Trumaine Johnson will play out this season under the franchise tag

[Memphis Ram]

Not necessarily true.
With the cap space available, I would be certain that the Rams will be active in FA next year.
The FA brought in would likely cancel out the loss of Tru and we get nada
Get rid of him now, use the cap space to get Donald signed

True. If the team truly needs the cap space Johnson is taking up this off-season that might be the best option.

 

[So Ram]

I'd take that kid outta Va. Tech in a heart beat....I wanna see what Marshall does this year....Honestly, I'd take any of those dudes....LOL

It was a huge need THIS year....but I guess TE & WR was too...

I think Webster was an excellent pick up. Paying Tru add to it , plus they need a find out about EJ Gaines.

Will see if they can develop a CB from with in ?? I like the Peterson kid.Your about speed , I think he has good ball skills.

 

[BonifayRam]

Will see how EJ Gaines plays. I think CB is going to be the biggest position of need in next years draft.

Its the biggest position of need right now so yes I agree 100%. Just think a 6th round rookie EJ Gaines was the most consistent & best overall starting boundary corner back in 2014....now that happened when both present all pro JJ & the 31 million CB Trumaine were on the roster! Wow have things changed. Take a gander @ this list of injury issues EJ had last season....
http://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/football/players/news/1737669/ej-gaines/

I sure do not want to see the same EJ Gaines start any longer if he is the same as he was last season. I was blow away by EJ's starting performance back in 2014. But during wk 10 he injured his knee that injury began a slow trending declining in performance. WK 13 EJ re-aggravated the same knee. Wk 16 early in the 3rd quarter SS TJ McDonald knocked out EJ with one of TJ's famous friendly fire events. EJ season was over & was out for the last game. Even after that EJ finished the 2014 season as the Rams top CB. EJ earned PFF’s secret superstar for the Rams 2014.

2015 Training Camp early preseason EJ had thoroughly beat Trumaine Johnson out. Then the big injury event & EJ went out for the 2015 season after having surgery to repair a Lisfranc foot injury. In 2016 with JJ departed EJ was held out of most all early practices.

Early 2016 we hear were fed the reports that EJ "all accounts has been a smooth recovery process". Ej says he 100% healthy then he gets injured again this time its said to be a thigh injury of an unknown type. EJ missed the first 2 games of the 2016 due to this thigh. CB Coty Sensabaugh was blown up in those 2 games & EJ was forced into starting action. EJ entered the 2016 season with the thigh injury & ended the season with a thigh injury he was never healthy.

Now EJ is going into his final season under contract & is due to cost the cap a near 1.8 million. I have a real bad feeling here on EJ. He will never be the same 2014 corner again. I consider EJ our 5th best corner on this roster now....until his next injury occurs. I would hate to depend on EJ having a vital part in our secondary this season.

 

[LACHAMP46]

I think Webster was an excellent pick up. Paying Tru add to it , plus they need a find out about EJ Gaines.

Will see if they can develop a CB from with in ?? I like the Peterson kid.Your about speed , I think he has good ball skills.

I was watching a lil Rams hardknocks...Webster was out there with Denver against McRoberts and our backups....he didn't look like anything special. We didn't really test him either...that's a tough call...I'm hoping for the best. I think EJ Gaines is finished as a corner...he didn't have great speed before the injury. I watched a lil of Peterson...he actually has some good film. I'd assume he wasn't drafted because of his speed, so I'm not the only guy looking at that.
Believe it or not, I'm expecting Troy Hill to really step up....and another guy...let me check the roster but
Tru-N Robey-Webster-Hill-....and I don't know if Joyner is a slot-corner or a safety yet....oh yeah....Blake Countess....that's 6 counting Joyner...
http://www.ocregister.com/2017/06/2...-trumaine-johnson-faces-make-or-break-season/
By VINCENT BONSIGNORE | vbonsignore@scng.com | Daily News
As the months dragged on without the Rams and cornerback Trumaine Johnson coming to terms on a long-term contract extension, it became obvious Johnson was facing a make-or-break 2017 season to secure his long-range future with the team.

The sixth-year defensive back is slated to make $16.7 million under the franchise-tag distinction, the second consecutive year he’ll play under the tag. Upon tagging him again in March, the Rams indicated they first wanted to see Johnson perform in Wade Phillips’ new 3-4 defense during offseason practices to get a better handle on his fit in the new scheme.

The sentiment being: They wanted to make sure Johnson was a match before investing more years and money in him.

Well, OTAs have come and gone and no new contract is forthcoming. And based on reports surfacing Tuesday, there won’t be one coming anytime soon.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported via a source that Johnson and the Rams are far apart on a long-term deal and no new contract is expected. .

Technically the Rams and Johnson have until July 17 to wrap up a new deal. But that appears a longshot at this point, which means Johnson will play 2017 on the one-year franchise tag.

The bigger issue is next season and beyond.

Johnson, for all intents and purposes, faces a year-long audition to show he’s worthy of a longer investment at the pay rate he is seeking. Especially with deserving defensive standouts lsuch as defensive tackle Aaron Donald and middle linebacker Alec Ogletree up for significant pay raises.

Yes, the Rams were being forthcoming in saying they wanted to make sure Johnson is a fit in their new defense before talking about a long-term deal.

But it goes beyond just the X’s and O’s.

Much more important is how Johnson fits under their salary cap given what appears to be an inevitable – and hefty – extension for Donald and a new contract for Ogletree before he reaches free agency in March.

What complicates things even further is figuring out who Johnson really is, relative to what kind of pay he is demanding and what the Rams are comfortable paying.

Johnson had a breakout season in 2015 with a career-best 71 tackles, seven interceptions and 17 passes defended. And it’s important to note Johnson went into 2015 fighting for his starting job with then-second-year corner E.J. Gaines. In fact, Johnson’s starting role wasn’t secured until Gaines when down with a season-ending foot injury in training camp.

To Johnson’s credit, he put together a Pro Bowl-caliber season and was in line for a major pay raise, and he hit free agency along with fellow starting cornerback Janoris Jenkins and safety Rodney McLeod.

Jenkins and McLeod left the Rams after scoring big-time contracts with the Giants and Eagles, respectively. While the Rams wanted to secure Johnson long-term, they couldn’t reach an agreement.

Unwilling to let him walk, though, the Rams secured him under the franchise tag.

And while Johnson went into 2016 intent on justifying his demands and earning the kind of contract he was seeking, his production slipped to 57 tackles and just one interception.

That meant he and the Rams arrived at a bit of an intersection in March when contract talks reopened. And at that intersection, the two sides still stand.

On one corner, you have the Rams wondering if 2015 was an aberration and weighing the prudence in paying Johnson long-term as one of the top cornerbacks in the league.

On the other, Johnson remains convinced his pay should reflect his status as an elite NFL corner.

With no middle ground to be found, the Rams are content letting this season play out and giving Johnson the opportunity to decide, once and for all, whether he really is one of the best defensive backs in the league.

Meanwhile, Johnson is betting he’ll do exactly that.

If so, he’ll either force the Rams’ hand in paying him what he’s worth or hit free agency next year as one of the best cornerbacks on the market.

If not, that middle ground – if it’s still available – will look a whole lot better.

And while he won’t have sacrificed a penny the past two years in pushing all his cards to the middle of the table – the $30 million he’ll make between 2016 and 2017 is in line with what top cornerbacks make over two-year periods – he’ll be dealing with a completely different Rams salary cap landscape with Donald and Ogletree now in the picture.

Should make for an interesting season.

And a motivated Trumaine Johnson.

 

[So Ram]

Its the biggest position of need right now so yes I agree 100%. Just think a 6th round rookie EJ Gaines was the most consistent & best overall starting boundary corner back in 2014....now that happened when both present all pro JJ & the 31 million CB Trumaine were on the roster! Wow have things changed. Take a gander @ this list of injury issues EJ had last season....
http://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/football/players/news/1737669/ej-gaines/

I sure do not want to see the same EJ Gaines start any longer if he is the same as he was last season. I was blow away by EJ's starting performance back in 2014. But during wk 10 he injured his knee that injury began a slow trending declining in performance. WK 13 EJ re-aggravated the same knee. Wk 16 early in the 3rd quarter SS TJ McDonald knocked out EJ with one of TJ's famous friendly fire events. EJ season was over & was out for the last game. Even after that EJ finished the 2014 season as the Rams top CB. EJ earned PFF’s secret superstar for the Rams 2014.

2015 Training Camp early preseason EJ had thoroughly beat Trumaine Johnson out. Then the big injury event & EJ went out for the 2015 season after having surgery to repair a Lisfranc foot injury. In 2016 with JJ departed EJ was held out of most all early practices.

Early 2016 we hear were fed the reports that EJ "all accounts has been a smooth recovery process". Ej says he 100% healthy then he gets injured again this time its said to be a thigh injury of an unknown type. EJ missed the first 2 games of the 2016 due to this thigh. CB Coty Sensabaugh was blown up in those 2 games & EJ was forced into starting action. EJ entered the 2016 season with the thigh injury & ended the season with a thigh injury he was never healthy.

Now EJ is going into his final season under contract & is due to cost the cap a near 1.8 million. I have a real bad feeling here on EJ. He will never be the same 2014 corner again. I consider EJ our 5th best corner on this roster now....until his next injury occurs. I would hate to depend on EJ having a vital part in our secondary this season.

In 1997 & 1998 IsAc Bruce could not stay healthy. He was having serious hamstring issues. DV was not sure he could be the same. He needed him to rest & heal.

I think EJ Gaines will be fine. He got through OTA's well .

Last season he was slow in coming back. He was healthy & practingnreal well. I think better than Tru by a lot. It was at UCI & He was shutting down Kenny Britt most of training camp , then on the opposite side of the field away from the fans EJ went down. He had to leave practice. He was never really the same afterwards.
Last year was sad to see , but Inthink he went out there because of the lack of options f

 

[Dxmissile]

OK then. Now that Donald has come on the scene and is widely viewed as one of the best and is getting so much attention from opponents, shouldn't Brockers really be going off destroying one on one matchups vs. the pass?

He don't get one on one matchups his job is to take on blockers not penetrate it's a big difference

 

[BonifayRam]

In 1997 & 1998 IsAc Bruce could not stay healthy. He was having serious hamstring issues. DV was not sure he could be the same. He needed him to rest & heal.

I think EJ Gaines will be fine. He got through OTA's well .

Last season he was slow in coming back. He was healthy & practingnreal well. I think better than Tru by a lot. It was at UCI & He was shutting down Kenny Britt most of training camp , then on the opposite side of the field away from the fans EJ went down. He had to leave practice. He was never really the same afterwards.
Last year was sad to see , but Inthink he went out there because of the lack of options f

I could not make an argument that Issac & EJ are the same. Far from it in my opinion.

Getting through OTA"s(no pads hitting) guess I leave that for @LACHAMP46 to address he would do a much better job. "he was slow in coming back" The slow was Fisher holding EJ out of all practices because EJ was far from what he was as a rookie in all areas of his skills & talents before the foot injury.

The best I would look for is EJ as a top Nickle & Dime DB. His boundary corner skills are gone. NRC is my #1 outside corner reserve followed by Troy Hill. Mike Jordan is just too slow & I have no opinions on the other 2 prospects. I hope Penton is every bit what den thinks he is. CB Blake Countess will make a fine dandy Nickel & Dime DB to fight it out with EJ Gaines at this point.

I'll say this & leave it alone I would take the "2014 Rookie EJ Gaines..pre injury CB over the 2017's 31 million $$ CB Trumaine Johnson or even CB JJ. That's how much I thought of his EJ his rookie season.

 

[Memphis Ram]

He don't get one on one matchups his job is to take on blockers not penetrate it's a big difference

Even when he recognizes it's a passing play and not a running play?

 

[Dxmissile]

Even when he recognizes it's passing play and not a running play?

Yes he primary job is to occupy blocker for Donald and the DE his secondary job is to stop the run in which he is one of the top run stuffing tackles in the game. I firmly believe his role is going to change in the 3-4 not by much but he will definitely get the chance to rush and he will top 5 sacks

 

[Memphis Ram]

Yes he primary job is to occupy blocker for Donald and the DE his secondary job is to stop the run in which he is one of the top run stuffing tackles in the game. I firmly believe his role is going to change in the 3-4 not by much but he will definitely get the chance to rush and he will top 5 sacks

Outside of "wink wink" holding on stunts, I've never heard of an interior linemen having the duty to occupy blockers vs. the pass. Versus the run? Sure. But, not the pass.

 

[Dxmissile]

Outside of "wink wink" holding on stunts, I've never heard of an interior linemen having the duty to occupy blockers vs. the pass. Versus the run? Sure. But, not the pass.

Lol but that's the same thing holding on stunts are occupying blockers. Fisher defense have defined roles that they have to play like JL role was to occupy the middle of the field Brockers role was to stop the run and free up Donald Fisher and GW spoke about this, that's one reason why Brockers got the deal he got because he sacrificed his play for Donald's

 

[Memento]

I'm not surprised. I've still have a lot of faith in Gaines, and he shouldn't be too difficult to re-sign.

 

[LACHAMP46]

Getting through OTA"s(no pads hitting) guess I leave that for@LACHAMP46 to address he would do a much better job.

LOL, I think I have made my point....LOL

 

[Prime Time]

http://www.espn.com/espn/now?nowId=21-0678662424500379071-4

The Rams are not expected to agree on a long-term deal with CB Trumaine Johnson by today's deadline. ESPN's Adam Schefter brought up an interesting point: Johnson could've gone to the Saints and signed a long-term deal, but chose to stay in LA.

Saints, per Schefter earlier this offseason, were willing to trade what was thought to be a second-round pick, but Johnson being unwilling to sign long term probably made the deal to fall apart.

 

[Merlin]

I was watching a lil Rams hardknocks...Webster was out there with Denver against McRoberts and our backups....he didn't look like anything special. We didn't really test him either...that's a tough call...I'm hoping for the best. I think EJ Gaines is finished as a corner...he didn't have great speed before the injury. I watched a lil of Peterson...he actually has some good film. I'd assume he wasn't drafted because of his speed, so I'm not the only guy looking at that.
Believe it or not, I'm expecting Troy Hill to really step up....and another guy...let me check the roster but
Tru-N Robey-Webster-Hill-....and I don't know if Joyner is a slot-corner or a safety yet....oh yeah....Blake Countess....that's 6 counting Joyner...

Wade's scheme really sets these CBs up for success, where the coaching and route anticipation can cover a bit for shortfalls in the corner talent. I think that's why he tends to get better production from them than anyone anticipates.

Which I pray is the case with us. Because defensively CB is a big concern for me.

 

[Prime Time]

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...e-passes-without-new-deals-for-three-players/

Franchise tag deadline passes without new deals for three players
Posted by Charean Williams on July 17, 2017

Getty Images

Monday was anticlimatic as the franchise tag deadline came and went without a new deal. In recent years, the deadline has led to new deals for Dez Bryant, Demaryius Thomas, Justin Houston and Von Miller.

But, as expected, Kirk Cousins, Le’Veon Bell and Trumaine Johnson will play out this season under the franchise tag. It became official at 4 p.m. ET.

Cousins becomes the first quarterback to play out the franchise tag in two consecutive seasons. He will make $23.94 million this season, scheduled to become a free agent again next year. If Washington uses the franchise tag a third time, it will cost them roughly $34 million in 2018.

Bell will play this season under a $12.1 million tag.

Johnson, on his second consecutive franchise tag, will get $16.74 million this season.

Four players who received franchise tags did receive long-term deals this offseason: The Cardinals signed linebacker Chandler Jones (five years, $82.5 million, with $53 million guaranteed); the Chargers signed defensive end Melvin Ingram (four years, $66 million, with $42 million guaranteed); the Giants signed defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul (four years, $62 million, with $40 million guaranteed); and the Panthers signed defensive tackle Kawann Short (five years $80.5 million, with $35 million guaranteed).

 

[CGI_Ram]

http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/...blew-faces-hard-truths-nfl-2017-training-camp

Talks between Rams, Trumaine Johnson were destined to go nowhere

LOS ANGELES -- The deadline came and went on Monday without a long-term extension between the Los Angeles Rams and primary cornerback Trumaine Johnson, a development that had been expected for quite some time.

In the end, there probably wasn't enough incentive on either side.

Johnson, the first cornerback to be tagged a second straight year since Charles Woodson in 2005, is sitting pretty, set to make $16.74 million in 2017 -- more than any other cornerback in the NFL. With that being the case, it would've been hard for Johnson to settle for a long-term deal that wasn't on par with some of the highest-paid players at his position. So locking him up might have required giving Johnson a five-year contract similar to that of Desmond Trufant ($68.75 million with nearly $42 million guaranteed), A.J. Bouye ($67.5 million with $26 million guaranteed) or Stephon Gilmore ($65 million with $40 million guaranteed). Or, at least, something in that neighborhood.

That was probably too steep for the Rams, for three key reasons:

1. Johnson hasn't proven to be an elite corner just yet. He racked up 13 interceptions from 2013 to '15, tied for fourth-most in the NFL during that time. But that was mainly as the No. 2 guy to Janoris Jenkins. Johnson's interceptions dropped to one last year, his first season as the primary corner, and Pro Football Focus graded him 25th among the 109 at his position.

2. The switch to new defensive coordinator Wade Phillips, who requires a lot of man coverage from his corners, created uncertainty about Johnson's long-term contributions. Perhaps it wasn't as big a factor as it was sold throughout the offseason, but it created enough doubt for an extension that probably didn't have much chance of getting done in the first place.

3. The Rams are focused on other contracts. They want to get something done with Aaron Donald, who is two years away from free agency but skipped organized team activities because he wants a new deal. They also are zeroing in on two other upcoming free agents: inside linebacker Alec Ogletree and defensive back Lamarcus Joyner. The Rams are set up to have about $39 million in salary-cap space for 2018, which ranks eighth in the NFL. But they have a lot of lingering free agents, especially on defense.

The fault, really, lies in letting it get to this point.

It goes back to last offseason, when the Rams chose to give Johnson the franchise tag, then watched Jenkins and free safety Rodney McLeod depart via free agency. That was a major blow to the depth in the Rams' secondary, and it created a scenario in which the Rams had no choice but to slap Johnson with the franchise tag all over again. Throughout the offseason, from the scouting combine to the final days of the offseason program, general manager Les Snead pointed to the midsummer deadline to negotiate with franchise players and stated that the organization would first like to see if Johnson is a fit for Phillips' system.

Johnson expressed zero doubts.

"I'm a big corner," he said. "I can play man, I can play off, I can play zone, I can play water boy. I can play anything y'all want to play, man."

Phillips was asked recently if he felt Johnson fit into his system. Conscious of the sensitivity with the topic, he spoke around it, saying, "Trumaine has done everything we’ve asked him to do so far, so I don’t have any problem with what he’s done."

Rookie head coach Sean McVay was asked the same thing and responded with: "I think he fits in any system. You’re talking about a big corner who can run, he’s physical, he can tackle and he has great ball skills."

ESPN's Adam Schefter brought up an interesting point while on NFL Live on Monday: Based on Schefter's report earlier this offseason, Johnson could have signed a long-term deal with the New Orleans Saints, but chose to stay in L.A. The Saints were set to send the Rams a 2017 draft pick that was believed to be in the second round, but Johnson was unwilling to sign a long-term deal, which might have blown up the whole thing.

The Rams have since signed Kayvon Webster, who looks like the favorite to be the No. 2 corner, and Nickell Robey-Coleman, a standout slot corner. They also used a third-round pick on Boston College safety John Johnson, injecting themselves with some much-needed depth in their secondary.

Trumaine Johnson nonetheless says he wants to stay for as long as the Rams will have him.

"I like it here; I like the defense," Johnson said in late May. "I'm trying to pick Wade Phillips' brain every day. He's won a Super Bowl, he's been to the playoffs. You're talking about a Hall of Fame coach."

 

[den-the-coach]