THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- Rodger Saffold has spent the vast majority of his past three seasons as a guard for the Los Angeles Rams, which means he has spent a lot of time -- too much time -- matching up in practice against Aaron Donald, indisputably the game's best interior defensive lineman.

Donald has been absent from the Rams' voluntary organized team activities while his representatives negotiate a potential extension.

Honing his technique against Rams teammate Aaron Donald makes facing mere mortals on Sunday a simpler assignment for offensive lineman Rodger Saffold. Scott W. Grau/Icon Sportswire

Saffold, solidified as the starting left guard, has missed blocking him, believe it or not.

"Let me tell you something -- my man AD, man, he knows how to go," Saffold said after OTAs on Tuesday. "Obviously, I’ve seen some crazy things out of him over the last three years, but I love going against him. It makes everything else easier through the season. I love it."

Donald compiled 28 sacks from 2014 to '16, the most by a defensive tackle during that stretch. In each of the past two seasons, Pro Football Focus graded him the game's best defensive player, regardless of position. Last season, he led the NFL with 31 quarterback hits and was tied for first with 17 tackles for loss. Donald has made the Pro Bowl in all three of his NFL seasons, and in the days leading up to most of his games, Saffold has been the one trying to keep him in check.

"He makes you want to do your technique better," said Saffold, by far the Rams' best offensive lineman last season. "You’re not as loose. You want to get your feet down, you want to make sure that you get your hand placement right. The thing that I like most is that because he makes so many different moves, if one move doesn’t work, he goes to the next one, and the next one, and the next one. It helps me move my feet. It helps me re-fit my hands. And then when I get to the game, it’s easy."

Donald -- joined on the absentee list by franchise cornerback Trumaine Johnson earlier this week -- won't get fined until he misses the three-day veteran minicamp June 13-15, a three-day stretch that would cost him somewhere in the neighborhood of $75,000. He could then be fined about $40,000 for each day he skips during training camp, which doesn't start until late July.

Rams general manager Les Snead said last week he is "very hopeful" the two sides will figure something out. But these things can get complicated when the player is that good and still has two years left before being eligible for free agency.

Saffold said he has "a lot of trust" that Donald will do the right thing and show up ready, whenever that is.

"We have to continue to focus on getting better as a team," Saffold said. "Once he gets back here, we’re going to lift him up and he’s going to be right there with us as soon as he gets back. Let those other people figure that stuff out; we have to work on this."