Los Angeles Rams general manager Les Snead has to put together a complicated puzzle this offseason.

And he still isn’t sure whether All-Pro defensive tackle Aaron Donald’s contract extension will be the first or last piece to fall into place for the surprising NFC West champions.

Negotiating with Donald is the highest-profile task awaiting Snead Tom Waddle Jersey , who will also have to address uncertainty in the secondary, if he will use the franchise tag on wide receiver Sammy Watkins, and whether to cut players such as linebacker Mark Barron and wide receiver Tavon Austin.

”That’s the biggest piece of the puzzle is, all right, how do we stay in this window where we expect to compete for a division, expect to win the division. And we do have a young team so it is sustainable, but it’s solving that riddle,” Snead said Wednesday.

The Rams spent much of their efforts last offseason trying to address their struggling offense, hiring Sean McVay as head coach and bringing in established veterans including left tackle Andrew Whitworth, center John Sullivan and wide receivers Robert Woods and Watkins to assist quarterback Jared Goff.

Those efforts were more successful than Snead could have imagined, finishing as the top scoring offense in the league this season after ranking last the previous season.

Los Angeles went 11-5, with the franchise earning its first division title since 2003, before losing to the Atlanta Falcons 26-13 in the first round of the playoffs on Saturday.

Snead said the emphasis in the upcoming months will now be on defense, including trying to finalize a new contract with Donald. Donald held out of training camp in hopes of getting that deal and didn’t report to the team until one day before the regular season started.

Still, he finished with 15 tackles for loss and 11 sacks in 14 games Josh Doctson Jersey , solidifying his status as the game’s dominant interior lineman.

Snead and Donald’s representatives both agreed to stop negotiating during the season. There is no timetable for an agreement, but even a basic framework of what will likely be the richest contract for a defender in NFL history would give Snead the ability to respond accordingly in other areas.

”Like I’ve always said with Aaron, hey, we want him to be a Ram a long time,” Snead said. ”So when we ink that deal, or not, I can’t put a timeline on it, but it is a major priority, as it always will be until we get it done. And for Aaron’s sake, and for doing business, with our other players as well because that contract obviously will affect basically your salary cap.”

While Donald will almost certainly remain the anchor up front for a long time, there are fewer guarantees at defensive back. Cornerback Trumaine Johnson has played the past two seasons under the franchise tag, and starting safety Lamarcus Joyner and slot corner Nickell Robey-Coleman are unrestricted free agents.

Cornerback Kayvon Webster, one of the few significant signings on defense last offseason, is recovering from a torn Achilles tendon.

Snead held off on committing to Johnson on a long-term basis before seeing how he would fit in defensive coordinator Wade Phillips’ system.

Snead said making sure a player can thrive in a specific scheme is a must before committing big money. Johnson played well with 57 solo tackles http://www.buffalobillsteamonline.com/stephen-hauschka-jersey , 14 passes defended and two interceptions.

”They definitely have to be ideal scheme fits, or I always call it you’re putting a rectangle in a square and I think that’s how things get a little off-kilter when you’re building a team,” Snead said.

There could also be turnover at linebacker, where Barron and edge rusher Robert Quinn could be cut to avoid significant salary-cap hits.

The same might be true for Austin, who had 13 receptions for 47 yards and ran for 270 yards and one touchdown. Austin fell behind Woods, Watkins and rookie Cooper Kupp in the rotation after being limited by a hamstring injury in training camp.

If the 2013 first-round pick were to go, it could increase the likelihood Watkins remains with Los Angeles.

Watkins led the Rams with eight touchdown receptions in the final season of his rookie contract after being acquired in a trade from Buffalo in August.

Watkins could be one of the top options in a relatively weak group of free-agent receivers, making him a potential option for the franchise tag.

”The goal is to make sure we can fit everybody into the budget,” Snead said. ”Because sometimes saving money, that kind of means we’re attacking an individual player just to save money.

”But it’s really looking at the budget, the cap situation for this year, and the cap situation for next year, and the next. Then we go `18, how do we improve and then keep the core together? So, it’s not necessarily looking at just salaries.”

NOTES: Defensive tackle Michael Brockers is not expected to require surgery for the knee injury he sustained against the Falcons http://www.dallascowboysteamonline.com/tony-romo-jersey , Snead said.

—

The Oakland Raiders finished the NFL draft by taking another risk, although this one could come with an extremely high payoff.

The Raiders traded up in the fifth round on Saturday to take talented Michigan pass rusher Maurice Hurst, who fell from a projected first-round pick to off some draft boards because of concerns from a heart condition that got him sent home from the combine.

"It's money," Hurst said. "Just upset and disappointed in teams that decided not to pick me. But one got a great player for very little. So I'm very excited to be part of the Raiders organization."

The Raiders traded the 159th and 185th picks to Indianapolis for the 140th pick on Saturday and used it to take a player who might have gone in the first round had he not had health concerns.

But he got sent home from the combine after a heart issue was detected. Hurst said it was something he has dealt with for a long time and hadn't impacted him on the field. He said he has been cleared by doctors at Harvard and Michigan but that didn't prevent his fall.

"It's tough just going into it thinking that you're one of the top players in the draft and having good tape and everything like that," he said. "Just having to wait and see guys that you believe that you're better than go ahead of you, I mean it's tough. But I'm just happy to be in the right place and part of a great organization."

Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie said the team had no concerns about Hurst's ability to get on the field and said he expected him to take part in rookie minicamp next week. The team will keep monitoring him but he currently has no limitations.

"The fact is that he does have a heart condition but it's a situation where he'll get checked every year but right now he's good," McKenzie said.

Hurst was an All-American and one of the most productive defensive players in the country last season. He had 5陆 sacks as an interior rusher and led all nose tackles and defensive tackles with 49 total quarterback pressures, according to Pro Football Focus.

"The one thing he can do is work the edge of the offensive linemen," McKenzie said. "He does a good job of maneuvering around that blocking and getting up field."

The move for Hurst was one of several this weekend when the Raiders made high-risk, high-reward moves. They dealt a third-round pick to Pittsburgh on Thursday for talented receiver Martavis Bryant, who has been suspended twice for substance abuse issues.

Oakland then traded up in the third round Friday to take LSU pass rusher Arden Key, who was viewed as a first-round talent but spent time in drug rehabilitation in college.

The Raiders also used two picks on Friday for FCS players whom they believe have the upside to thrive in the NFL in defensive lineman P.J. Hall from Sam Houston State and offensive tackle Brandon Parker of North Carolina A&T.

Here are some other takeaways from draft weekend:

CORNER HELP

The Raiders started the day Saturday by taking Wisconsin cornerback Nick Nelson with the 110th overall pick. Nelson spent his first two seasons at Hawaii before transferring. He has no career interceptions but did have 21 passes defensed last season. He allowed just 37 percent of passes thrown his way to be caught last season, according to Pro Football Focus, and might have been taken higher if not for a knee injury during a pre-draft workout with Detroit.

JUST FOR KICKS

After cutting punter Marquette King last month, the Raiders found his potential replacement in the fifth round Saturday. They took Florida's Johnny Townsend 173rd overall and as the third punter in the fifth round. Townsend is the all-time leading punter for the Gators and averaged 46.2 yards per kick in his career and is known for his skill as a directional punter. This marks the fourth time the Raiders have drafted a punter with Ray Guy making the Hall of Fame and Shane Lechler going to seven Pro Bowls.

SEEING RED

McKenzie had mixed emotions when his son http://www.chicagobearsteamonline.com/roquan-smith-jersey , Kahlil, was drafted in the sixth round by the rival Kansas City Chiefs.

"I got a text from Charles Woodson. He said, 'Your son has to retire. There's no way he's going to put that red helmet on his head,'" McKenzie said. "Part of me felt that way but in all seriousness, it's a good opportunity for him."

TRADING POST

The Raiders were wheeling and dealing during the draft, making seven trades in all, including the one to acquire Bryant. They moved down in the first round and again in the second, before using some of those extra picks to move up for both of their third-round picks. Oakland then traded up again for Hurst, as only four of the nine players taken came with picks the Raiders had entering the draft.

The Raiders then made a player swap late in the day Saturday, sending disappointing 2016 second-round defensive tackle Jihad Ward to Dallas for receiver Ryan Switzer, a fourth-round pick last year who excelled as a returner as a rookie.

STILL NEED

The Raiders went into the draft with needs at inside linebacker and didn't address it until the sixth round when they took Washington's Azeem Victor with the 216th overall pick. Victor was suspended for a DUI charge last season. McKenzie said he has not ruled out bringing back last year's starter NaVorro Bowman, who is still on the free agent market looking for a deal next year.
Adidas Duncan Keith Jersey