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Saguaro
First of all, 21M is being reported now, but that may not have been the Rams starting point.
Maybe they've already come halfway to get to 21M.
Secondly, if negotiating means you have to come halfway to whatever I want, AD should have asked for 40M, or more. Then halfway would have been even higher.
You can't just say Rams 21, AD 25, so 23 must be right.
By the way, back when a poll was taken on the board, I voted 23 as my ceiling. So I'm willing to go there as a fan.
But I don't really have a problem with the Rams stopping at 21 if they've already budged upward a time or two, and 21 is as high as they're willing to go.
Some things.
If the Rams went UP to 21 M, then they started way too low. Based on the idea that 2nd contract amounts go up, and the last highest paid defender (Von Miller) came in at 19 M with 70 M guaranteed, and that was in 2016 (and he had to threaten a hold out to get it, too). 3 contract years later if you are not STARTING at 21 M then you are seriously undervaluing Donald' s worth. Von Miller's deal should be in the rear view mirror by now.
In terms of what Donald initially asked, players don't do that. They tend to know what the parameters are for 2nd contracts just like teams do (and just like we do since it's not hard to follow). They work within that. So for example Cooks did not ask for 30 M when he knew the market for WRs was around 16 M.
I thought all along AD was worth 23-24 M in this year's market as the league's highest defender and I am still assuming that's what he will get.
I just don't think 21 M is enough, and I doubt he would settle for it. (I don't think Mack will sign for 21 M either.) My fear is that if the Rams don't budge from there then I see this going into 2019 without a contract and then Donald demanding a trade. He has control over a trade too, just like Tru did. The Rams had the offer of a 2nd round pick for Tru from New Orleans, and he said he would not sign an extension with the Saints, and that killed the trade. If AD were traded my bet is his new deal would be closer to 25 M.
Edit: g#$$$#n typos. I may set the record for post edits. It seems to be my fait.
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Edited 6 time(s). Last edit at 07/25/2018 02:33PM by zn.