Los Angeles Rams NFL Trade: Long-Term Deal for Trumaine Johnson in the Works
One of the first things the Los Angeles Rams did in the offseason was to place the franchise tag on cornerback Trumaine Johnson so he wouldn't hit the free agent market. By tagging him, the team managed to retain his services for the time being. But shortly after Johnson signed his tender, reports started coming out saying the Rams were shopping him around the league.
Well, it's been a month now since he was placed on the trading block and nothing has happened so far. Johnson could still be traded, but ESPN's Alden Gonzalez has reported that the Rams were now considering signing him to a long-term extension.
"The Rams' offseason program starts Monday, and cornerback Trumaine Johnson — shopped this offseason — will be present," Gonzalez said in his report.
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"Rams are not ruling out a trade, but they would've preferred to get a deal done before the start of their program. Plan now is to let the program play out and try to broach the possibility of an extension before the July 15 deadline. An added motivation for a potential extension: Lower his 2017 cap number, which can allow them to extend other defensive players who would want a higher salary this season," he continued.
If the Rams can convince him to sign an extension and lower his salary, they can free up a lot of salary cap space and this will allow them to offer extensions to key players like Aaron Donald, Maurice Alexander, Alec Ogletree and Lamarcus Joyner before they become unrestricted free agents next offseason.
Johnson is currently the highest-paid cornerback in the entire league, so it's going to be difficult to move him. Well, he may turn out to be a fit in defensive coordinator Wade Phillips' system, so retaining him for at least another year doesn't really sound that bad.
