99 Aaron Donald DT

Donald won't attend Los Angeles' upcoming mandatory minicamp, Field Yates of ESPN reports.

Donald heads into the final year of his rookie deal and is looking for a hefty raise and long-term extension. With the two sides having yet to come to an agreement, Donald will be a minicamp holdout and there's a chance that extends into training camp for a second straight season depending on how quickly things progress. Donald is already a four-time Pro Bowler and is coming off a 2017 campaign where he nabbed NFL Defensive Player of the Year honors, so he has plenty of bargaining chips.

Donald was absent from OTAs, which began Monday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Donald is still seeking a long-term deal as he enters the final year of his rookie contract. Rich Hammond of the Orange County Register notes that Donald skipped OTAs last season, reported for mandatory minicamp, and then began his holdout at the start of training camp. Whether the Rams and Donald will have a similar standoff remains to be seen, but either way, he's unlikely to participate in voluntary OTAs this week.

The Rams' addition of Ndamukong Suh shouldn't have much impact on how Donald (undisclosed) lines up in the defense, ESPN.com's Alden Gonzalez reports.

The Rams plan to use Suh as a nose tackle in their 3-4 base defense, allowing Donald to continue in his usual spot as a 3-technique lined up between the left guard and left tackle. Both players figure to rush from the interior on passing downs, with Michael Brockers typically coming off the field in favor of a defensive back. Donald skipped the Pro Bowl in January while tending to an undisclosed injury, but there's been nothing to suggest it will be still be an issue when the Rams start their offseason workout program in mid-April. The real concern is signing Donald to a long-term contract, as he's entering the final year of his rookie deal and presumably expects to become the highest paid defensive player in the NFL. It won't come as any surprise if he skips the offseason program while his agent negotiates with the Rams. When all is said and done, Donald should benefit from Suh's presence, though double teams will still be a fact of life.

Donald (undisclosed) re-signing a long-term contract is a major priority for the Rams, but general manager Les Snead said there currently isn't a timeline for when the deal will be inked, Kevin Patra of NFL.com reports.

Snead also noted Donald's contract negotiations aren't the team's first priority this offseason, but locking up the star interior lineman is easily the most important roster move the general manager will make between now and Week 1 of 2018. The Rams have a number of key free agents to deal with during the offseason, and Donald does have a $6.9 million, fifth-year option in place. However, it's almost a guarantee that his next contract will make him the highest-paid defensive player in the league, and it's something Donald will want to come to fruition sooner than later. His status as an elite fantasy asset remains intact at this point, but it's a situation to monitor if the negotiations -- or lack thereof -- linger into the summer.

Donald will miss this year's Pro Bowl due to an undisclosed injury, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com reports.

Donald bookended a typically strong regular season with absences. The first was the result of a 44-day holdout that ended just one day before Week 1, while the latter equated to a healthy scratch with the postseason in mind. Overall, he accrued 41 tackles, matched his career high with 11 sacks and tacked on five forced fumbles in only 14 contests. He's locked into a fifth year with the Rams, but negotiations on a long-term deal should commence at some point due to the consistency displayed in his career to date.