Rams locker room might be right one for Marcus Peters

Alden Gonzalez

http://www.espn.com/blog/los-angeles-rams/post/_/id/37789/rams-locker-room-might-be-right-one-for-marcus-peters

LOS ANGELES — Marcus Peters is only 25, set to make less than $2 million, with far more interceptions than anybody else over the past three seasons — and yet, according to the Kansas City Star, only the Los Angeles Rams and the San Francisco 49ers were legitimately interested in trading for him.

It says a lot, about the reputation Peters has built and the hesitancy it has caused.

In agreeing to acquire Peters from the Kansas City Chiefs on Friday — for a package of draft picks that has yet to be revealed, in a trade that won’t become official until the start of the new league year on March 14 — the Rams inherited some risk. They got a shutdown cornerback at minimal cost, adding an elite playmaker at their greatest position of need for only $1.74 million. But they also added a mercurial player with a history of quarreling with coaches and losing his composure, which prompts some important questions.

Is Peters a bad guy, or could the Chiefs simply not reach him?

Is his ability worth the trouble?

Is the Rams locker room and culture strong enough to sustain it?

The Rams’ hope is that a change of scenery will do wonders for Peters. And if any scene will do it, it’s theirs. The Rams are only a drive away from Peters’ hometown of Oakland, which is said to be important to him. They have a 32-year-old head coach in Sean McVay who is as good as any at connecting with this generation’s players. Their defensive coordinator, the 70-year-old Wade Phillips, is as revered as they come. And the leadership within their locker room is sound, with the likes of Aaron Donald and Alec Ogletree setting the tone on defense.

“We have a good foundation in place,” McVay said from the 101 Awards in Kansas City on Saturday, where he was presented with the organization’s NFC Coach of the Year Award.

“The leadership, I think, that we have in our locker room is able to bring guys in and welcome them and make them feel a part of it. You’ll hear us talk about ‘we not me,’ being a part of something bigger than yourself. That’s what we’ve got in our locker room, and that’s why you feel good about being able to bring people in and let them know that we’re going to welcome them; we’re going to put our arm around them.”

Peters was dismissed from Washington before the completion of his junior season after multiple arguments with assistant coaches. His coach with the Chiefs, Andy Reid, has built a strong reputation for getting along with players. But even Reid felt the need to suspend Peters after a bizarre sequence against the New York Jets this past December, when he threw an official’s flag into the stands, left the field without being ejected and later returned without socks. Peters also argued with Chiefs defensive coordinator Bob Sutton on the sideline a handful of times, among other transgressions.

Phillips has dealt with numerous dynamic personalities in his 40-plus years in the NFL, most recently the likes of Pacman Jones and Aqib Talib. But Phillips has never been considered a disciplinarian. Players love playing for him at least partly because he trusts them, because he lets them be, because he doesn’t necessarily reprimand. If that is ever necessary with Peters, it would probably fall on McVay.

His leadership and coaching acumen could be tested like never before, but it should be worth it.

Peters is that good.

He has generated 30 turnovers since being drafted 18th overall three years ago, including 19 interceptions, six forced fumbles and five fumble recoveries. His 49.0 disrupted dropbacks — a measure that combines interceptions, sacks, batted passes and passes defended — are tied for third from 2015 to 2017. And since the 1970 merger, only three players — Richard Sherman, Ed Reed and Everson Walls — have more interceptions in their first three seasons.

Asked about Peters in Kansas City, McVay declined comment because the trade has not been processed.

“But in a quick nugget,” McVay said, “he’s a great player.”

Quarterbacks have continually shied away from Peters, his targets going from 137 in 2015 to 87 in 2016 to 72 in 2017, according to Pro Football Focus. But he’s still the first player since Reed from 2000 to 2004 with at least five interceptions in each of his first three seasons. He missed only two tackles last season, according to Pro Football Focus, and forced a career-high four fumbles. From 2015 to 2017, his opponents’ passer rating when targeted has been 67.7, 66.0 and 66.0, respectively. All fell within the NFL’s top 11.

In Peters, the Rams gained a former All-Pro who’s better than Trumaine Johnson and costs one-tenth of the price. There’s still no word on what they gave up, but some reporters have speculated that a first-round pick probably wasn’t involved. If that’s the case, then this is the type of trade you make every time — when you’re that kind of team, have that kind of need and feel that kind of confident about your environment.

“When you look at the way that we want to operate philosophically,” McVay said, speaking in generalities, “you can never have enough guys that can cover, be able to play some of the man principles that Coach Wade loves to implement.”

Peters comes at a critical juncture in his rookie contract. The Rams will have until May 3 to pick up his fifth-year option for 2019, which basically means they have a year to figure out whether to pay him in line with the game’s best cornerbacks. Given that, and the circumstances that will surround him, perhaps Peters will remain composed in 2018.

The Rams, coming off an 11-5 season that led to a division title, just acquired a potential Hall of Fame cornerback in the thick of his prime.

They will happily deal with any of the red flags that come with it.

“Everything starts with relationships, and I wouldn’t say you’re looking for any sort of balance of personalities [in the locker room],” McVay said from Kansas City. “You want the right types of guys, and we look for good guys who are good football guys and that love the game.”

THIS IS ONE INTRIGUING TRADE, FOR MANY REASONS

Peter King

https://www.si.com/nfl/2018/02/26/nfl-combine-mike-mayock-draft-prospects-mmqb-peter-king

News item: Kansas City agrees to make its second major trade in a month, dealing 25-year-old Pro Bowl cornerback Marcus Peters to the Rams.

We don’t know, yet, exactly the compensation. But Ian Rapoport reported he didn’t think the deal involved a first-round pick, which I have heard as well. If true, the best pick the Rams could lose this year would be 87th overall because Los Angeles does not have its own second-rounder. Next draft, if the Rams have a similar 2018 as they did in 2017, their second-round pick would fall in the fifties. But if it’s a low two and low three for a sort of problem child, it’s an intriguing trade for both teams.

Check down further in the column for my Stat of the Week, but you’ll see why Peters’ value was still high, though tarnished in Kansas City because of his anthem stance (he kneeled, much to owner Clark Hunt’s chagrin), his unpopularity in the arch-conservative area because of his anthem protest, and his one-game suspension after blowing up and throwing a penalty flag in the stands at the Jets. The man averaged 9.7 big plays (interceptions, forced fumbles, recovered fumbles) a year in his three Kansas City seasons. It seems like a perfect fit for the Rams, too, at an unbelievably good price: a low third-round pick, at most this year, and they get in return a player under contract for two years and $10.5 million. Peters should thrive in a Wade Phillips defense that asks its top corner to play head to head against great receivers. If the Rams can coax Peters into buying into their way of doing things, this will have been a smart purchase.

Maybe the Chiefs couldn’t have made this work, and maybe coach Andy Reid figured Peters was just too much of a handful. But if the Chiefs don’t get a first-rounder in return for a 25-year-old cornerback who, if he can control his temper and play within the scheme, could be a Hall of Fame player, I like the deal for Los Angeles, risk and all.

I’m told there was no agreement or even “we’ll see” about re-doing Peters’ contract, so the Rams will have to count Peters only $1.7 million against the cap this year. With the Rams’ biggest need being at cornerback, and with Peters surely understanding this season will be huge in figuring the value of his next contract, the Rams are likely to get the very good Peters—and in an area where the anthem protests do not roil the locals the way they do in the Midwest.

The Niners were also in play, and the Browns, too, to a lesser degree. But here’s what’s interesting: The Rams, 49ers and Browns are all on the Chiefs’ 2018 schedule. L.A. and Kansas City will play in Mexico City this fall. Peters might be a little fired up for that game.

wv wrote:

Well if they dont pick an LT, and Whitworth goes down what will they do?

I suppose move Saffold to LT and scrounge for a guard to replace Saffold.

Maybe it works, i dunno.

w
v

I agree, it’s an issue.

But then if there’s no one at 23 worthy of being considered a solid LOT, then, there’s no one at 23. Not a lot can be done about that.

But, it’s still early, I don;t really know yet what/who will be worth the pick at 23. Maybe there is a left OT there.

..

..

Sean McVay: Players know exactly “what our standards are” for behavior

Sean McVay: Players know exactly “what our standards are” for behavior

Rams head coach Sean McVay was at an awards ceremony in Kansas City on Saturday and that meant he got asked about the team’s agreement to trade for Chiefs cornerback Marcus Peters.

That trade can’t become official until March 14, which limited McVay’s ability to answer without violating the league’s rules on tampering. McVay said Peters is a “great player” but didn’t have any other comments about the move or the cornerback.

McVay was able to speak more freely about something that was a concern for Peters in Kansas City. Peters was suspended for a game last season due to his behavior during and after a game and such concerns likely contributed to the Chiefs’ decision to trade a young and talented player at this point. McVay spoke in general terms about how the Rams handle their players.

“These are grown men, and it starts with the mutual respect that exists, where they know it’s about developing and building relationships,” McVay said, via the Kansas City Star. “If we’re going to ask our players to be coachable, we’ve got to be coachable as coaches as well. That displays an ownership and an accountability that we try to all have and makes the players more receptive to the messages we try to implement. … They know exactly what the expectations are, what our standards are, and they know what it is to do it the right way.”

Defensive tackle Aaron Donald was also at the event and counseled that McVay’s smile shouldn’t fool anyone because “he’ll get after you when you do something wrong.” The Rams surely hope that won’t be necessary with Peters this year.

cool_hand_luke wrote:

The video was previously posted but I have yet to see anything posted about what was said.

One important thing Demoff discussed was what the team learned after “the RG3 trade.” He talked about the lack of time you have to develop young players from the draft in the new CBA. He specifically stated that it takes a player three years of practices now to have what that player had in one year before the recent CBA. Another statement, was that decisions to keep that player need to be made in their fourth year. He said they are now looking for young, rising players that they can acquire on their original rookie deals. Needing a veteran presence was also mentioned as something they learned.

I find this very intelligent. Adding Sammy Watkins, Marcus Peters, Robert Woods, Kayvon Webster,etc–young players, already developed for non top rate dollars.

He told a story about Kupp. Mentioned he was 4th out of 6th in workouts with other WRs they targeted to go in the 2nd or 3rd round of the draft. But Snead attended a football camp with Peyton Manning which Kupp attended–in this camp Manning was always throwing to Kupp, From how Demoff made this statement, it was clear this fact held great value in their analysis of Kupp.

Rams’ trade for Marcus Peters proves their belief in their football culture

http://www.kansascity.com/sports/nfl/kansas-city-chiefs/article202034504.html

In professional football, the name of the game is winning. So much so that one good season is enough to make you The Next Big Thing, the one who can do no wrong.
Exhibit A for this is the Los Angeles Rams’ young coach, Sean McVay, who happened to be in Kansas City for a major event just one day after news broke surrounding the Rams’ trade for star Chiefs cornerback Marcus Peters.

McVay, who was at the 101 Awards on Saturday at Westin Crown Center to receive his NFC coach of the year honor, smiled wide and spoke enthusiastically during the press conference before the event.

Positivity and enthusiasm are part of his ethos as a coach, and after the 32-year-old guided the Rams to a seven-win improvement in 2017 — while simultaneously working wonders with a previously-horrific offense — who’s to say there’s anything wrong with that?

Certainly not other coach-needy NFL teams like Indianapolis and Chicago, which spent the last few months seeking offensive-minded head coaches just like McVay in hopes of a similar turnaround.

So in the NFL, when you’re The Next Big Thing and things are going well, you can take chances. And don’t think for a second that the Rams’ acquisition of Peters, which cannot be finalized until the start of the new league year on March 14, isn’t rooted in confidence born in the Rams’ success this season.

“Right now, just because of where we’re at in the league year, you can’t make it official, so you have to be careful with some of the tampering,” McVay said, when asked directly about Peters. “But in a quick nugget, he’s a great player.”

There’s little doubt about that. Since 2015, Peters’ rookie season, no NFL cornerback has intercepted more passes than Peters, the mercurial Oakland native, who’s penchant for diagnosing routes and making plays is practically unmatched. At 25 years old, Peters is among the best cornerbacks in the league at a position of critical importance, one who could have been retained by the Chiefs for fairly reasonable sums the next two years.

Still, the Chiefs opted to punt on making him the league’s highest-paid corner in the near future, trading him Friday in a move that’s been in the works for three weeks. That little fact — of Peters likely garnering a big payday in the future — seemed to scare away several teams, as sources told The Star that only the Rams and 49ers stepped to the plate with interest.

It’s not a coincidence both are West Coast teams with young head coaches with leadership skills, as Peters’ preference for being close to his beloved hometown of Oakland has been long-established, while his coachability has been a question dating back to college.

But for McVay and the Rams, whose worst-to-first turnaround has rightfully inspired confidence in their system, the trade for Peters is essentially playing with house money. With Peters needing a new deal, he’s likely to play well, and is likely to be on his best behavior as the new kid on the block.

“These are grown men, and it starts with the mutual respect that exists, where they know it’s about developing and building relationships,” said McVay, who fosters that by being honest when he messes up too. “If we’re going to ask our players to be coachable, we’ve got to be coachable as coaches as well. That displays an ownership and an accountability that we try to all have and makes the players more receptive to the messages we try to implement.”

When it comes to discipline, McVay said he believes in establishing clear-cut boundaries, which could factor into his eventual handling of Peters, whom Chiefs coach Andy Reid suspended in late December for one game due to a combination of Peters’ on-field and off-field behavior.

“They know exactly what the expectations are, what our standards are, and they know what it is to do it the right way,” McVay said.

That’s why star defensive tackle Aaron Donald, who was also in Kansas City on Saturday to be honored as the NFC’s defensive player of the year by the 101 Committee, believes in the Rams’ ability to accommodate just about any personality.

“He’s a coach — he’ll get after you when you do something wrong,” Donald said of McVay. “Don’t let that smile fool you. I’ve seen that man change.”

One other thing the Rams have going for them is the presence of defensive coordinator Wade Phillips. While Peters often appeared to be frustrated at the on-field calls by Chiefs defensive coordinator Bob Sutton late last season — at least until his suspension — Phillips’ gravitas is real. Though Phillips is quiet, he also has a knack for putting his players in position to make plays, and when you throw in all the great players
he’s coached — and don’t forget, Phillips was the guide of Denver’s Super Bowl-winning swashbuckling unit of a few years, which was one of the best in recent history — he’s got the command and respect of the entire locker room.

“Every little thing he says, it makes you want to listen to it and take the coaching,” Donald said.

But players ultimately set the tone in a locker room, and McVay likes the alpha males who establish the Rams’ football culture, especially defenders like Alec Ogletree, Connor Barwin and Donald, all of whom McVay explicitly mentioned by name.

“Special players like this have a real good influence, especially when they’re producing,” said McVay as he nodded toward Donald, who was sitting directly to his left.
Donald prefers to lead by example, and he noted the Rams have a lot of guys like that, who work hard and have helped McVay establish the right way of doing things.

Even former Chiefs tight end Tony Gonzalez, who is now an NFL analyst, thinks a new team will be good for Peters, whose sometimes-explosive temperament caused more attention than his on-field play did at times last season.

“Sometimes a change of scenery will do a player good, and I hope that for Marcus, because he’s a phenomenal football player,” Gonzalez said. “But sometimes with personalities and situations, change is good. That’s why coaches get fired, players get traded. You’ve just got to move on and make it good.”

But in the meantime, the Rams are taking a chance after a winning season, a chance that makes sense. It’s a gamble for sure, but it’s one you can take when you’ve got the league copying your blueprint for success.

“When you’re looking at the way we want to operate philosophically, you can never have enough guys that can cover and be able to play some of the man principles that (defensive coordinator) Wade (Phillips) loves to implement,” McVay said.

“Anytime you have guys that can cover and do different things as far as matching up with receivers like Antonio Brown, that gives you a chance to be versatile and maybe mix some things up in terms of the pressures that you want to bring.”

THE OTHER SIDE

==

Deadpool wrote:

I’m not a fan

Doesn’t it strike you as odd that a top 5 CB at age 25 making 1.7 mil this year is even on the trading block, let alone for less then one 1st round pick let alone multiple 1st rounders? Top 5 CBs don’t get traded.

Yes he has hothead issues like choking a coach while at Washington. Actually is that a hothead issue? I would call it felony assault. Or getting released from said program for multiple issues?

So players coaches like Andy Reid (the ultimate players coach) and Chris Petersen couldn’t reign him in but somehow Sean McVay will? As far as players guiding him in the right direction. Look no further then Eric Berry, one of, if not the most respected player in the NFL right now. He was in the same backfield as Peters and he couldn’t do it. Neither could Justin Houston. Or how about Derrick Johnson with his 13 years of NFL experience? 13 years. But you expect a bonehead like Tree with his whopping 5 years to reign him in. OK

There’supside, but also a ton of downside. Being a locker room cancer is a huge downside. Chris Petersen thought more of his team then winning when he cut him in college. Andy Reid signed Micheal Vick straight out of federal prison, but traded a top 30 player in the NFL making less then 2 million dollars. Andy Reid drafted Tyreek Hill, who in 2014 pled guilty to choking and punching his pregnant girlfriend, but he traded a top 5 CB in his prime making less then 2 million. He has already been cut off of 2 football programs before it was too late.

And what if he misses games due to suspension. I’m going to assume the Rams are depending on him for 16 games.

And what if he doesn’t pan out? No big deal right? Well, he takes a spot from another CB the Rams could have signed in FA or the draft and just slows down the secondary’s rebuild or retool.

Peters was my top rated CB that year, but I had said at the time he was too risky to draft. I hope he gets straightened out, but some people just like to watch the world burn. He has to want to change. So far history tells me he can’t or doesn’t want to change. Maybe going into his contract years is enough of a motivator. You better hope it is.

MMQB: Marcus Peters Now Burdened with the Question of What Went Wrong in Kansas City

https://www.si.com/nfl/2018/02/23/marcus-peters-trade-chiefs-rams?utm_campaign=themmqb&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_medium=social

The Chiefs knew what they were getting when they drafted Marcus Peters. Now as he’s traded away to the Rams, the talented cornerback draws the short end of the stick. If Kansas City is successful in 2018, the franchise will reap the praise. But Peters? He’ll be shrouded by questions of many wondering what went wrong in K.C.
By CONOR ORR February 23, 2018
The worst kept secret of the NFL offseason thus far has finally been made public. The Chiefs, who seemed just as unhappy with the maintenance of cornerback Marcus Peters as Peters did with playing for the Chiefs, signed divorce papers on Friday that can be made official when the new league year begins on March 14, a little less than a month from now.

He’ll be traded to the Rams, as ESPN first reported, for what will likely end up being a draft-pick compensation.

Kansas City will surely miss the talents of a cornerback who, since 2015, has arguably been the NFL’s most successfully aggressive cover corner. Since Peters’s rookie season, no player has made more interceptions (Peters has seven more than the next highest total), no player has more passes defensed and only four players have a lower completion percentage when thrown to. But in the meantime, we’ll praise Kansas City for “cleaning out the house” so long as they finish above .500 in 2018.

Peters will get what many in the NFL blindly label a “fresh start” as the Chiefs continue their roster overhaul with players about whom they will complain less, and this may end up benefitting both parties down the road. Relationships deteriorate at home, in business and on sports teams rapidly and sometimes the only answer is a new voice, a new location and new surroundings. It was time for something to happen and the mechanisms of the game took the proper course.

The only difference is that in the NFL the player starting over faces a discriminatorily high burden on his end.

The immediate hand-wringing over the deal on Friday was textbook. As the news filtered out, so did televised reminders that the Chiefs suspended Peters in the past, and that he was kicked off his college football team for “multiple run-ins with the coaching staff.” The lay football fan catching up on the news probably saw the transaction, shook their head and thought “Figures, that guy was always a problem.”

But what about the team that drafted him knowing full well this would be an investment that required time and effort? In Marcus Peters’s NFL.com scouting report, which is accessible to anyone with an internet connection, one NFC position coach said that he wouldn’t dream of drafting Peters in the first two rounds of the draft. Another scout said that he was off their board altogether. But Kansas City drafted him in the first round, pick No. 18. They prioritized talent like they tend to do, but the franchise will only reap the positive coverage should Peters falter in Los Angeles, or should they find another star to replace him with the draft picks they get back.

Meanwhile, Peters starts in a new location shrouded in controversy. What really happened? How disruptive must a player be in order to be dealt with one season and an option year left on his rookie contract? The leverage is always with the team, and not on a 25-year-old tasked with cleaning up his reputation just because we all assume (or were told) that’s the way it happened.

Maybe Peters wanted out just as badly and worked to make it happen. It would be one of the few times in NFL history that a team accommodated a player’s wish without also getting something invaluable in return. Maybe, like every team would like you to believe, there are reasons for the deal that if we really knew it would all make sense.

For now, we’re left with Tweets like these from former Eagles president Joe Banner, an executive who worked closely with Chiefs head coach Andy Reid for many years:

Starting to see some of the philosophical differences that lead to Dorsey departure from KC. Chiefs showing focus on character and willingness to make aggressive trades. That’s more like the Andy Reid I worked with.

— Joe Banner (@JoeBanner13) February 23, 2018

My question: How does someone focus on building character by seemingly just getting rid of someone or something that wasn’t agreeable? Wasn’t the whole point of the sport to teach everyone, from the top down, something truly valuable about responsibility and accountability to one another?

Rams trade quickly changes complexion of their offseason

VINCENT BONSIGNORE

link: https://www.ocregister.com/2018/02/23/bonsignore-rams-trade-quickly-changes-complexion-of-their-offseason/

As the sun quietly began rising over Los Angeles Friday morning, the Rams faced the formidable task of figuring out a way to keep intact a defense for which key defensive backs Trumaine Johnson and Lamarcus Joyner were on the brink of unrestricted free agency, and All-Pro defensive tackle Aaron Donald sat at the doorstep of a huge pay day from a new long-term contract.

With roughly $50 million to work with under the NFL’s hard salary cap and other areas of need on a young, promising roster, retaining Johnson and Joyner while also hooking up Donald was certainly doable.

Albeit with some creative and clever number crunching, and likely at the expense of releasing or restructuring the contracts of a few veteran players, letting other free agents walk and perhaps leaving some areas of need unaddressed. The dizzying cost of doing business in the NFL can be cruel, tricky and frustrating at times.

That was early morning Friday. By mid morning everything had changed.

And for the better after General Manager Les Snead went all commando again with another aggressive move.

Snead is building quite reputation for stealth maneuvering, and the Rams are much better off for it. Two years ago it was trading up to the top of the draft to grab franchise quarterback Jared Goff. Last year it was the bolt of lightening at the end of training camp when he traded for dynamic wide receiver Sammy Watkins.

And on Friday, he was in the process of reeling in one of the best lock-down pass defenders in the NFL, in a move that makes as much sense on the field as it does on the payroll.

In another blockbuster, the Rams acquired Kansas City Chiefs Pro Bowl cornerback Marcus Peters, whose 19 interceptions over the past three seasons are the most in the NFL. Peters stands to make just $1.7 million in base salary in 2018, and will be under control for the next two years at a reasonable cost once the Rams pick up his fifth-year option for 2019.

The trade won’t be official until March 14, the official date the NFL trading period for 2018 begins, but sources have confirmed the deal is agreed to and in place.

Just like that, the Rams got younger, better and more financially flexible as they approach an offseason for which improving on last year’s surprising 11-5 finish and closing ground on the elite teams in the NFL is the singular priority.

Boom. What a way to kick off the offseason.

In one move, the Rams changed the entire complexion of their to-do list. From the draft to free agency to financial flexibility, the dynamics are dramatically altered.

Peters will cost the Rams a yet-to-be-disclosed package of draft picks, and it almost certainly means Johnson, their veteran cornerback, will leave via free agency.

And while Peters is an absolute stud, he does come with some baggage. As a junior at the University of Washington in 2014 he was suspended for one game and later dismissed from the team altogether for disciplinary reasons. Last season with the Chiefs he was suspended for a game after reportedly getting into an argument with a coach.

The Rams are counting on the positive environment cultivated by head coach Sean McVay and a strong, veteran locker room creating a nurturing comfort zone from which Peters can grow, mature and prosper. But there’s no guarantee he’ll be a model citizen from here on out. So there is risk.

But the upside is far too great not to take the leap of faith. Peters is a ball-hawking defender who has 55 passes defended since 2015, also an NFL best. And there are reasons to believe he can get better, considering he’ll play under Rams defensive coordinator Wade Phillips in a scheme that doesn’t just ask a lot from it’s cornerbacks, but also rewards them by pushing them and putting them in position to shine.

Just a pure BALL HAWK.
And joining the @RamsNFL defense.@marcuspeters' 2017 highlight reel! pic.twitter.com/09lwQZZifE

— NFL (@NFL) February 23, 2018

Peters, who is equally adept at playing man or zone coverage, is a prime candidate to take his game to a higher level under Phillips and behind playmakers like Donald, Michael Brockers and Alec Ogletree.

Aside from the obvious talent, he’s just now hitting his prime and, with two years remaining on a manageable rookie deal, he provides major flexibility. Keep in mind Johnson made $16.7 million last season and undoubtedly is seeking a long-term deal with a yearly salary roughly in that same neighborhood.

Instead of deciding between Johnson and Joyner or paying them upwards to $30 million combined, the Rams can comfortably bring Joyner back either on a long-term contract or the franchise tag while also retaining free agent wide receiver Sammy Watkins and locking up Donald on new deal. It also means outside linebacker Robert Quinn is more likely to return rather than be a salary cap casualty.

It also allows them to peek outside their own building for improvements. The Rams have needs along the defensive line, outside linebacker and tight end, and by getting younger, cheaper (and better) at Johnson’s position they can take a more serious look at help in those areas through free agency.

Yes, there are some red flags. And Peters will absolutely want to get paid soon. Just as Todd Gurley and Jared Goff will, and Donald is about to be. The Rams have a ton of good, young, talented players. And the price tag is rising every day to keep them long term.

But how bad a world do the Rams operate in when their biggest problem is figuring out ways to fit so many great players under the salary cap?

It remains to be seen who Peters will start alongside at cornerback. Veteran Kayvon Webster is recovering from a ruptured achilles tendon and backup Nickell Robey-Coleman is a free agent. But the underrated Troy Hill is expected back, and seems up to the challenge of filling in for Webster if need be to start the season.

Those are issues for another day, though.

When the Rams woke up Friday they faced a ton of free agent questions, a glaring need at cornerback and only so much cap space to go around.

By mid morning they had one of the best shutdown corners in the fold, and more financial flexibility.

It was a good day, to be sure.