Rams have potential starter in Troy Hill if Trumaine Johnson walks
Cameron DaSilva
[
theramswire.usatoday.com]
It’s no secret that the Rams face a massive decision with Trumaine Johnson this offseason. After placing the franchise tag on him the past two years, the Rams now have to decide whether he’s worth a long-term extension, or if he’ll ask too much on the open market.
As of now, it seems like they might be headed for a split. That’s not to say Johnson is certain to leave, but given the number of players Los Angeles has to re-sign and the fact that he’s the top free-agent cornerback in 2018, it’ll be difficult for the two sides to find a middle ground contract-wise.
For perspective, A.J. Bouye and Stephon Gilmore received larger contracts than any other free agents in 2017, signing five-year deals worth $67.5 million and $65 million, respectively. Logan Ryan was third at $10 million per year for three years, followed by Prince Amukamara at $7 million annually.
The Rams are looking at $13-plus million when it comes to re-signing Johnson. He’s in the prime of his career at 28 years old and is coming off of a season in which he made $16.7 million on the franchise tag.
He probably won’t settle for less than $13 million annually in free agency, which could be a bit rich for the Rams, who need to re-sign Nickell Robey-Coleman, Lamarcus Joyner, Sammy Watkins and extend Aaron Donald, among others.
If Los Angeles does let Johnson walk, it can simply re-sign one of its own as a possible replacement for No. 22.
Troy Hill is a restricted free agent, meaning the Rams are in the driver’s seat when it comes to bringing him back. Even if the Rams place a second-round tender on him, which is the highest it’ll be, most likely, he’ll make about $3 million in 2018 – a small price to pay compared to Johnson’s value.
Granted, Hill isn’t the player that Johnson is, but you could argue that he outplayed Trumaine down the stretch. He finished with a slightly higher grade from PFF (78.2 vs. 74.2) in 2017, including the highest grade of any cornerback in the postseason.
That performance came against Mohamed Sanu and the Falcons, allowing zero receptions on five targets while breaking up two passes. It may not have seemed like much at the time, but Hill showed in that one game that he has starter potential.
That bodes well for the Rams, who have a glaring need at cornerback – even if Johnson stays in Los Angeles. Robey-Coleman is a free agent, Kayvon Webster is unlikely to be ready for the start of 2018 and Los Angeles’ backups hardly stood out for the right reasons.
Hill proved down the stretch that he can be a No. 2 cornerback for the Rams, possibly opposite a rookie or Webster. He’s a cheap player with solid potential, which is the perfect formula for Los Angeles at this point in time.
