Rams’ Donald gets new deal

LOS ANGELES — Aaron Donald’s two-year quest to become the NFL’s highest-paid defensive player ended in success Friday morning. Just a few minutes after signing his deal, Donald was at work on the Los Angeles Rams’ practice fields for the first time in months, determined to keep doing the same things that made him so very wealthy. The All-Pro defensive tackle agreed to a six-year, $135 million deal, ending his second consecutive preseason holdout with a landmark commitment from the Rams. “I feel good right now,” Donald said. “To be back out here playing football again, that’s what it is all about. Long process and a long wait. It was tough. Definitely it was tough for me, having a love for the game, having to push that to the side and handle the business side.” The reigning NFL defensive player of the year is signed through 2024, and the Rams’ defense can rest solidly on its cornerstone as the team tries to capitalize on last season’s success with a run to the Super Bowl. ESPN and the NFL Network reported the new deal includes a $40 million signing bonus and $87 million guaranteed. Donald already is under contract this season for $6.89 million in the final year of his rookie deal. The new deal surpassed Denver Broncos linebacker Von Miller’s contract as the new benchmark for defenders. The Rams finally got to see Donald practice alongside newcomer Ndamukong Suh and veteran

Michael Brockers on their potentially destructive defensive line, and they might see even more soon — earlier this week, Rams coach Sean

McVay said Donald should be able to play in the team’s regular-season opener at Oakland on Sept. 10 if he signed within the next few days. ›

HOUSTON — The Houston Texans released veteran punter Shane Lechler just before what would have been his 19th NFL season. He was cut Friday after the team decided to go with undrafted rookie Trevor Daniel, who played at the University of Tennessee. The 42-yearold Lechler spent the first 13 years of his career with the Oakland Raiders before joining the Texans in 2013. He started 206 games for the Raiders and never missed a game as a Texan, making all 80 starts in his five seasons with Houson. Texans coach

Bill O’Brien said making final cuts to the roster are always hard but that this one was particularly difficult. A fifth-round draft pick out of Texas A&M in 2000, Lechler is a seven-time Pro Bowl pick and a six-time All-Pro firstteam selection. ›

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — The Atlanta Falcons traded a conditional 2020 draft pick to the New England Patriots on Friday for safety Jordan Richards, who started five of 16 games last season and had 22 tackles. He was a second-round draft pick by New England in 2015. He played in 41 games, with seven starts, in his three seasons with the Patriots. Atlanta appears set with Ricardo

Allen and Keanu Neal as its starting safeties. The Falcons made room for Richards by waiving safety Ron Parker.

The team also waived offensive tackle Austin Pasztor and reached an injury settlement with cornerback Leon

McFadden. Pasztor played in seven games as a backup with Atlanta in 2017.

BASKETBALL

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KNOXVILLE — The University of Tennessee has dismissed guard Anastasia

Hayes from its women’s basketball team. Lady Volunteers coach Holly Warlick said Friday in a school release that the 5-foot-7 sophomore from Murfreesboro was dismissed due to a violation of team rules; the nature of the violation wasn’t specified. Hayes was named the Southeastern Conference’s sixth woman of the year as a freshman last season. She averaged 9.3 points per game to rank fourth on the team. Hayes also averaged 3.5 assists, 2.5 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 24.3 minutes. Her exit means Tennessee will return only one of its four top scorers from the team that went 25-8 and reached the second round of the NCAA tournament last season. The Lady Vols open the 2018-19 season on Nov. 11 by hosting Presbyterian.