The Los Angeles Rams have been busy this summer as they prepare for the 2017 NFL season. As eventful as this offseason has been, it seems the Rams are doing their best to get ready for the ones to come, starting with Trumaine Johnson.
According to Alden Gonzalez of ESPN, both sides have been working toward a long-term deal for the veteran corner:
The Rams’ offseason program starts Monday, and cornerback Trumaine Johnson — shopped this offseason — will be present. Rams are not ruling out a trade, but they would’ve preferred to get a deal done before the start of their program. Plan now is to let the program play out and try to broach the possibility of an extension before the July 15 deadline. An added motivation for a potential extension: Lower his 2017 cap number, which can allow them to extend other defensive players who would want a higher salary this season.
It makes sense that the Rams would try to get a deal done as Johnson’s price tag for the upcoming season hovers over $16 million. Not only would agreeing to a long-term deal help lower the hit on the team’s salary cap, but it would also make him easier to trade should Los Angeles choose to go down that road. They will have a number of free agents on the defensive side of the ball that will need new contracts including Aaron Donald, Alec Ogletree, and Lamarcus Joyner.
General manager Les Snead has hinted that the Rams may want to see how Johnson fits under defensive coordinator Wade Phillips’ new scheme. Phillips is accustomed to working with talented corners, so the last thing the Rams want is to be shorthanded in the secondary like they were last year.
