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With one franchise tag to wield, the Los Angeles Rams had a choice between corners Trumaine Johnson and Janoris Jenkins. The team chose Johnson.
In recent days the Rams leaned towards ensuring Johnson didn't hit the open market, where he might have commanded a huge long-term extension. The 6-foot-2 corner finished with 58 tackles and seven interceptions in 2015. He was part of a high-flying, hard-hitting Rams secondary.
Johnson was ranked No. 22 on Around The NFL's top 99 free agents list.
The move will allow Jenkins -- who we had ranked No. 16 -- to reach free agency. The playmaking corner, who blanketed one side of the field, will be easily the top corner to hit the open market, with the Panthers also tagging Josh Norman. Jenkins, 27, recently fired his agent. It has been reported Jenkins wants to be paid top dollar and it's possible the Rams viewed Johnson as an easier candidate to lock down for the long haul.
As for Johnson's non-exclusive tag, teams can still negotiate with the cornerback when the league year opens on March 9 and potentially sign him to a tender. The Rams would have the right to match the offer or would receive two first-round picks from the team that signs the corner. No offense to Johnson, but no team is parting two first-round picks for a cornerback. He'll be in Los Angeles in 2016.
Johnson just turned 26 in January and has displayed vast improvement in the past few seasons. It's clear the team sees him as a building block for the future. The sides have until July 15 to hammer out a long-term contract.
NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reported the Rams will place the non-exclusive franchise tag on Johnson, worth $13.952 million. The Rams later made the move official.
Explaining the tag
» The exclusive franchise tag is a one-year tender offer to a player for an amount no less than the average of the top five salaries at the player's position, or 120 percent of the player's previous salary, whichever is greater. The player's team has all negotiating rights to the player.
» The non-exclusive franchise tag is a one-year tender offer determined through a more complicated process. First, the average of the top-five salaries at the position over the last five years is calculated. Next, the percentage against the cap for each of those five seasons is averaged out and applied toward the current season cap to determine the offer amount. The player can negotiate with other teams. The player's current team has the right to match any offer, or receive two first-round picks as compensation.
» The transition tag is a one-year tender offer to a player for an amount that is the average of the top 10 salaries at the position and is calculated using the same formula as the non-exclusive franchise tag number. It guarantees the original club the right of first refusal to match any offer the player may receive from another team. The transition tag can only be used if the franchise tag is not used by a team in that year. Transition tags can be rescinded, but teams that rescind a transition tag cannot use it again until next season.
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000640528/article/rams-place-franchise-tag-on-trumaine-johnson
In recent days the Rams leaned towards ensuring Johnson didn't hit the open market, where he might have commanded a huge long-term extension. The 6-foot-2 corner finished with 58 tackles and seven interceptions in 2015. He was part of a high-flying, hard-hitting Rams secondary.
Johnson was ranked No. 22 on Around The NFL's top 99 free agents list.
The move will allow Jenkins -- who we had ranked No. 16 -- to reach free agency. The playmaking corner, who blanketed one side of the field, will be easily the top corner to hit the open market, with the Panthers also tagging Josh Norman. Jenkins, 27, recently fired his agent. It has been reported Jenkins wants to be paid top dollar and it's possible the Rams viewed Johnson as an easier candidate to lock down for the long haul.
As for Johnson's non-exclusive tag, teams can still negotiate with the cornerback when the league year opens on March 9 and potentially sign him to a tender. The Rams would have the right to match the offer or would receive two first-round picks from the team that signs the corner. No offense to Johnson, but no team is parting two first-round picks for a cornerback. He'll be in Los Angeles in 2016.
Johnson just turned 26 in January and has displayed vast improvement in the past few seasons. It's clear the team sees him as a building block for the future. The sides have until July 15 to hammer out a long-term contract.
NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reported the Rams will place the non-exclusive franchise tag on Johnson, worth $13.952 million. The Rams later made the move official.
Explaining the tag
» The exclusive franchise tag is a one-year tender offer to a player for an amount no less than the average of the top five salaries at the player's position, or 120 percent of the player's previous salary, whichever is greater. The player's team has all negotiating rights to the player.
» The non-exclusive franchise tag is a one-year tender offer determined through a more complicated process. First, the average of the top-five salaries at the position over the last five years is calculated. Next, the percentage against the cap for each of those five seasons is averaged out and applied toward the current season cap to determine the offer amount. The player can negotiate with other teams. The player's current team has the right to match any offer, or receive two first-round picks as compensation.
» The transition tag is a one-year tender offer to a player for an amount that is the average of the top 10 salaries at the position and is calculated using the same formula as the non-exclusive franchise tag number. It guarantees the original club the right of first refusal to match any offer the player may receive from another team. The transition tag can only be used if the franchise tag is not used by a team in that year. Transition tags can be rescinded, but teams that rescind a transition tag cannot use it again until next season.
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000640528/article/rams-place-franchise-tag-on-trumaine-johnson
