenders in football. The problem is that for a host of reasons, he’ll probably never come close to a bidding war for his services. At this point, there’s not much more Donald can do to prove his worth to the Rams and their defense. Even if stepping into Wade Phillips’s attacking scheme turns Donald into an actual horror movie villain for opposing quarterbacks, any uptick in his market value would only be incremental. He’s already among the most valuable nonquarterbacks in the entire league, but based on the system in place, it’s likely that no matter how or when the two sides reach a deal, Donald may not get the deal he deserves.
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