Shortly after the Rams put the franchise tag on cornerback Trumaine Johnson earlier this year, there was a report that the team was discussing a trade that would send Johnson elsewhere before the 2017 season.
Nothing has happened on that front and the team is now reportedly open to moving in the other direction with Johnson. Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com reports that the Rams aren’t ruling out a trade, but that they are also open to talking about an extension that would keep Johnson in L.A. beyond next season.
Gonzalez adds that talks about an extension aren’t expected until the end of the offseason program, which starts on Monday. The timeline fits with how General Manager Les Snead explained the decision to tag Johnson in March.
“Because everyone is new, we need to work together, live together, see if we all fit,” Snead. “Does Tru fit [defensive coordinator] Wade Phillips? Does Wade fit Tru?”
They will presumably have a better answer to those questions after the team starts working together. A full season would give an even fuller picture, although there would likely be cap benefits from an extension that knocks down the cap hit from the $16.7 million Johnson is due to make after getting tagged for the second straight year.