Los Angeles Rams defensive lineman Aaron Donald was absent from voluntary workouts, with a new contract remaining in the balance.
The same thing happened a year ago, when Donald skipped all of training camp in search of a new contract he never got before returning on the eve of the season opener. Coach Sean McVay thinks this year will be different, however, because communication between the Rams and Donald’s camp is better now than it was then.
“I think the best thing we have going is now there’s been a year of working together,” McVay said, via Nick Shook of NFL.com. “There’s a rapport, there’s a relationship that’s been established and we’re in constant dialogue and communication. When this happened last year, we weren’t involved really much in communication between myself and Aaron. And I think you feel good about it just knowing where he’s at.
“You know he’s going to be a guy who’s so conscientious. He’s working hard, he’s doing all those things back at home in Pittsburgh … so it leaves me with a much better understanding of where we’re at. We’re proactively continuing to work toward solutions — we got meetings and things like that set up — and we’re hopeful that [a new contract] will eventually come.”
After the Rams moved to get Donald a new partner on the defensive line, he’ll want to get paid. He has for over a year. It sounds like something might just get done this time.
