Rams Want To Extend DB Lamarcus Joyner
Although the contract statuses of cornerback Trumaine Johnson and defensive tackle Aaron Donald may take precedence at the moment, the Rams also want to reach a long-term extension with defensive back Lamarcus Joyner, according to Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com. Los Angeles is interested in a new deal for linebacker Alec Ogletree, as well, per Gonzalez.
Joyner, 26, will be seeing time at a new position this season, as he’ll be shifting to free safety after lining up at slot cornerback for the first three years of his NFL career. A second-round pick in 2014, Joyner has appeared in 40 games (14 starts) for the Rams, and last year managed 76 tackles, five passes defensed, and one sack. Overall, Joyner graded as the league’s No. 30 corner, per Pro Football Focus.
Scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent next spring, Joyner will earn a $1.106M base salary in 2017 and carry a cap charge of $1.601MM. While the Rams could conceivably use the franchise tag on Joyner next year if no extension is hammered out, that tender would come with a cost north of $11MM. While Joyner has been a valuable player during his time with the Rams, he’s probably not worth that price tag.
Los Angeles’ interest in extending Ogletree, meanwhile, dates back to at least February of 2016. Because he was a first-round selection, Ogletree is under team control in 2018 the fifth-year option, which will pay him $8.369MM. In 16 starts a season ago, Ogletree played nearly every defensive snap for the Rams, but only ranked as the No. 57 linebacker among 88 qualifiers, according to PFF.
No Deal For Cousins, Bell, Johnson
The franchise tender extension deadline has come and gone. With no deals struck for the three players in question, we now know that Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins, Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell, and Rams cornerback Trumaine Johnson will be playing out the 2017 season on one-year deals. 
We’ve believed this to be the most expected outcome for a while now, though Bell was the most likely to sign of the trio. Although Bell might have liked to sign a multi-year deal before this afternoon’s deadline, all three players are still in great shape for the coming year. Cousins will make roughly $24MM on his second straight franchise tag. Johnson will make $16MM on his second time on the tender. Bell will collect a $12MM+ salary on his first ever franchise tag.
The Redskins, Steelers, and Rams can all use the franchise tag on these players next year, but the price would be uncomfortably high in the cases of Bell ($14MM) and Cousins ($34MM) and downright outlandish in the case of Johnson ($20MM). If all goes right for them in 2017, they’re all in position to get paid in 2018 and beyond, one way or another.
Deadline Approaching For Cousins, Bell, Johnson
A major deadline is fast approaching for Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins, Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell, and Rams cornerback Trumaine Johnson. If the three franchise-tagged players do not sign an extension with their respective clubs by 4pm ET/3pm CT, they will play out the season on a one-year tender and will not be able to reignite long-term talks until January. 
So far, there hasn’t been significant movement towards a deal for any of the three players in question, though Bell is more likely to sign a multi-year pact than the other two. Then again, after last year’s deadline brought us a surprise accord between the Jets and Muhammad Wilkerson, nothing can be ruled out.
The Redskins have slowly upped their offer to Cousins over the last year, but a major gulf still divides the two parties. Cousins’ agent is said to be seeking $24MM annually on a new deal, a number reflective of his ~$24MM tender for 2017. The Redskins, meanwhile, have only offered $20MM per season on a five-year pact. The proposal, which was made back in May, only truly guarantees the first two years for Cousins, according to NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero. When considering the gap in dollars and the possibility that Cousins would rather be somewhere else long-term, it seems likely that the QB will play out the year on his tender.
On Monday morning, we heard that there was nothing imminent between the Steelers and Bell. Still, a long-term deal makes plenty of sense for both sides. Bell’s camp is aware of the injury risk that running backs carry and they would certainly forego some upside in favor of security. The Steelers, on the other hand, do not want to chance having to cuff Bell with a one-year, $14MM repeat franchise tender next offseason. Even though there hasn’t been a lot of reported progress on a deal in recent weeks, this one feels too logical not to happen.
On the flipside, it would be a shock to see the Rams and Johnson shake hands on a deal this afternoon. Johnson believes that he could be paid like a top cornerback on the open market next spring and unless he turns in a historically spectacular season, there’s little chance that the Rams will tag him for a third straight year at $20MM. Instead, Johnson will happily play out the year for $16.742MM and worry about his future next offseason.
Rams TE Tyler Higbee Pleads Guilty To Assault
Los Angeles Ram tight end Tyler Higbee has pleaded guilty to an assault charge stemming from a 2016 confrontation, according to the Associated Press. The 24-year-old will be required to perform 250 hours worth of community service and pay the victim an undisclosed amount of money. As a result of him pleading guilty to second-degree “assault under extreme emotional disturbance,” he will avoid jail time.
Back in 2016, the tight end had pleaded not guilty to the charges, claiming that the other man initiated the fight when he placed his hands on Higbee’s girlfriend. Bowling Green Police say the NFL player punched the victim, Nawaf Alsaleh, causing a concussion.
“We feel like it’s a fair resolution to what was an unfortunate incident,” attorney Brian Lowder told Gary Klein of the Los Angeles Times.
The confrontation took place shortly before the 2016 draft, but the Rams still selected the Western Kentucky product in the fourth round. Higbee appeared in all 16 games during his rookie campaign, hauling in 11 receptions for 85 yards and one touchdown. The 6-foot-6 weapon also collected a pair of tackles on special teams.
The Rams selected Gerald Everett in the second round of this past year’s draft, meaning Higbee will presumably be competing with Cory Harkey and Temarrick Hemingway for second-team reps.
No Progress Between Rams, Trumaine Johnson
- The NFL needs to make a decision on whether to suspend Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott as soon as possible, opines Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. In doing so, he league would ensure that the internal appeals process would be resolved by Week 1, reasons Florio. Elliott is bracing for a season-opening ban, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN, and Florio wonders if the league leaked that information to Schefter in order to gauge the opinions of both the public and Jerry Jones. The Cowboys owner has made it known to NFL higher-ups that he won’t react kindly if the league suspends one of his stars without ample justification, reports Florio. Given the power Jones has, the NFL “needs to placate” him, writes Florio; at the same time, the league’s also in a difficult situation because it can’t afford to screw up another ruling involving domestic violence.
- The Eagles want to “take a little bit off” second-year quarterback Carson Wentz‘s plate this season, head coach Doug Pederson told Comcast SportsNet’s John Clark this week (via Reuben Frank of CSNPhilly.com). Pederson believes that the offseason additions of wide receivers Alshon Jeffery and Torrey Smith and running back LeGarrette Blount should make life easier for Wentz, who didn’t have enough help at the skill positions last season and attempted 607 passes – the second-highest rookie total in NFL history, notes Frank. “Everything doesn’t have to fall on Carson’s shoulders and I think sometimes a little bit last year he felt that way and things had to fall his way a little bit to make a play and I don’t think we have to do that this year,” said Pederson.
- Redskins safety DeAngelo Hall agreed to a pay cut last month, but he’ll still enter training camp in danger of losing his roster spot, suggests Rich Tandler of CSN Mid-Atlantic. A couple of other veteran safeties, Will Blackmon and Josh Evans, are also on the bubble, per Tandler. Injuries limited Hall to just 17 games over the previous three seasons, including a mere three in 2016. Conversely, staying healthy hasn’t been a problem for the 32-year-old Blackmon, who has made 30 of 32 appearances and logged 16 starts since joining the Redskins prior to 2015. Evans, a regular for the Jaguars from 2013-15, was on and off Washington’s roster last year and only played two games.
NFL Suspends Rams WR Mike Thomas
Rams rookie wide receiver Mike Thomas has been suspended for the first four games of the season, per a club announcement. Thomas’ ban stems from a violation of the NFL’s policy on performance enhancing substances. 
The Rams selected Thomas with their final pick in the 2016 draft, a sixth-round selection at No. 206 overall. Thomas’ roster spot was anything but guaranteed and today’s news puts him in real jeopardy of not making the cut. The Rams have at least four locks to make the team at wide receiver in Robert Woods, Tavon Austin, third round pick Cooper Kupp, and fourth round pick Josh Reynolds. Pharoah Cooper and a host of other WRs are also vying to stick on the 53-man roster.
Last year, Thomas appeared in 15 games as a special teamer. He returned nine kicks for 180 yards, good for an average of 20 yards per return. His longest kick return was a 41-yard effort against the Falcons in December.
Poll: Which Players Will Sign By Deadline?
With five days to go until the deadline for teams to sign franchise tagged players to extensions, there apparently hasn’t been a ton of progress for any of the three players in question. Still, we’ve had some mid-July surprises in the past, like last year’s last minute extension for Jets defensive lineman Muhammad Wilkerson. Here’s a quick refresher on where things stand for Kirk Cousins, Le’Veon Bell, and Trumaine Johnson:
Kirk Cousins
There has been no movement towards a deal for the Redskins and Cousins, and both sides are apparently alright with that. You know the deal by now: Cousins is looking at a $24MM salary in 2017 and the Redskins will have to give him a tender worth at least $28MM to keep him away from unrestricted free agency next season. Cousins is confident in his abilities and eager to push the market for quarterbacks, so he is not all that inclined to sign a multi-year deal. 
Cousins’ agent probably won’t consider any offer with less than $52MM guaranteed. If his camp really wants to drive a hard bargain, it will insist on a minimum $58MM in the bag since that factors in the value a third franchise tag in 2018 ($34MM) rather than the $28MM transition tag, which would only give Washington the first right of refusal.
Cousins, like any player in extension talks, must weigh the benefit of cost certainty versus the upside of the open market. But, with the way quarterbacks get paid in the NFL, he is looking at a high floor. Cousins is not considered to be a top five QB, but if he were to put pen to paper today, he would be the highest-paid player in the NFL – at least for a couple of weeks. Even if Cousins has a mild regression in 2017, he’ll still be looking at either a one-year, ~$30MM deal in Washington or a $100MM+ deal in free agency. In order for the soon-to-be 29-year-old to sign, he’ll either have to be wowed by an offer or he’ll have to catch a case of cold feet in the coming days.
Le’Veon Bell
Bell, by any measure, is one of the very best running backs in the NFL. In a suspension-shortened 2016 season, Bell earned his second career trip to the Pro Bowl as he ran for 1,268 yrds off of 261 carries, mirroring a career-high of 4.9 yards per attempt. He also added 75 receptions for 616 yards. When averaged out on a per-game basis, his 2016 numbers actually bested his 2014 campaign, a season in which he was a First-Team All-Pro selection. The advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus had Bell ranked as the third best RB in the league last season, behind only Ezekiel Elliott and David Johnson.
While there has been talk about Cousins being less-than-thrilled with Redskins management, Bell has been open about wanting to stay in Pittsburgh. The feeling is mutual as the Steelers want to keep in him in the fold for the long term. So, what’s the holdup?
Bell is probably seeking to overtake Bills star LeSean McCoy as the highest-paid running back in the NFL. The Steelers are probably willing to oblige, but, as we all know, there’s a difference between becoming the market-setter in terms of years/dollars and the true value of a deal. If Bell wants to sign a five-year deal worth more than $40MM, odds are that he could do that right now. What he’s really after, however, are substantial guarantees with significant cash flow in the first two years of the deal.
Running backs are always at a high risk of injury and teams are typically adversed to paying out real dollars for them on multi-year deals, even if the cases of exceptional players like Bell. The Steelers are hoping to find a happy medium with Bell in the coming days since his $12MM price tag for this year is high and a potential $14MM tag for 2018 is spit take worthy.
Trumaine Johnson
Like Cousins, this is the second year in a row that Johnson has been hit with the franchise tag. Where the situations differ is that there is zero chance the Rams will apply the tag to Johnson for a third year in a row. If Johnson plays out the year on his one-year, $17MM tender, he’ll hit unrestricted free agency at the age of 28 because there’s virtually no chance that the Rams would tag him at upwards of $24MM in 2018. 
Johnson has yet to establish himself as an elite cornerback, but this would be the time to do it as he enters a contract year. The Rams’ strong front seven should keep opposing quarterbacks under duress, allowing Johnson to swarm receivers on immature routes. It appears that Johnson has little incentive to sign a long-term deal here, unless the Rams are willing to make a cap-crippling commitment.
On Tuesday, it was reported that nothing is currently in the works for Johnson and the Rams. Things will have to change dramatically in order for Johnson to be committed to L.A. beyond 2017.
Take your pick
Which of these three players, if any, will sign extensions before the deadline on Monday? Cast your vote below and back up your choice in the comment section.
Which Players Will Sign Extensions Before The Deadline?
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Le'Veon Bell 43% (368)
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None 36% (313)
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Kirk Cousins 12% (106)
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Trumaine Johnson 9% (74)
Total votes: 861
Rams Notes: Johnson, Relocation Fee
- While Sherman and others aren’t thrilled with the league’s current financial setup, one player who has done well in the system is Rams cornerback Trumaine Johnson, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. The Rams placed the franchise tag on Johnson both last year and this offseason, putting him in position to collect $30.672MM in guaranteed money from 2016-17. To hit Johnson with the franchise tag again next winter would cost the Rams an untenable $24.1MM, so he’ll reach the open market at the age of 28 and have an opportunity to cash in on a long-term contract.
- Thanks to the relocations of the Rams, Chargers and Raiders, the league’s other 29 teams will each receive a gross sum of $55.2MM over an 11-year span, reports Darren Rovell of ESPN. The two Los Angeles teams, the Rams and Chargers, will each pay a $645MM relocation fee from December 2019 to December 2028, while the soon-to-be Las Vegas Raiders will owe $378MM. They won’t have to begin paying until the year they actually move to Vegas.
Latest On Rams, Trumaine Johnson
They say that deadlines spur action but, so far, the impending July 17 deadline for franchise-tagged players has not brought about progress for the Rams and cornerback Trumaine Johnson. Once again, we have word that a contract extension for Johnson is not in the works (Twitter link via Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports). 
Barring a surprising last-minute change, Johnson will play out the 2017 season on his one-year, $16.742MM franchise tender. Because this is the second consecutive year in which he has been tagged, Johnson’s salary is 20% higher than last year’s, giving him the top salary of any cornerback in the NFL.
Johnson is no slouch, but it’s hard to argue that the 27-year-old should be the highest compensated CB in the league. The Rams know this, but they also felt that they had little choice when it came time to make their big decision this offseason. If the Rams allowed Johnson to test the free agency waters, they would have risked losing two starting cornerbacks in two years.
Meanwhile, Johnson seems very willing to play out the season at his lucrative salary and cash in as a free agent next offseason. Right now, 14 cornerbacks in the NFL are averaging $10MM or more per year. If Johnson plays roughly as well as he has in the last two years, $10MM/ year seems like his worst-case scenario, given that he’ll be entering his age-28 season. If Johnson can take a step forward and establish himself as a shutdown corner, then he just might put himself in the top five at the position.
NFC West Notes: Cardinals, 49ers, Rams
Cardinals running back David Johnson says that he is paying close attention to Le’Veon Bell‘s contract negotiations with hopes that he’ll get a big payday. Johnson feels that things are about to change for top running backs and believes that big money is on the way.
“I feel like, especially now, with the running backs we have in this league, we’re going to definitely change the mentality of the running back and those contract deals,” Johnson told Andy Benoit of The MMQB. “We’re going to definitely make it [understood] that running backs are more important than you’d think. Everyone thinks it’s a passing league, but I think running backs are starting to show up and show out and prove that you need a good one to be a capable team.”
Unfortunately for Johnson, teams are still paying close attention to the odometers on running backs and it’s hard to net a monster deal after you’ve already logged a certain number of NFL carries. There are exceptions, but the perception remains that running backs are fungible with a limited shelf life and that impacts their pay day.
Here’s more from the NFC West:
- Former NFL running back Glen Coffee will be participating in Saturday’s Spring League Showcase, Mike Florio of PFT writes. The 29-year-old was a former third round pick of the 49ers who retired after one NFL season. He announced earlier this year that he would be attempting a comeback. Given his age and time away from the game, he’ll really have to impress scouts in order to get a camp invite.
- New Rams left tackle Andrew Whitworth is the best newcomer to the NFC West this year, Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com argues. Whitworth takes over for failed former No. 2 overall pick Greg Robinson and should give Jared Goff better protection on his blindside. Whitworth is 36, but he has three Pro Bowls on his resume and is considered to be one of the game’s very best tackles.
- Seahawks cornerback DeShawn Shead is likely to begin the year on the PUP list.