99 Aaron Donald DT

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.

Donald won't play in Sunday's game against the 49ers, Lindsey Thiry of the Los Angeles Times reports.

An obvious candidate to be rest, Donald owns a per-game average of 56 snaps, a massive number for a defensive lineman. He's made the most of the workload with 41 tackles (32 solo), 11 sacks and five forced fumbles in 14 games. Donald is a legitimate candidate for Defensive Player of the Year honors, as there's no runaway favorite for the award this year.

Donald accumulated five tackles, three sacks and one forced fumble Sunday against the Seahawks.

Let's get this straight: Seahawks QB Russell Wilson is no easy man to bring down, making Donald's feat even more impressive. To sweeten it even further, he got this done while playing just 39 of 57 possible defensive snaps. Donald now has five sacks in his last three games, and he leads the Rams with 11 total. At this rate, he's a matchup-proof IDP threat.