IRVINE, Calif. -- The Los Angeles Rams' Aaron Donald is considered by many as the NFL's best defensive lineman, not that he's satisfied with such acclaim.
Donald has larger ambitions, ones that include the Rams' entire defensive line.
"We can go down as one of the best in history," Donald said.
This from a team that once gave the world the "Fearsome Foursome" -- Deacon Jones, Merlin Olsen, Lamar Lundy and Rosey Grier, still viewed by many as the most dominant defensive line of all time.
No matter, Donald recently saw what a dominant defensive line can mean to a modern team when the Denver Broncos swarmed to the Super Bowl title last February.
And he sees no reason why the Rams can't duplicate that performance.
"That's always been our mindset," he said. "Any time you go on the field, you want to dominate as a unit. Just seeing it motivated us a little more, too.
"We know what we've got to do. We have to continue to work, continue to get better and stay together. As long as we keep playing at a high level, we'll be just fine."
The Rams did not re-sign veteran Chris Long, who was injured for much of last season. William Hayes started 11 games and finished second on the team with 5.5 sacks. Defensive end Robert Quinn, who led the team in sacks with 10.5 in 2014, is back from injury. Michael Brockers, 6-foot-5 and 326 pounds, is the other defensive tackle.
The Rams also have solid depth on the defensive line. Forced to start for the injured Quinn last season, Eugene Sims stepped in and impressed. The Rams also signed two former first-round picks, defensive end Quinton Coples and tackle Dominique Easley. At Monday's practice, they experimented playing Coples at tackle and Sims at end.
"As a unit, we just play well together and we all make plays," Donald said.
"We have that chemistry. We know how each other plays. We play off of each other. That helps us to go out there and play fast."
It has Donald dreaming big. Not just big, but great. Up there with the greatest.
"It's a long ways to get it," he said. "But I feel like with the talent we have on this defensive line and the way we play, we can be one of those defensive lines for sure.
"The sky's the limit."
