db John Johnson re-signs with Rams

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  • August 7, 2023 at 10:56 am #144758
    zn
    Moderator

    August 7, 2023 at 1:02 pm #144760
    wv
    Participant

    Cant have enough solid vets, i would think.

    Patching together a scrappy, intelligent team, one hopes.

     

    w

    v

    August 7, 2023 at 1:28 pm #144762
    zn
    Moderator

    He’s back: Free-agent safety John Johnson agrees to deal with Rams

    GARY KLEIN

    https://www.latimes.com/sports/rams/story/2023-08-07/john-johnson-rams-agrees-contract

    The Rams added veteran depth to their secondary Monday by bringing back safety John Johnson, a key player in their run to their first Super Bowl appearance under coach Sean McVay five years ago.

    Johnson, 27, has been a free agent since the Cleveland Browns released him in March.

    Johnson is scheduled to take a physical Monday in Thousand Oaks. If he passes, he’s expected to rejoin the team for their final training camp practice Tuesday morning in Irvine, said a person not authorized to speak about the transaction publicly.

    Johnson was expected to receive a contract for the veteran minimum, about $1.08 million. The Rams previously signed free-agent receivers Demarcus Robinson and Tyler Johnson and cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon to similar deals.

    Johnson’s signing is not a surprise. He attended practice Sunday at UC Irvine, where he spoke on the sideline with Rams general manager Les Snead and vice president Tony Pastoors. Johnson also signed autographs for fans, clearly enjoying his return to a familiar environment.

    Johnson, a third-round draft pick by the Rams in 2017, will forever be remembered for his interception in overtime in the NFC Championship game against the New Orleans Saints in the 2018 playoffs. The play set up a game-winning field goal that sent the Rams to Super Bowl LIII.

    In March 2021, the Browns signed Johnson to a three-year contract that included $24 million in guarantees. Johnson intercepted four passes in two seasons with the Browns.

    During his first stint with the Rams, Johnson played three seasons under defensive coordinator Wade Phillips and one under Brandon Staley.

    Now Johnson will work under Raheem Morris in a position group that includes fourth-year pro Jordan Fuller and second-year pros Russ Yeast and Quentin Lake.

    Johnson and Fuller were teammates in 2020, Fuller’s rookie season.

    August 7, 2023 at 2:14 pm #144765
    canadaram
    Participant

    This is a nice signing for sure. Even if Johnson’s skills have declined, the Rams are particularly green in the secondary. This often means some costly errors, especially early in the season. Having a veteran safety back there can only help.

    August 7, 2023 at 6:11 pm #144770
    Billy_T
    Participant

    Possibly the best move made so far this off-season. I also like the pickups of Witherspoon and Robinson.

    Wish SF, the Jets, and Tampa would all lose their minds and cut Bosa, Sauce Gardner, and Wirfs, respectively. The Rams swoop them up and are back in business!

    :>)

    August 8, 2023 at 8:47 pm #144784
    zn
    Moderator

    August 8, 2023 at 9:04 pm #144790
    Zooey
    Participant
    Billy_T wrote:

    Possibly the best move made so far this off-season. I also like the pickups of Witherspoon and Robinson.

    Concur.

     

    How’s the health, Billy? Been a while since I’ve seen an update.

    August 9, 2023 at 1:29 pm #144795
    zn
    Moderator

    .

    [link above]

    Rams add safety net to defense with addition of John Johnson

    GARY KLEIN

    In his first stint with the Rams, safety John Johnson was a 21-year-old rookie playing for a rookie head coach in Sean McVay.

    The Rams, with a roster that included running back Todd Gurley and defensive lineman Aaron Donald, had added free-agent receiver Robert Woods and offensive lineman Andrew Whitworth — and then made Johnson part of a draft class that included receiver Cooper Kupp.

    Six years later, Johnson is back with the Rams.

    “It’s like nostalgia,” Johnson said Tuesday after his first workout. “It feels good.”

    Johnson, however, has returned to a Rams organization in a different operational mode.

    Donald, Kupp and quarterback Matthew Stafford, all of whom received massive extensions after the Rams’ Super Bowl LVI victory to end the 2021 season, are the only remaining stars for a team that this offseason shied from its typical headline-grabbing ways.

    Two years after winning the Super Bowl, and then experiencing the biggest Super Bowl hangover in NFL history, the Rams broke from their tradition under McVay. They traded star cornerback Jalen Ramsey. They cut star linebacker Bobby Wagner and edge rusher Leonard Floyd. And they passed on the opportunity to re-sign other starters.

    Instead, they waited for free-agent bargains.

    Johnson, released by the Cleveland Browns in March, is the latest and perhaps most high-profile example of players signed to veteran-minimum contracts.

    In May, the Rams signed receiver Tyler Johnson, in June receiver Demarcus Robinson and cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon. After running back Sony Michel retired a few days into training camp, the Rams signed running back Royce Freeman.

    And on Tuesday, they welcomed back John Johnson. The seventh-year pro, who collected $24 million from the Browns the last two seasons, signed a one-year deal for $1.08 million..

    Total investment for the Rams for five players: slightly more than $5 million.

    “They’ve all played significant snaps in this league and they know what it looks like,” McVay said, adding, “We’ve been able to acquire good players that are going to come in and have a chance to really impact this football team.”

    John Johnson’s skill level and how he fits in Raheem Morris’ defense will be assessed in the weeks leading to the Sept. 10 opener against the Seattle Seahawks. But his leadership and experience should bolster a secondary that during the offseason included only one key player with more than a year of NFL experience, safety Jordan Fuller.

    Fuller and second-year safety Russ Yeast took first-team snaps during the first few weeks of training camp, with second-year pro Quentin Lake also getting significant opportunities The Rams selected rookie Jason Taylor II in the seventh round of the draft.

    Now add Johnson to the mix.

    “To be able to get a guy that’s familiar with the culture, has played a lot of really good football … we felt like it was a chance to be able to upgrade our secondary,” McVay said.

    Johnson indicated he has much to prove.

    When he left the Rams after the 2020 season, he was at the top of his game — and he cashed in. But he said that during his two seasons in Cleveland, he did not meet his expectations, or those of the Browns.

    Two years later, he agreed to return to the Rams for the minimum.

    “You want to go out there and show that you can still go. I’m young,” Johnson, 27, said. “I feel like I’m in my prime.

    “I just needed a place and opportunity to do it.”

    August 9, 2023 at 4:04 pm #144797
    Billy_T
    Participant
    Zooey wrote:
    Billy_T wrote:

    Possibly the best move made so far this off-season. I also like the pickups of Witherspoon and Robinson.

    Concur. How’s the health, Billy? Been a while since I’ve seen an update.

     

    Thanks for asking, Zooey. All things considered, doing fine. In remission still, as far as I know. Though I’ve been beset lately by dental issues. I guess if we live long enough, everything falls apart!

    ;>)

    But back to the cancer stuff for a moment. I am a bit bothered by recent changes at the oncology center.

    Relatively new doc, and a new philosophy, sorta. I joked with my GP (after my most recent oncology visit) that it seems like the self-service model has infected the medical field too. Basically, they want me to let them know if something’s wrong, rather than do the usual tests. I asked them about CT scans, PETscans, etc. etc. and they said No need, until or unless I notice something wrong. Have been with them now for 20 years, and in the past they were more proactive. Wonder if this is a trend around the country?

    Hope you and yours are well. Again, appreciate the ask.

    August 11, 2023 at 5:18 am #144806
    zn
    Moderator

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