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Rams43
It will certainly be interesting to finally learn what the final terms will be.
I’m about done talking and speculating on this topic.
I will close by reminding that AD’s side is over a barrel. If he fails to sign something before this season, he will lose far more than he can ever recoup. He doesn’t have to like it, but he does need to accept it and deal with it.
Both sides can still enjoy a win-win, but both sides can still bungle this opportunity into a lose-lose.
Fingers crossed.
Yeah this is all just speculation and as you say 'we've mown this lawn many times already.'
I think we just have a difference of opinion on this one. No big deal.
There are things I agree with...like both sides could enjoy a win-win but could turn this into a lose-lose. They do need to get a deal done prior to the season.
But there are also things that I don't agree with. I don't see him as over a barrel at all or that he will lose far more than he could ever recoup if he doesn't sign. In fact, there is literally no factual way we could say that without knowing what the offer is.
For example, what if the Rams were offering $18M over 5 years. That would be $90M total. What if his agent knew - b/c agents and teams talk even when they shouldn't - that there was a team out there willing to pay him $23-$24M per year.
Given this hypothetical, he'd be better off playing out this season, demanding a trade under threat of sitting out the entire year rather than play for the franchise tag, and start the 2019 season with the new team willing to pay him an exorbitant sum. 4 years at $24M per season is more than 5 years at $18M per year.
So without knowing the offer on the table or what other teams would be willing to offer, we don't know that he's in a bad position.
One thing I do know is that it appears to me that the Rams continually underestimate the market for top tier talent.