The Los Angeles Rams have clearly established themselves a Super Bowl contender after arguably having the busiest offseason of any team in the league. Even after finishing the 2017 NFL season with the NFC West title and a Wild Card round appearance, the Rams have decided to push all their chips in the middle of the table with all their new acquisitions.
Even with high-profile names like Marcus Peters, Aqib Talib, Ndamukong Suh and Brandin Cooks now on the roster, Los Angeles’ most important player in Aaron Donald is still seeking his lucrative contract extension. Donald, who was named the 2017 NFL Defensive Player of the Year, has been steadfast in his pursuit of an extension that will make him the highest paid defensive lineman in the league and according to Alden Gonzalez of ESPN, Les Snead says they have already factored Donald’s extension in the team’s budget:
"None of it affects Aaron Donald," Rams GM Les Snead said of all the team's offseason moves. They have his potential extension factored into the budget. https://t.co/HSwp1s0u0q
— Alden Gonzalez (@Alden_Gonzalez) April 5, 2018
Donald is a generational defensive tackle given his ability to move the pocket by himself and wreak havoc in the opposing offense’s backfield and should be well-compensated for his talents. The Rams, however, have not been able to come up with a number that satisfies both sides although reports have mentioned that there appears to be some progress being made.
For now, however, Los Angeles can proudly count itself among the very few teams who can claim they have a legitimate shot at winning a championship. After a successful 2017 NFL campaign, it will be interesting to see how the team looks once the 2018 NFL rolls around.
