Who would you give up draft picks for in a trade and at what cost. Bell, Donald, Mack other?

[NewColtsFan]

 

Donald is not going anywhere.    The top defensive player in football by a wide margin.   I think PFF said he graded out at 99.7.     That's not a typo.    

 

But the Rams are not moving him.    They're trying to win a Super Bowl.   I think they've mismanaged this negotiation,  but that's beside the point for this discussion.

 

Donald has one more year on his rookie deal,  and then, if need be,  the Rams will franchise tag him.   Twice.    A third time will be too expensive.   So, he's got 3 more years for the Rams to control him.    Likely after that,  he may be viewed as too old to command the type of long term contract he wants now.   

 

So, the two sides are playing a high stakes version of chicken.     The success, of lack of it, of the Rams season is at stake.    This is one to watch.

 

Oh, and from where I sit.....    if the Rams were to put Donald on the shopping block,  the asking price would start with two number ones.    To start with.     I think some team would pay that.  I just don't think Ballard would,  though he'd be a perfect fit for what we want to do.

 

[richard pallo]

30 minutes ago, ColtStrong2013 said:

Until they both go down with injury and we are left with 80% of the total cap to work with... Look at Houston last season. Can you imagine what their roster would have looked like had Watson been a $25 mil caphit when he and Watt both went down? I'd be curious to know many superbowl winning teams over the past 10 years have had such a large percentage of the cap in 2 or 3 players? I'm not a big advocate of having large cap hits outside of the quarterback position. Spread the wealth and create serious depth across the roster. That's championship building strategy... and what Ballard is working to accomplish. 

The only guy were paying now is Luck.  I don't think Donald or Mack would kill our cap.  You draft players in the hope they are with you long term.  If they are good you are going to have to pay them.  Then you have to make decisions like all SB winning teams do.  Broncos and Seahawks come to mind.  Hopefully Ballard is successful and we will find out if he can be successful at holding the team together.  That's a problem quite aways down the road considering the current makeup of our roster. 

[ColtStrong2013]

56 minutes ago, richard pallo said:

The only guy were paying now is Luck.  I don't think Donald or Mack would kill our cap.  You draft players in the hope they are with you long term.  If they are good you are going to have to pay them.  Then you have to make decisions like all SB winning teams do.  Broncos and Seahawks come to mind.  Hopefully Ballard is successful and we will find out if he can be successful at holding the team together.  That's a problem quite aways down the road considering the current makeup of our roster. 

Exactly. You draft them and then do what is needed to extend them before they hit FA... We would be overpaying Donald becuase of his interest in the largest contract possible, which means he is going to try and get to FA and jack his price up. Not interested in it. Even if you draft that kind of guy, do you want him if he doesn't really care to be here? Donald at quarterback money (20 mil) would absolutely wreck your cap. That is 3 quality starting players per year. That isn't what championship teams do. Look at the Patriots and tell me when they have ever done something like this? They even have the luxury of Tom Brady taking a small cap hit in order to spread the wealth, and they still don't do it. 

 

Working the cap to your advantage is about finding value, not overspending, extending your draft picks before FA, and balancing the act. Spread the cap across all positions, and balance it offensively and defensively (see Colts during manning years with 70% geared towards the offense, with a handful of players making up most of the defensive cap.) 

 

In regard to holding the team together, you absolutely cannot if you have two large cap hits on roster. When it's time to extend Kelly, Hooker, Wilson, Basham (high hopes), Mack, Nelson, and the rest of these quality players from the last 3 classes, we will be choosing a few that we are incapable of extending due to a 5 or 6 year max contract for a player like Donald. 

 

Obviously this isn't going to happen, and is just scenario. I'm just very much against it, and think Ballard and most cap managers are as well. If you believe in your vision, scouting, and drafting ability, you dont make moves like this.

[richard pallo]

9 minutes ago, ColtStrong2013 said:

Exactly. You draft them and then do what is needed to extend them before they hit FA... We would be overpaying Donald becuase of his interest in the largest contract possible, which means he is going to try and get to FA and jack his price up. Not interested in it. Even if you draft that kind of guy, do you want him if he doesn't really care to be here? Donald at quarterback money (20 mil) would absolutely wreck your cap. That is 3 quality starting players per year. That isn't what championship teams do. Look at the Patriots and tell me when they have ever done something like this? They even have the luxury of Tom Brady taking a small cap hit in order to spread the wealth, and they still don't do it. 

 

Working the cap to your advantage is about finding value, not overspending, extending your draft picks before FA, and balancing the act. Spread the cap across all positions, and balance it offensively and defensively (see Colts during manning years with 70% geared towards the offense, with a handful of players making up most of the defensive cap.) 

 

In regard to holding the team together, you absolutely cannot if you have two large cap hits on roster. When it's time to extend Kelly, Hooker, Wilson, Basham (high hopes), Mack, Nelson, and the rest of these quality players from the last 3 classes, we will be choosing a few that we are incapable of extending due to a 5 or 6 year max contract for a player like Donald. 

 

Obviously this isn't going to happen, and is just scenario. I'm just very much against it, and think Ballard and most cap managers are as well. If you believe in your vision, scouting, and drafting ability, you dont make moves like this.

I would not pay him QB money.   I have said that earlier.  That would be a nonstarter.  Ballard should and would walk away.   But he is a young player and I would have no problem making him the highest paid defensive player.  Mack as well for that matter.  Our young players are years away from FA and have yet to demonstrate they deserve large contracts.  I sure hope they do though.  Donald and Mack deserve the big contracts.  Either one would be major upgrades to our defense and could help us win immediately.  They are both major talents.  The likelihood of either being traded is pretty remote I admit.  But if something does present itself you owe it to your team to have a conversation.  They both have many years left to play at a high level.

[ColtStrong2013]

1 hour ago, richard pallo said:

I would not pay him QB money.   I have said that earlier.  That would be a nonstarter.  Ballard should and would walk away.   But he is a young player and I would have no problem making him the highest paid defensive player.  Mack as well for that matter.  Our young players are years away from FA and have yet to demonstrate they deserve large contracts.  I sure hope they do though.  Donald and Mack deserve the big contracts.  Either one would be major upgrades to our defense and could help us win immediately.  They are both major talents.  The likelihood of either being traded is pretty remote I admit.  But if something does present itself you owe it to your team to have a conversation.  They both have many years left to play at a high level.

Ballard will always have that conversation... He entertained Norwood this offseason, and we all saw how much Jacksonville threw at him. 

[Smoke317]

Give me Donald then Mack in that order.  And both are worthy of 1sts.  

[richard pallo]

Rumors coming out today via a "Stampede Blue" article that Mack is on the trading Bloc.  No Rumors yet on Donald but they appear to be out there now on Mack.  This one could have legs due to the lack of any talks going on between Mack and the Raiders while it looks like the Rams and Donald are talking but not coming together.  The " Stampede Blue" article proposed a trade Of our 2019 1st. and John Simon for Mack.  Regardless of the pieces it looks like we might be approaching the time for Chris to have a conversation with the Raiders.  No time like the present.