The odds of the Rams reaching a long-term agreement with franchise-tagged cornerback Trumaine Johnson are extremely slim, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. Los Angeles spoke with Johnson’s representatives regarding an extension only once, and the discussions weren’t fruitful enough to warrant another round of talks.
If he’s not extended, Johnson will play under the franchise tag for the second consecutive season. As such, his fully guaranteed base salary for the 2017 campaign will be $16.742MM, a 20% raise over his 2016 salary and the highest figure among cornerbacks for the upcoming year. The 27-year-old Johnson will have earned north of $30MM for the 2016-17 seasons.
The Rams explored trading Johnson this offseason, and while the Browns and Saints reportedly expressed interest, Johnson is now expected to stay put in Los Angeles. New head coach Sean McVay recently indicated that Johnson “fits any system. You’re talking about a big corner who can run, he’s physical, he can tackle and he has great ball skills.”
The NFL has pushed back the deadline for franchise players to sign extensions to July 17, meaning the Rams and Johnson have a little less than a month to agree to a long-term deal.