The Los Angeles Rams have placed their franchise tag on cornerback Trumaine Johnson.
Placing the tag on Johnson allows the Rams another year to negotiate a long-term contract with the four-year veteran. For Johnson, this means he’s set to get paid $13,952,000 next season, a number that he should be happy with.
This move also means that cornerback Janoris Jenkins is likely to enter free agency. The Rams have been unable to come to an agreement on a contract with their other four year veteran cornerback. The Rams reportedly offered a 5-year, $45 million contract to Jenkins, which was rejected. Jenkins is rumored to be seeking $12 million per year.
Johnson and Jenkins have emerged as one of the leagues most promising cornerback duos since being drafted together in 2012. Johnson led the Rams and was third overall in the NFL with seven interceptions in 2015. He has 15 interceptions in his four year career and has returned one for a touchdown in each of the last two seasons.
Locking down Johnson for another season is great news for the Rams as well as Rams fans. Now the Rams can focus their energy on re-signing Janoris Jenkins or finding his replacement to play alongside Johnson.
Steve Rebeiro is a staff writer for Rams Talk and an undergraduate student at Marquette University. For more of his opinions, follow him on Twitter here.
