Trumaine Johnson has moved on from contract disappointmentAlden Gonzalez
THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- It was April, weeks before the draft, and the New Orleans Saints were willing to trade what ESPN's Adam Schefter believed to be a second-round pick to the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for their primary cornerback, Trumaine Johnson. But Johnson wanted so badly to remain with the Rams that he was unwilling to agree to a long-term deal elsewhere, a circumstance that probably caused the trade to fall apart.
"I wanted to be here," Johnson said Tuesday, while confirming the initial report. "I wanted to continue to be here with my teammates, and continue to build chemistry with my teammates and new coaches. I started with the Rams and I wanted to be here with the Rams; my loyalty's with them. But things didn't happen."
The Rams ultimately never had much interest in signing Johnson long term, regardless of his desire to stay beyond 2017. They preferred to keep him on his second franchise tag, one that will pay him $16.74 million, rather than give him a contract similar to that of, say, Stephon Gilmore, the Patriots corner who recently signed a five-year, $65 million deal with $40 million guaranteed.
Read Complete Article
[
www.espn.com]
