Schefter: Rams will franchise tag Trumaine Johnson

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  • AvengerRam
    Registered User
    • May 2016
    • 2313

    Schefter: Rams will franchise tag Trumaine Johnson

    My thoughts:

    1. Johnson is a guy we can't lose. He's our best DB by far, and has rare size for the CB position, making him a guy who can take on the bigger receivers.

    2. I'm not thrilled about paying him franchise tag money. My hope is that this move is intended to secure his services with the hope of reaching a long-term deal later.
  • mde8352gorams
    Registered User
    • Mar 2007
    • 4141

    #2
    Originally posted by RamFanEsq View Post
    My thoughts:

    1. Johnson is a guy we can't lose. He's our best DB by far, and has rare size for the CB position, making him a guy who can take on the bigger receivers.

    2. I'm not thrilled about paying him franchise tag money. My hope is that this move is intended to secure his services with the hope of reaching a long-term deal later.
    Absolutely. The problem is either TruJo or his agent seems to be unrealistic about the money he feels he's worth. Adding to that are the teams desperate for a top shelf CB that they're willing to overpay. Cleveland strikes me as a perfect example with Gregg Williams now the DC. They have a ton of FA cash to spend.

    I hope you are right about reaching a long-term deal later. I'm not sure about the mechanics, but can a franchise tag be removed and if so what are the ramifications?

    We better figure out a strategy for TJ McDonald as well. While not as urgent as TruJo, still a valuable player.

    Go Rams!

    Comment

    • sosa39rams
      Registered User
      • Jan 2010
      • 6896

      #3
      Love that they decided to keep him around. Tru is great player, and I can only imagine what Wade can do with him. Now, get him locked into a long term deal and bring that cap hit down another 5 or 6 mill!

      Comment

      • AvengerRam
        Registered User
        • May 2016
        • 2313

        #4
        Originally posted by mde8352gorams View Post

        Absolutely. The problem is either TruJo or his agent seems to be unrealistic about the money he feels he's worth. Adding to that are the teams desperate for a top shelf CB that they're willing to overpay. Cleveland strikes me as a perfect example with Gregg Williams now the DC. They have a ton of FA cash to spend.

        I hope you are right about reaching a long-term deal later. I'm not sure about the mechanics, but can a franchise tag be removed and if so what are the ramifications?

        We better figure out a strategy for TJ McDonald as well. While not as urgent as TruJo, still a valuable player.

        Go Rams!
        The Rams have until July 15 to reach a long-term deal with him. If they don't (and he signs the tag), he's locked in at the franchise rate for 2017.

        Comment

        • Nick
          Rams Nation MVP
          • May 2004
          • 25205

          #5
          Based on last year's play, I'm not convinced the Rams have any capable starting outside corners on the roster right now. I think a lot of us were counting on Gaines to be that guy, but he seemed to have a tough transition back from injury.

          So I'm glad to hear they're planning to make this move and hopefully lock Trumaine up long term. I don't think it would be a bad idea to see one of the teams first 3-4 picks be used on CB help, assuming they don't make a splash on a potential starter in free agency.

          Comment

          • mh-i
            Registered User
            • Dec 2005
            • 2568

            #6
            I'm completely indifferent to this move. Johnson is OK but he's nowhere near elite. He regularly gets eaten up by elite receivers. Year by year might be the way to go since the Rams have nobody else to take his place. Evidently he wants more money long term than the Rams are comfortable paying him even given the cap room. It'll be interesting to see what Phillips thinks about him after 2017 is over.
            :helmet:

            Comment

            • Randart
              Registered User
              • Feb 2013
              • 1215

              #7
              Personally I wanted to keep Tru at near to all costs and it seems that is what it took. He is by far our best CB and two years ago with his 7 pics one of the better ones... So When healthy which he does have issues with, he is a excellent DB for us. Now can the guy stay healthy this season. If not he may be gone for that reason alone next year. As someone mentioned earlier getting another DB in the draft could be a great idea but I hope the 2nd rounder is spent on the best WR available I prefer Ju Ju he should still be there unless he blows up the combine and rises above many of the other Wideouts. Our other corners last season were on the smaller side even Gaines who cannot stay healthy now either. So if we draft or sign another DB I hope he is 6' plus. Just some of my random thoughts as they pertain to Tru Jo...

              Comment

              • rammiser
                Registered User
                • Feb 2005
                • 2485

                #8
                I like Tru but he is definitely over rated. Hes a good number two corner but on the Rams hes the best they have unfortunately. They have to tag him because an NFL team will come in and overpay him in free agency. Tru isnt coming off a great year either but sometimes losing breeds that. The Rams really have no choice but to overpay their best corner. The only bad thing about this is that the Rams have 40 mil in cap space and the franchise for cb is somewhere around 13 mil. So the Rams need a few pieces in free agency for this offensive line but once again will have to be frugal shoppers. So i ask what is more important for this team a solid o-line or Tru and can we have both?
                Last edited by rammiser; -02-28-2017, 06:53 AM.
                Aim high Willis, Aim High!

                Comment

                • AvengerRam
                  Registered User
                  • May 2016
                  • 2313

                  #9
                  Originally posted by rammiser View Post
                  I like Tru but he is definitely over rated. Hes a good number two corner but on the Rams hes the best they have unfortunately. They have to tag him because an NFL team will come in and overpay him in free agency. Tru isnt coming off a great year either but sometimes losing breeds that. The Rams really have no choice but to overpay their best corner. The only bad thing about this is that the Rams have 40 mil in cap space and the franchise for cb is somewhere around 13 mil. So the Rams need a few pieces in free agency for this offensive line but once again will have to be frugal shoppers. So i ask what is more important for this team a solid o-line or Tru and can we have both?
                  He is definitely not a "No. 2 CB." He has covered opposing team's best WRs often (even before Jenkins left). His numbers are also very good (16 Ints., 53 passes defended, 263 tackles in 5 years).

                  He's not a Top 5 guy at his position, but he's in the discussion for the top 10 (and certainly top 15). In this league, that means that, as a UFA, he's going to get a lot of money.

                  Comment

                  • tomahawk247
                    Registered User
                    • Feb 2006
                    • 5797

                    #10
                    Tru is fantastic, just as long as you don't ask him to move around the formation. You leave him on one side and he is excellent, ask him to move and cover a number 1 WR all over the field he struggles, like he did with Mike Evans against Tampa

                    But then again, the same can be said of Richard Sherman
                    @EssexRam_

                    Comment

                    • RockinRam
                      Registered User
                      • Apr 2008
                      • 5920

                      #11
                      I think there's a couple CBs hitting the free agent market I would take over TruJ, but I am fine with keeping him around, if we can rework his contract. I don't think he's especially great, but he's a solid performer with good size.

                      Comment

                      • svh01
                        Registered User
                        • Sep 2008
                        • 634

                        #12
                        Originally posted by mh-i View Post
                        I'm completely indifferent to this move. Johnson is OK but he's nowhere near elite. He regularly gets eaten up by elite receivers. Year by year might be the way to go since the Rams have nobody else to take his place. Evidently he wants more money long term than the Rams are comfortable paying him even given the cap room. It'll be interesting to see what Phillips thinks about him after 2017 is over.
                        I agree with this 100% i personally think we maybe able to get equal play from another corner at a lower price. Tru is the best we have, but he's not elite. He's 1 good season which was season he would have lost his starting job if it weren't for injury. I LIKE Tru but I don't love him as a player. Poor management has put us in a bad place when it comes to Tru. If we could get Claiborne or Amukamara for less i'd let Tru walk.

                        Comment

                        • mde8352gorams
                          Registered User
                          • Mar 2007
                          • 4141

                          #13
                          Originally posted by RamFanEsq View Post

                          The Rams have until July 15 to reach a long-term deal with him. If they don't (and he signs the tag), he's locked in at the franchise rate for 2017.
                          I knew the part of having until July 15. I fervently hope the Rams get this deal done, because he's not worth the $16 million + price tag especially given our other FA priorities. My concern is that he signs the tender and we're on the hook for that money. Essentially it becomes a question of negotiating leverage in my mind.

                          Go Rams!
                          Last edited by mde8352gorams; -02-28-2017, 11:52 AM.

                          Comment

                          • macrammer
                            Registered User
                            • Sep 2006
                            • 4549

                            #14
                            seems he had a really good year in 2015. Then not so good a year although decent in 2016. Franchise tag pay's him a lot for the year but do you think there is an emotional issue that he can't get what the market will bear and thus, stuck in LA?

                            Comment

                            • KoaKoi
                              Registered User
                              • Jul 2007
                              • 2524

                              #15
                              I'm not a cap numbers guy, so my thought may be totally off base... But the tag here seems to make sense in the following way. The new coaches and FO know for a fact they'll need sizeable cap space to make certain moves this year.... what they don't know is exactly how much. Until they've made those expected FA pickups for OL, WR, &/or LB positions, they may not know exactly how much will be left over to complete a long term deal with TruJo.


                              If they don't tag now, it guarantees he walks.

                              On the other hand, the tag guarantees he doesn't walk. The team can make their FA moves. Coaches can see TruJo in OTA's and see him get some work in on the field and in the playbook. The team can then get their draft picks. Then they can make their final pitch for a long term deal, having at that time, a much better understanding of his talent, team needs, and team cap space.

                              just my gut check...

                              Comment

                              Related Topics

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                              • ramsbruce
                                Rams Consider Transition Tag For Trumaine Johnson
                                by ramsbruce
                                ProFootballTalk
                                Posted by Michael David Smith on February 20, 2016, 2:24 PM EST



                                The Los Angeles Rams may use the transition tag to retain cornerback Trumaine Johnson. Johnson, who had seven interceptions last season, is set to become an unrestricted free agent at the start of the league year. There’s been talk that Johnson could be franchised, but Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that the Rams might place the transition tag, not the franchise tag, on Johnson if the two sides don’t reach a long-term deal.

                                Like the franchise tag, the transition tag gives a team the right to match an offer one of its free agents signs. So if the Rams put the transition tag on Johnson and he signs with another team, they could choose to keep him by matching the offer. That’s what the Browns did two years ago with center Alex Mack, who signed an offer sheet with the Jaguars that the Browns matched.

                                For the Rams, the advantage to using the transition tag instead of the franchise tag is that it wouldn’t cost them as much if Johnson ends up signing the tender offer and playing this season on the tag. The franchise tag salary for cornerbacks this season is expected to be $13.7 million, while the transition tag salary for cornerbacks is expected to be $11.7 million.

                                Last year, one player got the transition tag: Dolphins tight end Charles Clay, who ended up signing an offer sheet with the Bills that the Dolphins declined to match. When a transition tagged player switches teams, the original team does not get draft pick compensation....
                                -02-20-2016, 01:16 PM
                              • Nick
                                CB Trumaine Johnson likely playing 2016 under franchise tag
                                by Nick
                                Today is the deadline for franchise players to sign long-term extensions. If they don't, they will play the season under the tag and be eligible for free agency in 2017. There seems to be no indication as of the time of this posting that Johnson is poised to sign any extension with the Rams.

                                What are your thoughts on this, going forward? Should the Rams have given Johnson a Jenkins-like contract extension, or are they wise to not overspend on a long term deal while risking losing Johnson after the season?...
                                -07-15-2016, 10:41 AM
                              • Nick
                                2018 Offseason: You Make the Call - Trumaine Johnson
                                by Nick
                                With the season officially over, it's time to start discussing what we fans think the Rams should do this offseason to continue building on the improvement they showed in 2017. The first decisions for the Rams will involve players already on their roster or scheduled to hit free agency.

                                One of the most talked about Rams players in recent years as it relates to long term contract negotiations is cornerback Trumaine Johnson. The Rams have used their franchise tag on him for two years now, and due to the whopping cost of doing so a third time, it's unlikely the Rams are able to tag him again. Contract talks did not progress last summer, and unless both sides really heat things up in the next two months, Johnson is poised to hit the free agent market, where he will be among the top cornerbacks available.

                                According to Pro Football Focus, Johnson finished the year with a solid grade of 75.8, ranking as their 67th best corner in the league. There were questions during the offseason about how well Johnson fit into Wade Phillips's defensive scheme, and one could say that question has not been definitively answered one way or another. Regardless, it's time for the Rams to make a decision about what to do with their top cornerback.

                                The questions I have for you are as follows...

                                -Do you feel resigning Trumaine Johnson is an offseason priority, or do you think the Rams are better served by letting him go elsewhere and restocking at the CB position?
                                -If the Rams lose Johnson in free agency, what do you think is the best plan to replace him? Another free agent? The draft? Players already on the roster?

                                You make the call - What would your decision be regarding Trumaine Johnson?
                                -01-07-2018, 12:11 PM
                              • Nick
                                Rapoport: Trumaine Johnson staying put in '17
                                by Nick
                                L.A. Rams won't trade Trumaine Johnson this season
                                By Kevin Patra
                                Around the NFL writer
                                Published: April 24, 2017 at 10:58 a.m. Updated: April 24, 2017 at 04:29 p.m.

                                Malcolm Butler isn't the only cornerback on the trade block who doesn't appear to be headed anywhere ahead of Thursday's draft.

                                NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported that Rams corner Trumaine Johnson will not be traded, according to a source informed of the situation.

                                The Rams slapped Johnson with the franchise tag for the second consecutive season, which will pay him $16.7 million in 2017.

                                During the NFL Scouting Combine, Los Angeles general manager Les Snead noted the team had to figure out if Johnson "fit" in new defensive coordinator Wade Phillips' system.

                                "So, I think what we're going to do with Trumaine, because everybody's new, is hey, we need to work together, live together, see if we're all a fit," Snead said at the time. "Does Tru fit Wade? Does Wade fit Tru? And then at that point because it is obvious from the tag number and what corners get paid, a heavy investment and you want to be right with that. Especially when you go long term. And that's because we got a lot of changing parts."

                                While Johnson's work with Phillips during the early portions of workouts could have belied some of the fit questions, the reason a trade never materialized is likely because the Rams couldn't find a partner to pay consummate value while also forking over so much money for one season -- or anteing up on a long-term extension.

                                With Johnson staying in L.A. for 2017, the question becomes a long-term one. If the 27-year-old cover man has a Pro Bowl season under Phillips, the Rams could be in a pickle next offseason. If he struggles to make the transition, they'll have paid a huge price for a mediocre year.

                                Two years ago, when the Rams chose to tag Johnson over Janoris Jenkins, the thought was that the team would have an easier time negotiating a long-term deal with Johnson than Jenkins. The optics of that thought process look shakier by the year.
                                -04-24-2017, 02:45 PM
                              • Tampa_Ram
                                Should the Rams use the Franchise tag on Brandon Lloyd?
                                by Tampa_Ram
                                This was brought up over at TurfShowTimes so i figured i'd see what the Clan's view on this would be.

                                Using the tag would cost us $9.4 million.

                                Right now we have approximately $10 million in cap space( based on the assumption that everyone under contract returns at their current amount). Of course after cuts, restructured contracts and other factors that number will change.

                                I for one would hate if we use the franchise tag on him. It would really hurt us in the ability to sign some key FA's. I would love for him to stay and get a 3-4 year contract(5-6 million a year). But if were going to give up that kind of money even for one year, id rather get Vincent Jackson.

                                Also Lloyd might be really unhappy if we franchise him and block him from his chance of going to the Patriots or getting a long term contract(probably last of his career). We don't know if he'll let it be known hes unhappy or not(on the field and off) if we do it, he doesnt seem the diva type but you never know what someones gonna do when it comes to there nfl career. If we Franchise him we might only keep him for one more year and draft someone younger next year as well. Many possibilities here.

                                I really like Lloyd, especially how he could teach Blackmon(if we draft him) a lot more in terms of Route running and catching then any other receiver on the market come FA. In my eyes he is the ideal mentor to a young wr just entering the league. IMO Lloyd is the best Route runner and has the best hands of the wr's hitting FA.

                                Now you might be asking- you think he has the best hands and route running but would pay more for someone else? Yes thats correct. VJax is a tall wr who has some great body control and can out jump the secondary and is 4 years younger then Lloyd!! Lloyd was unlucky that he finally emerged as a legitimate wr threat so late in his career. Im sure he's looking for that last big contract instead of a franchise tag and uncertainty the following year.

                                But enough about what i think, i want to know the Clan's view on this.

                                This is based off if we can't work a long term deal of course.

                                Franchise tag or no Franchise tag?
                                Yes!!!!
                                4.76%
                                1
                                No!!!!!!
                                95.24%
                                20
                                Franchise someone else. Who?
                                0.00%
                                0
                                -02-19-2012, 12:09 PM
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