Los Angeles Rams: Concerns over new contract for Aaron Donald hits new level

Despite all of the talk about the two sides discussing a new deal, it looks like the situation with Los Angeles Rams and Aaron Donald may be worse than expected.

After seeing the results of last summer, one would think the Los Angeles Rams and Aaron Donald would have reached an agreement by now over a new contract, but here are they are approaching the first preseason game next week without one.

Watching Donald miss all of training camp and preseason last summer as a result of a holdout seemed to make the Rams extra cautious this time around. And while many expected a deal to be done at some point before the start of camp last week, the concern in Los Angeles over Donald’s holdout is growing larger by the day.

Plus, when looking at the high expectations surrounding the Rams being a strong Super Bowl contender in the NFC, Donald’s absence could make a serious impact on the chances of them living up to the hype, even if the presence of Ndamukong Suh will help make up for it.

When considering talks were reportedly going on in the middle of last season, it’s beyond frustrating to see Donald and Los Angeles in this current position since many believe an agreement shouldn’t be taking this long.

To top the frustration off, the folks at Turf Show Times recently discussed how Rams Chief Operating Officer and Vice President Kevin Demoff was interviewed on the Mighty 1090, discussing Donald’s contract situation along with a few other important things.

As Turf Show Times clearly points out, the most important factor of the interview that stands out is the part in which Demoff discusses how the two parties are struggling to agree, making it seem like a deal isn’t going to be happening anytime soon.

Donald has quickly evolved into one of the league’s most dangerous defensive player in such a short period of time over the last four seasons, and when taking a closer look at his production, it’s also important to remember how much extra attention he tends to receive from opponents.

In other words, it’s no secret just how special of a player Donald truly is, and while this latest interview by Demoff makes it seem like there’s some belief Los Angeles could still be a strong contender without him, is that a risk the Rams are willing to take?

Keep in mind that Donald has been the main highlight surrounding this defense over the years, and his presence on the football field will always give the unit an extra advantage each week. Contract negotiations in any sport are never easy to deal with, but the fact that it’s taking the Rams this long with Donald is ridiculous, and the longer it takes, the more frustrating it’s going to be for all parties involved.