Bonsignore: With no long-term contract in sight, Rams defensive back Trumaine Johnson faces make-or-break season
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.
http://www.ocregister.com/2017/06/2...season/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter
