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from The five players still holding out and the dynamics of each situation
Here’s what’s likely in store for Aaron Donald, Khalil Mack, Earl Thomas, Roquan Smith and Le’Veon BellJoel Corry (former sports agent, NFL contracts and salary cap expert for CBS sports)
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Aaron Donald, DL, Rams
Chief Operating Officer Kevin Demoff has characterized the contract standoff the Rams are having with Donald for a second-straight year as a fundamental disagreement on value. General manager Les Snead painted a rosier picture Wednesday when talking to a group of reporters at the team’s hotel in Baltimore, where the Rams play their first preseason game on Thursday. He said the parties are in the same “zip code.”
The Rams are reportedly willing to make Donald the NFL’s highest-paid defensive player (which is currently Broncos linebacker Von Miller at $19,083,333 per year and $70 million in overall guarantees) and a charter member of the $20 million-per-year non-quarterback club. It is my understanding that at least restoring the traditional financial relationship between the highest-paid quarterback and non-quarterback, which existed under the current CBA before salaries for passers dramatically increased over the last year, is important to Donald’s camp. A deal averaging more than $23 million per year with $85 million in guarantees where $65 million to $70 million fully guaranteed at signing would recreate the balance.
Snead’s comments are encouraging for a long-term resolution before the Rams’ regular-season opener against the Raiders on Sept. 10. The Rams’ Super Bowl aspirations would be likely diminished without the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year’s services.
The Rams won the battle in a contest of wills when Donald ended his lengthy holdout last year without getting a new contract. If history repeats itself because talks breakdown where Donald plays out his rookie contract, he won’t have to worry about not qualifying for unrestricted free agency. From a practical standpoint, the Rams would use a franchise tag on Donald in lieu of a giving him a first-round restricted free agent of tender of $7,581,200 at a 10 percent of this year’s salary. The first-round pick compensation for Donald as a restricted free agent wouldn’t be enough to deter another team from signing a player of his magnitude to an offer sheet with a player-friendly structure and money that could make the Rams uncomfortable. The same risks wouldn’t exist with a non-exclusive franchise tag requiring two first-round picks as compensation for an unmatched offer sheet.
Khalil Mack, DE, Raiders
NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport reported during his recent visit to Oakland’s training camp that there haven’t been contract discussions since February and the Raiders don’t currently have an offer on the table for their best player. General manager Reggie McKenzie refused to negotiate with left tackle Donald Penn last year while he was holding out. Penn signed a new deal shortly after ending his holdout. The lack of any negotiations for such an extended period of time don’t suggest that Oakland would be willing to take a similar approach with 2016’s NFL Defensive Player of the Year if he reported to camp.
Mack’s agent, Joel Segal, has also demonstrated an ability to play hardball. He navigated running back Chris Johnson through a successful holdout in 2011 that lasted until the Titans gave his client a four-year, $53.975 million contract extension in early September.
Mack ending his holdout before Donald would be surprising since a new Donald deal should serve as a baseline once negotiations eventually resume. It’s fair to wonder whether the Raiders will be able to afford Mack, provided a Donald deal brings more clarity to the marketplace since a more concerted effort hasn’t been made to sign him and Mark Davis is reportedly among the NFL’s most cash-poor team owners. If the intel I received on Gruden still holds true, he probably wouldn’t relish having to deal with a disgruntled Mack playing on his fifth-year option.
Mack’s situation could have some residual effects. Segal also represents 2015 fourth-overall pick Amari Cooper. A bounce-back season by Cooper will put Segal in position to demand top wide receiver money for him. Segal is also 2016 first-round pick Karl Joseph’s agent.
