NFL's Offseason Drama Factory: Roster Moves, Ownership Changes, and the Stories Behind Them

Aaron Donald didn't want to do training camp. That's the simplest explanation for why the 35-year-old defensive tackle waited until the 11th hour before returning to the LA Rams on a one-year, $20 million contract with playoff-based incentives that could push it to $30 million. Reports framed it as deep soul-searching about whether to play at all. Ben Maller isn't buying it. "Spare me the Hamlet routine with Aaron Donald," he says. "This was manufactured drama. The man said no ix-nay on the camp."

The Ram facility had reporters buzzing when Donald left without telling the organization his decision. Doubts swirled. Then, less than two hours later—Maller speculates he might have grabbed lunch at Chipotle—Donald was back, signed, and the "long national nightmare" was over. Maller's take: Donald wanted to skip the grind of summer practices, sign late, and join a team that didn't strictly need him anyway. The Rams had already added Myles Garrett and rebuilt their secondary with pieces from the Chiefs' Super Bowl-winning defenses. Donald is now part of what Maller calls "the greatest defense ever assembled based on record of individual accomplishments." But that's the problem: "You actually have to play the freaking games." Maller warns the Rams are betting on muscle memory over Father Tim