Rams’ John Johnson should garner plenty of interest from Chargers
The free agency frenzy is less than a month away and many are currently playing matchmaker.
Among the hottest pairings out there is Rams safety John Johnson III to the Chargers.
Johnson played under head coach Brandon Staley, who was the defensive coordinator last season. The former Boston College standout was the primary play-caller for Staley’s defense, where he had his best campaign yet.
After suffering an injury in 2019 that limited him to just six games, Johnson logged 105 combined tackles, eight passes defensed and an interception in 2020. In addition, he only allowed a 4.9 yards per target.
So while the Los Angeles has other pressing needs this offseason, why would the team look to make a push for Johnson?
The first thing is maintaining a relationship. Staley is big on building and keeping relationships and recently, Staley had high praise on Johnson, saying that there’s no way the Rams would have the season that they had without him calling the plays on defense.
Then there’s Rayshawn Jenkins. Jenkins was a standout in the Bolts secondary last season but he is set to be a free agent. The Chargers could bring him back for another go around, but that isn’t guaranteed.
Johnson checks the box with the system Staley wants to run. The 25-year old is smart, adept in pass coverage and run defense, who’s capable of playing both safety positions, cornerback and linebacker.
He also gives them an insurance policy, should Derwin James not be able to shake the injury bug that has held him back the past two seasons.
The tandem of Johnson and James would be second-to-none. Both can play in the box or deep zone and bring a lot of flexibility. The majority of the time they run will come out of a two-high look pre-snap, so the versatility helps disguise coverages.
While Johnson was one of the Rams’ best players last season, with the team being up against the cap, it makes him a prime candidate to land on the open market, and it would not surprise if Staley gets on the phone with his former player, who he’d love to reunite with.
