It goes without saying that the Los Angeles Rams have added some viable pieces to their secondary this offseason. It appears safety John Johnson has already started to benefit from it.
Looking at the Rams, it is easy to see that they have an abundance of experience between defensive coordinator Wade Phillips along with their revamped group of cornerbacks. Johnson is excited to be playing alongside such notable names, via the team’s official website:
“They have so much experience, you could just tell. Aqib, he’s been in the league, I think this is his 11th year. he just knows everything,” Johnson said. “He’s like a second coach on the field – second defensive coordinator on the field, especially because he knows Wade [Phillips]. Marcus Peters, he brings that ball mentality. He’s a turnover machine, so I’m gonna try to keep up with him. Sam Shields, he’s probably the fastest player I’ve ever seen on the field. And he’s in Year 10ish, too. So it’s crazy, those guys are doing a lot for us.”
Needless to say, there is plenty of truth to Johnson’s comments. Although cornerback was not a particular area of concern going into the offseason, Los Angeles decided to bolster the group with the additions of Pro Bowl cornerbacks Aqib Talib and Marcus Peters. Given their impressive resume over the past couple of years, Johnson can expect his job to get much easier in the 2018 NFL season.
Meanwhile, it is also encouraging to see cornerback Sam Shields is showing the youngsters that he can still turn on the speed when need be. Shields enjoyed a solid career with the Green Bay Packers before taking a brief one-year hiatus to get healthy. The veteran will surely provide some much-needed depth on the outside this coming season.
It is safe to say that Johnson has it pretty good for a second-year safety. He has shown to be more than capable of playing well in Phillips defense and could be poised for a big year alongside his new teammates in the secondary.
