Quote
Rampage2K-
“I’ve been told by multiple people in the NFL if this was just about Aaron Donald being the highest-paid defensive player in the history of the NFL, the deal would have already gotten done. Why? Because the Rams look like they are ready to do that. It’s probably going to be $20 million plus that they end up paying him. But, what I have been told is that doesn’t appear to be all he’s looking for. He wants to not only be the highest-paid defensive player of all-time, but it looks like in talking with some people, he wants to get paid like a quarterback. A high-level quarterback.”

Thanks for posting. I do recall seeing this now, I had forgotten about it.

Let's just say, I don't see an unequivocal statement that an offer is on the table that will make him the highest paid defender.

I see a bunch of fuzzy statements. They "look like they are ready to do that" doesn't say they have an offer on the table doing that. Looks are sometimes deceiving; it's not saying they HAVE done that.

The word "probably" jumps out too. There is no need to use the word probably if there is a solid offer above $20M. The report would simply say something like, "sources say the Rams have made a solid offer above $20M" or some other variation.

Put these terms with the other fuzzy and vague terms I've been harping on and I gather that most likely a solid $20 million plus deal hasn't actually been offered yet.

Further, making him the highest paid defender would only require $19.017M b/c Miller is being paid $19.016M per year. Add this fact to the implications of the word probably in regard to the $20M+, put all of this with the previous offer descriptions of "competitive" and Demoff's "among the highest paid...", and my best guess is, the offer they have ACTUALLY made is somewhere around $18.5 - 19M.

I may be cynical but I've spent too much time in and around the contract negotiation world to take any reports at face value.

The way I take Vinny's article here is it's a signal from the Rams that they're willing to go higher than the offer actually on the table but they need AD to come down from his outrageous demands.