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March 1, 2016 at 6:27 pm #39844
znModeratorRams Place Franchise Tag on Johnson
Myles SimmonsThe Rams have elected to place the non-exclusive franchise tag on cornerback Trumaine Johnson, the team announced today. By doing so, Johnson will be able to negotiate with other teams in free agency. But should he reach a deal with another franchise, that team would owe Los Angeles two first-round picks in compensation.
Selected in the third round of the 2012 draft, Johnson has appeared in 55 games (33 starts) over the last four years. Only Cincinnati’s Reggie Nelson and Kansas City’s Marcus Peters recorded more than Johnson’s seven interceptions in 2015. Plus, Johnson leads his draft class with 15 career interceptions.
With Johnson, Janoris Jenkins, Rodney McLeod, and Mark Barron all slated to become unrestricted free agents at the start of the new league year, head coach and general manager Les Snead have maintained throughout the offseason keeping the secondary together is a prime concern.
“We’ve developed them and we don’t want to develop them for anyone else,” Fisher said in January. “So, we want to be sure that we’re able to get them back. We’re confident we can do that.”
Last week at the NFL Combine, Snead called re-signing members of the secondary ‘Priority A,’ adding Los Angeles would be meeting with player representation while in Indianapolis. The GM said the discussions may run through the 48-hour window when teams may exchange figures with players from other organizations. But Snead maintained Fisher’s stance from January on the possibility of retaining those four players.
“It’s a tough task, but it’s realistic,” Snead said. “I don’t think it’s not realistic, especially considering the cap room and things like that.”
By placing the franchise tag on Johnson, the Rams have ensured that they have a strong chance to keep at least one of those players in the fold for 2016. Johnson and Los Angeles will be able to negotiate on a long-term deal until the July 15 deadline.
March 1, 2016 at 7:06 pm #39847znModeratorEvan Silva @evansilva
Would not be surprised if #Rams just let Janoris Jenkins walk, esp. with E.J. Gaines back from foot injury. Gaines was their best CB in ’14.Michael Silver @MikeSilver
I was in the Rams’ War Room the night they drafted Trumaine Johnson & Janoris Jenkins. Turns out they hit on bothMarch 1, 2016 at 7:07 pm #39848znModeratorRams use franchise tag on CB Trumaine Johnson
Nick Wagoner
ESPN.comhttp://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/14878811/los-angeles-rams-use-franchise-tag-cb-trumaine-johnson
EARTH CITY, Mo. — The Los Angeles Rams are using their franchise tag for the first time since 2009.
A team source said Tuesday that the Rams are placing the non-exclusive franchise tag on cornerback Trumaine Johnson, thus ensuring that they retain matching rights on him should another team offer him a contract and also receive two first-round picks should they decline to match such an offer.
The Rams have been adamant about their intent to sign both Johnson and fellow free-agent cornerback Janoris Jenkins to long-term contract extensions. The use of the tag ensures that the Rams will have at least some level of control in Johnson’s future.
The franchise tag price for a cornerback is $13,952,000 for 2016. Johnson can sign that one-year tender offer at any time, guaranteeing him that salary for next season. The Rams and Johnson can also continue negotiating a long-term deal with a deadline of July 15 to complete such an agreement.
Johnson, 26, made a big leap in 2015 as teams tested him more regularly than previous seasons. He tied for third in the NFL with seven interceptions and led the team with 12 pass breakups.
After the season, Johnson told ESPN.com that he hoped to return to the team but understood the business side of the league.
“It is a business,” Johnson said then. “The last few years seeing it, being in this locker room seeing guys go, people taking money, people taking pay cuts, you have got to do what’s best for you and your family when it comes down to it. So we’ll see.”
In his four NFL seasons, Johnson has 15 interceptions, the fourth most in the NFL in that time and the most among players taken in the 2012 draft.
The Rams used a third-round pick on Johnson in that draft after selecting Jenkins in the second round. Before Tuesday, the Rams hadn’t used the franchise tag since 2009, when they placed it on safety Oshiomogho Atogwe.
Teams can begin negotiating with outside free agents on Monday and begin officially signing those players on March 9.
March 1, 2016 at 7:42 pm #39854
sdramParticipantI still hope they can resign both Johnson and Jenkins.
March 1, 2016 at 10:26 pm #39861znModeratorRams make logical move in tagging Trumaine Johnson
Nick Wagoner
EARTH CITY, Mo. — After drafting, developing and watching their two starting cornerbacks grow into productive NFL players, the Los Angeles Rams couldn’t afford to lose both of them.
That is why they took the only step possible that would just about guarantee that they retain at least one of them this offseason when they used the non-exclusive franchise tag on cornerback Trumaine Johnson. Before Tuesday, there was plenty of debate as to whether the Rams should use the tag on Johnson or fellow cornerback Janoris Jenkins.
Really, though, it didn’t matter much which one ultimately became the first Ram to receive the designation since 2009. All that mattered was that one of them did.
Staring what could be the most lucrative free-agent market in NFL history in the face with teams flush with salary-cap space and some even required to spend it, the Rams knew that if they let Johnson and Jenkins see what’s out there, the contract numbers could soar into an uncomfortable stratosphere that would ultimately make a group filled with solid depth into a position of need.
So the Rams did the logical thing: they tagged one of the two players who would command the most money on the open market. Of course, other teams could still come at Johnson with huge offers and poison pills intended to prevent the Rams from matching an offer sheet, but it’s unlikely that any of them would be willing to forfeit two first-round picks plus all that money for Johnson’s services.
COMINGS AND GOINGS
ESPN.com is your headquarters for NFL trades and free-agency moves this offseason.
That means there’s a strong chance that Johnson will be with the Rams for at least the 2016 season. The fact that the Rams can continue negotiating with Johnson until July 15 and his excitement for playing in his home state of California means there’s a good chance they’ll be able to lock him up beyond next season as well.
Even with Johnson essentially tied up for 2016, the Rams would still like to keep Jenkins as well as other key free agent defenders such as ends William Hayes and Eugene Sims and safeties Rodney McLeod and Mark Barron.
With more than $58 million in salary cap space, it’s not out of the question that the Rams could pull it off, though they must still find a way to improve their lagging offense. That should provide even more incentive to sign Johnson long-term and keep his cap number below the $13,952,000 that would come with the one-year franchise tag tender.
For Johnson, it’s been quite a journey to becoming the team’s franchise player. In the month leading up to his breakout 2015 season, during which he made seven interceptions, Johnson looked like he’d be on the wrong side of a competition with E.J. Gaines for the starting spot opposite Jenkins. After a foot injury to Gaines, Johnson became the starter. A few months later, he’s the first Ram to get the franchise tag since Oshiomogho Atogwe in 2009.
Before 2015, Johnson’s first three seasons had been filled with stops and starts, including a knee injury that cost him seven games in 2014. But his combination of size (6-foot-2, 208 pounds), youth (he’s 26) and production (his 15 interceptions are the most by anyone in the 2012 draft class) have turned him into one of the most important members of the Rams’ hard-hitting defense.
That the Rams finally used the franchise tag again also is a sign of progress. It means they’re finally at a point in which they’re drafting and developing players who are good enough that other teams would chase them on the free-agent market. It also doesn’t preclude them from keeping both of their prized cornerbacks.
“I love them, and they’ve done a great job,” defensive coordinator Gregg Williams said at the end of the season. “I would love to be able to coach them for as long as I can. I’d love to be able to coach them their whole career, but that’s the nature of our business. We understand that. When free agency came in, I was in this league for a long time and there was no free agency. When that started, it’s like college. You graduate guys and you’ve got to have guys behind them getting ready to roll, but those guys have been really, really fun to coach. They’ve done well, and I think you guys have seen them improve every single year of their careers. So, I’d love to be able to coach them for the rest of their career. Hopefully, we’ll see.”
Tuesday’s move might not have guaranteed Williams the chance to do that, but it was a step in the right direction. In more ways than one
March 2, 2016 at 1:37 pm #39883znModeratorPFF: EVALUATING ALL 10 FRANCHISE TAG DECISIONS
https://www.profootballfocus.com/blog/2016/03/02/pro-evaluating-all-10-franchise-tag-decisions/
Sam Monson examines each tag used by teams before the deadline, identifying which moves were smart, and which were questionable.
The first domino of free agency toppled yesterday, with franchise tags being slapped on 10 players across the NFL, better setting the marketplace for the free-for-all madness that will begin next week.
The franchise tag today is really only used for two reasons: to buy more time for a long-term deal to get done, or because you don’t have enough confidence in the player to hand him those big-time guaranteed dollars just yet, but he has shown enough that you’re willing to give him another year to earn them.
Here we break down those moves into two categories: smart and questionable.
Smart moves
Kirk Cousins, QB, Redskins ($19.953 million)
This is the classic case of the latter scenario outlined above. Washington saw some very good play from Cousins last season, but not enough of it to be confident in handing him $100 million or $50 million guaranteed, which is the ballpark contract a young, franchise quarterback is dealing in. Instead, they get to see him try to earn that deal in 2016, paying him the same kind of big-money ($19.95 million), but only being tied to him for the 2016 season.
Alshon Jeffery, WR, Bears ($14.599 million)
Tagging Alshon Jeffery made too much sense not to happen, which is why it was so strange that we weren’t sure for so long. If Kevin White works out, the Bears will have two top weapons, something they haven’t been able to claim since Jeffery and Marshall were at their best. If White doesn’t pan out, they will need to keep Jeffery in-house as their only real receiving weapon. Even at this price, there will still be four higher-paid receivers in 2016 (three if Calvin Johnson officially walks away).
Von Miller, OLB, Broncos (~$14.129m, exclusive tag, not set until all of next year’s salaries are complete)
Von Miller wasn’t just franchise tagged, but became the first non-QB since Richard Seymour in 2010 to receive the exclusive tag, meaning only Denver can negotiate with him. The Broncos just saw how truly devastating Miller can be at his best, and he’s trying to parlay that into a monstrous contract. This is a deal both parties want to make, but hammering out the details is going to take some significant time. A three-game playoff run from Miller that featured six sacks, one hit, 16 hurries, a pass breakup, an interception, and two forced fumbles will be at the forefront of negotiations.
Trumaine Johnson, CB, Rams ($13.952 million)
The Rams had a decision to make between Janoris Jenkins and Trumaine Johnson, and while they reportedly were offering Jenkins the long-term deal first, he rejected it, believing himself to be the type of shutdown player that 22 touchdowns surrendered over the past four seasons belies. Johnson, on the other hand, has allowed just six over the same timespan, and only one in each of his past two seasons. Last season, he looked like one of the better corners in the league for much of the year, so the Rams can now try to lock him down long-term and allow Jenkins to seek the riches he believes he’s worth elsewhere.
Josh Norman, CB, Panthers ($13.952 million)
Norman is another in the category of no-brainer when it comes to buying more time for a long-term deal. He emerged as a shutdown corner last season, and for a good portion of the year, was yielding a worse passer rating when targeted than if the QB had just thrown the ball into the turf every play. He ended the season leading the league in passer rating allowed, and there is no way Carolina could allow him to hit the open market.
Cordy Glenn, LT, Bills ($13.706 million)
The Bills are left with an interesting decision with Cordy Glenn. He may never be one of the best offensive tackles in the NFL, but he is a good player at a position where they are in shortage league-wide. A good O-line is often not about how good your best players, are but about how bad the worst are. The Bills couldn’t take the chance that the player to replace Glenn at left tackle would be a problem big enough to stunt the development of Tyrod Taylor. Glenn surrendered just two sacks last season, three less than Dallas’ Tyron Smith.
Olivier Vernon, DE, Dolphins ($12.734 million, transition tag)
Vernon was the only player to have the transition tag applied to him, which means the Dolphins will pay him less this season, but also if they fail to match any offer he attracts from another team, they will receive nothing by way of compensation in return. This is likely born of their cap situation, but also may effectively do their negotiating for them. If Vernon’s price goes too high, they can walk away and focus elsewhere. For a player whose elite play really only spans eight games, that may be smart.
Questionable moves
Muhammad Wilkerson, DE, Jets ($15.701 million)
It’s beginning to feel like the Jets don’t quite know what to do with their D-linemen, having amassed so many of them. Sheldon Richardson and Leonard Williams gave the team some cover to move on from Wilkerson, but instead, they have chosen to hang on to him this season and risk losing NT Damon Harrison, the only player without viable cover, to the open market. Wilkerson is a fine player that gives them some impressive versatility up front, but this feels like indecision rather than calculated hedging.
Eric Berry, S, Chiefs ($10.806 million)
Eric Berry’s comeback story a year ago was one of fairytales. To even return to the NFL after his Hodgkin’s lymphoma diagnosis was remarkable, but to come back and play maybe the best football of his career practically defies belief. The issue for the Chiefs, however, is that I’m not sure Berry is really a game-changing player, or worth the $10.81 million they just committed to him for the 2016 season. That figure means he is scheduled to earn $4.7 million more than Kam Chancellor. Berry is a good player, but that is game-changing money I’m not convinced he justifies.
Justin Tucker, K, Ravens ($4.572 million)
How hard can it really be to negotiate a long-term contract with a kicker? Justin Tucker is arguably the best in the league, having topped PFF’s grades in each of the last two seasons, thanks to being proficient at both place-kicks and kickoffs. Last season, his average kick sailed 7 yards into the end zone, and he missed just one spot kick from under 50 yards. Retaining him for the Ravens was obviously important, but this feels like business that could have been done without using the franchise tag.[/quote]
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