The LA Rams must use franchise tag and 1st round tender.

So who to tag?

The LA Rams may have a history of not using the franchise tag. And the team may have a history of not valuing the safety position. Well, it’s time to break with tradition. The reality for this defense is that the Rams should not expect Jordan Fuller and Taylor Rapp to suddenly step up to elite status.  Both players had great rookie seasons. And both players have had trouble staying healthy.  Yes, the Rams have plenty of young talent at safety. But nobody is as good as John Johnson III.

One incentive for the Rams to let players test free agency is the hope for compensatory draft picks the following year.  The algorithm for that calculation is based upon the value of the contract signed by the exiting player with his new team.  But the fair market value of the safety, even a game changer like John Johnson III is at the low end of the spectrum.

Game changers. That’s what the LA Rams are all about right now. Stockpiling game-changers. So there is no excuse for allowing a game-changer like John Johnson III to simply walk away. He is not just good. He is a Pro Bowler safety who does the dirty work. He is the first to take on blockers, tackle a ball carrier, defend receivers. He is the swiss-army knife of the defense. While the Rams seek game-changers with first-round picks, they mustn’t let their search far and wide blind them to the quality Johnson exhibits on their very own roster.

Slapping a franchise tag on John Johnson III will cost the Rams $10.5 million this year.  Plop in the $4.766 million for Darious Williams, and the Rams will add another $15.5 million to this year’s salary expense. But what a coup!  Two defensive backs, both at the top of their game, back for another year? Their return is likely more critical for the Rams Super Bowl chances in 2021 than trading for Matthew Stafford.

The Rams seldom use the franchise tag nor a qualifying tender offer. But it’s time to change bad habits. The LA Rams are making a run at the Super Bowl in 2021.  To do so, they need both John Johnson III and Darious Williams. This is the most efficient way to retain both.