If TruJo leaves, NR Coleman becomes a must-sign...

If Trumaine Johnson leaves, Nickell Robey-Coleman becomes must-sign
Cameron DaSilva

[theramswire.usatoday.com]

The Los Angeles Rams completely retooled their secondary last year with a variety of moves. In addition to pushing Lamarcus Joyner back to safety and drafting John Johnson, the Rams also signed Kayvon Webster and Nickell Robey-Coleman in free agency, giving the secondary four new starters.

Unfortunately, the new-look secondary could once again look very different in 2018. Joyner and Robey-Coleman are both free agents, while Webster is just three months removed from a torn Achilles.

Yet, the biggest question mark facing Los Angeles comes in the form of Trumaine Johnson, a free agent after playing the past two years on the franchise tag.

CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora reported last week that Johnson won’t return to the Rams in 2018, according to a source. That can’t be taken as fact, of course, because it’s still relatively early in the process, but it wouldn’t be the least bit surprising to see Johnson in a different uniform next season.

He’s bound to fetch at least $11-12 million in free agency, if not more, which could be a stretch for the Rams. With about $40 million in cap space, Los Angeles will need to do some finagling this offseason to make it work, whether it’s cutting Robert Quinn and Mark Barron, or passing up a player like Sammy Watkins.


(Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

If the Rams do opt to let Johnson walk in free agency, one player in particular becomes must-sign: Robey-Coleman.

Put simply, the Rams can’t afford to have three new starters at cornerback in 2018. Picture this: Webster isn’t back until December, Johnson signs a $60 million elsewhere and Robey-Coleman gets a lucrative offer from another team.

In that scenario, the Rams would have three new players at cornerback in Week 1. Finding one starter at the position is difficult enough in free agency and the draft, let alone three. It doesn’t help that the Rams don’t have a second-round pick, giving them just two selections in the first 87 of the draft.

Fortunately, retaining Robey-Coleman shouldn’t be too difficult. After earning less than $1 million in 2017, and given the fact that he primarily plays in the slot, his price should be relatively low – perhaps $1.5 million per year.

Regardless of what happens, the Rams’ secondary could look vastly different in 2018. At the very least, they’ll have one new starter at the beginning of the season with Webster still recovering.