Who should LA Rams target from each NFL team at Trade Deadline

7 – Cleveland Browns

Almost nobody who cheers for the LA Rams was happy to see former defensive back John Johnson III sign elsewhere, let alone sign in the AFC North division with the Cleveland Browns. He is the best of all worlds in terms of what an NFL safety delivers on the backend of the defense. The only problem is that his new secondary is not really holding up their end of the bargain.

Typically, the new guy gets blamed when that happens. But the Browns fans and analysts are too savvy to fall into that trap, right? Or are they?

If you want to point a finger at a player, the folks at Pro Football Focus give plenty of reason to dislike JJIII in a Browns’ uniform, as he has been given a grade of just 53.4 for his 2021 performance. That seems incredibly low, as he has been allowing just 50 percent of the passes thrown to his receiver to find their mark this year. Even the more astute analyses of what challenges the Browns face point to the miscommunication in the secondary, and the fact that John Johnson III is the guy who is supposed to direct traffic back there.

The Rams would love to have JJIII back in the fold, and they are already quite familiar with the dos and donts of playing alongside him.  The Rams defense is ideally suited for a deep defensive back who can cover as well as a cornerback, but who can deliver a good thump when needed.  Since the Browns are paying Johnson top dollar and he is currently underperforming, the price could not be set too high.

But for the Rams, getting John Johnson III back on this defense could be the catalyst needed to restore it to a Top-5 ranked unit.