Yeah I saw that article. It didnt have the same effect on me it did on you. I am familiar with the anti-agent atmosphere these days. What I would like is a collection of different takes on this kind of issue (agents in the contemporary NFL and sports generally) all from different perspectives, instead of the standard issue thing where someone just selectively posts something that represents their own view. I do know this. Nothing that is happening with Donald meets the definition of a conspiracy theory. The Rams reported offer of 21 M is too low and the reported demand of 25 M is too high. But the difference is not insurmountable. Like all tough negotiations this one will work itself out, I assume. The CBA does not seem to be under threat. Agents can't change that anyway---that comes from an agreement between the league and the union.
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Ekern55
If you peer at the article linked by Florida_Ram below in this thread, there's enough history for Aaron Donald to start caring if he doesn't now and to start looking at the Rams as the entity in his corner and start entertaining a suspicion of Todd France. So, France sells his practice to CAA Sports in 2015 for an undisclosed price, aka boat loads of money. He brings 50 clients and joins big time agents Condon and Sexton who have a thousand clients. What's the talk around the water cooler at CAA? It's: "How do we get rid of this CBA?" These agents are putting in a lot of work and this CBA has created a buyers market for the owners.
If you've been at a sales job with a large sales floor, you'll see management will coddle a choice few producers, pay them a lot of money and then hold them up as examples for the rest of the sales floor. But the comp plan is based on restricted revenue. Not all agents can make as much as the coddled top producers because management has created barriers-close ratios, prospecting volume-and by means of these barriers management saves the company money. Why? Because the bonuses they pay the coddled top producers is less than what they'd pay everyone combined. And yet they can still wave the example of the top producers in the faces of all the other sales staff so they don't have attrition.
What's the parallel? The owners look fair because they're paying superstars huge salaries but the rest of the players are getting very small deals. And that means the agents are getting small commissions.
So, how do you change that small commission situation. You show how the top defensive player can't get a fair deal and is forced to play for a fraction of his worth. And has to pay or he does not get paid. This ploy only works if Aaron Donald is underpaid and his unpayment goes on for some time. Todd France is looking out for his firm, not Aaron Donald.
