LA Rams Mission Impossible: Replace an NFL legend on the fly. Here are some options:

The unthinkable has happened. The LA Rams, and the entire NFL, have just learned that All-Pro defensive lineman Aaron Donald plans to hang up his football cleats after 10 NFL seasons. While some now share that the team was not caught flat-footed by the news, knowing that the plane is about to crash into a mountain does not minimize the impact.

His career touched the lives of everyone associated with the LA Rams football team. Not just in personal interactions, but in the leadership he demonstrated to his coaches and teammates how to set the example. He is the epitome of the highest standard of preparation, of work-ethic, and of on-field production.

So now here we stand, amidst the rubble, trying to figure out how can the Rams bounce back from all of this. I suppose the first question is: Can the Rams bounce back from this?

In a word? Yes. Without any intentions of disrespect, the Rams defense had to fumble through six games in 2022 without Aaron Donald onboard. While that accounted in part to his plummet from 12.5 quarterback sacks in 2021 to just 5.0 quarterback sacks in 2022, Donald was healthy all season long in 2023 yet still managed just 8.0 quarterback sacks in 2023.

Rookie NT Kobie Turner recorded 9.0 quarterback sacks in 2023, and was double-teamed more frequently that Aaron Donald.

Confirmation continues to support that the LA Rams organization knew about Donald's retirement plans in advance of today's news. But so far, the epiphany seems to have been masked by the team's reluctance to do anything to prepare the roster to the team for what happens next. If there was an advanced alarm system, there is no evidence that the team took steps to saturate the defensive line with players.

In fact, the team talked about addressing the pass rush throughout the off-season, and yet the team is in a much more precarious position than they ended the 2023 NFL season at.

Hang on, help is on the way

The Rams front office hit some home runs in the 2023 NFL Draft, adding both NT Kobie Turner and OLB Byron Young to a defensive front that had relied on veteran DL Aaron Donald to lead the group. Both stepped up admirably in just their rookie season to give the Rams pass rush a young, but promising four-pronged attack that included: OLB Michael Hoecht (6.0 sacks), DL Aaron Donald (8.0 sacks), OLB Byron Young (8.0 sacks) and NT Kobie Turner (9.0 sacks).

I'm not attempting to compare any of the LA Rams young guns to the Great One, Aaron Donald. But it's not fair to younger players on the team's roster to be ignored or looked past in the view of what the future may hold for the team. To be brutally honest, the defense has two or more rising stars who could have incredible NFL careers.

Three conditions must exist for any NFL player to enjoy a long career. The first is that the player must have the talent to realistically compete in the NFL. The second, and one that derails the careers of many talented prospects, is opportunity. Players need to play simply to improved and develop to their optimal performance. But the third condition is equally important and often ignored, and it affordability.

Great players command huge salaries. Teams allocate limited resources to maintain that player on their roster. It's that affordability factor that prompts a team to release one player who has proven to be a quality starter, in favor of a less expensive player who may develop into a quality starter. The team must walk that fine line between value and production. That won't be easy.

Still, the huge void in the Rams roster must be addressed somehow. What can the Rams do to compensate for that void? We have several options just off the top of our heads:

Option IV: Grin and bear it

Sometimes the confusion and disorientation of shocking news is just the tip of the iceberg. The true damage happens when the parties in control do not have a vetted plan but feel they must do something. It's that must-do-something action that too often makes matters worse.

Unless the Rams have a solid plan that has been vetted, the team could end up in the same situation as they did in 2022. Just to recap, when the team failed to extend veteran free agent outside linebacker Von Miller, the team found itself with cap dollars to spend, and not vetted players as Plan B options.

Instead, the team pivoted to sign free agents All-Pro inside linebacker Bobby Wagner and wide receiver Allen Robinson. The team did get value out of Wagner. Not only was he a huge force in the heart of the Rams defense, but he was a huge mentor for ILB Ernest Jones. He was even a stable voice of reason to a young defense that was trying to find its way.

The other signing, WR Allen Robinson, was not such a great investment. Robinson was paid to fill one of two primary receiver spots in the offense, but he never developed into that role. Instead, he was a seldom targetted receiver whose contribution was far less than you may have expected from his contract price. In the end, the team traded Robinson for next to nothing and outright released Wagner .

In this example, the team would have been better served simply to have done nothing more than grin and bear the loss of Von Miller to the Buffalo Bills.

Option III: Trade for an elite pass rusher

Of course, whenever you have Rams GM Les Snead involved, you always have an option for a trade. That may not always work, as trades require two motivated NFL teams. Fortunately for the LA Rams, there is already an NFL team on record as seeking a trade partner.

While Hasson Reddick is not a direct replacement for Aaron Donald, he could help the team manage some of his lost production. Reddick is a 4-3 outside linebacker, which is not exactly the same role as that of 3-4 outside linebacker. He stands 6-foot-1 and weighs 240 pounds. He is just about to turn 30 years old this year, and is entering his eighth NFL season.

Originally drafted by the Arizona Cardinals, Reddick played one season for the Carolina Panthers before signing on with the Philadelphia Eagles. In his last four seasons, he has been tremendously productive at sacking the quarterback, averaging over 12.5 quarterback sacks over that span of time. He is currently projected to hit the Eagles salary cap for $21.8 million. If traded, his next team will be on the hook for $16 million, for one year.

What would the Eagles want for Reddick? Many speculated trade scenarios have Reddick valued at a late Round 2 pick. So, translating that into the LA Rams available picks, you could conclude a trade that looks something like this:

This trade gives the Eagles two picks in the Top-100, and gives the Rams an elite pass rusher who, if nothing else, can help the team created significant pressure on opposing quarterbacks.

Option II: Move Michael Hoecht back to the defensive line

Of course, necessity is the mother of invention, right? So in the face of needing to create greater pass rush from the Rams interior defensive line, the team can kill two birds with one stone. What I am referring to is the need to get pressure on opposing quarterbacks, combined with the need to get outside linebacker Michael Hoecht out of the business of covering receivers.

If the Rams move Hoecht back to his original position on the defensive line, that could address both problems simultaneously.

Of course, this is no more than making the best of a bad situation. But it does have some merits. For starters, moving Hoecht to the defensive line does give the team a bit more wiggle room in terms of setting rotations and filling the depth chart. It may very well be that the last-minute Qualifying Tender Offer had that very thing in mind. In any case, Hoecht is a low-cost player whose versatility does allow the defense to play him at either outside linebacker or as a down lineman.

But that also affords the team enough flexibility to address the void in the 2024 NFL Draft. If an elite pass rusher falls to the Rams, Hoecht can return to the defensive line. If an elite defensive lineman falls to the Rams, Hoecht can remain as an outside linebacker and contribute in a rotational role.

Option I: Draft elite prospect(s)

Perhaps the simplest solution for the Rams is the best one. With the team poised to have their first pick on Day 1 of an NFL Draft since 2016, it makes sense to wait until the draft to see who is on the draft board at the 19th overall pick, and choose the best player available at that spot who can help the Rams front seven on defense.

That could mean UCLA edge rusher Laiatu Latu at 19. It could mean Penn State edge rusher Chop Robinson at 19. It could mean Texas defensive lineman Byron Murphy II at 19. It could even mean Florida State edge rusher Jared Verse at 19.

It could mean multiple prospects from the 2024 NFL Draft, as the defense will need not just quality, but also stronger depth at the position as well. Not only was Aaron Donald legendary in his production, but he treated his body like a temple. He was one of the most physical and durable players in the NFL.

If the team plans to manage 2024 without him, the team will need to ensure that they have sufficient numbers on the roster to create a solid and sustainable rotation. That will not happen by throwing the yolk left by Aaron Donald's retirement onto one player. Two or three players will need to share that burden equally.

Are any of these options ideal? No. But this is not about optimal solutions, This is about realistic and doable solutions. Right now, the Rams have several options at their disposal.

After the dust settles, we can discuss how the team can optimize these latest developments.

Thanks for reading, and stay tuned.