The Rams slapped the Non-Exclusive Franchise Tag on star corner Trumaine Johnson which will pay him 16.75 million this season because he is being tagged for the second straight year. This also makes him highest paid corner in the league. For those hoping the Rams decide to rescind the tag and offer him a long term extension, that is unlikely given how strapped the Rams are for cash this season.
On the plus side, this will be a make or break season for Johnson and the Rams get one more year to see if he’s actually worth a long term deal provided he fits into Wade Phillips’ scheme. If he doesn’t, than they can just let him walk which would save them 16 million off their cap.
Unfortunately, this hurts them in the short term because it prevents them from doing anything substantial this off-season to get better. Johnson’s tag ate up half their cap space leaving them with around 20 million. The team has so many holes and this likely keeps them from being able to blow money on the marquee free agents. The bright side is being super limited might force Les Snead to have to buckle down and get creative.
Tagging Johnson was an expensive ordeal but its only short term expensive. They most likely will let him hit the open market because he isn’t worth what the Giants paid Janoris Jenkins last year.
He’s a good player but not one worth a massive long term extension, unless he manages to take a major leap next season. They can let him test free agency next year and he’ll find that no team would really pay him 16 million a year and perhaps the Rams get him at a discount rate or just decide that they need to look elsewhere in their secondary.
As far as the rest of the off-season is concerned it might behoove them to look at the next tier of free agents and add pieces that will at least give them depth either and veteran presence at the more vulnerable positions such as offensive line. There’s no point in going after a star because no matter what they do they’re still far away from competing for a division title or a playoff spot.
Going after an Adrian Peterson or a Jamal Charles might sound like a good idea but both are running backs who are on the wrong side of 30 with a laundry list of series injuries. The only good it might do would be to sell jerseys but neither would make the team better.
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