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Rams only have two logical candidates for franchise tag

The franchise tag window opened on Tuesday, giving teams until March 9 to apply the tender to a player of their choosing. Teams can only use the tag once per year, so if there are multiple candidates, they’ll have to choose wisely.

Though the exact amounts haven’t been set yet, we have a good idea of how much the franchise tag will cost at each position thanks to Over The Cap. The Rams have plenty of players hitting the market in March, but only a pair of them is worth considering for the franchise tag, given the high cost for the one-year pact.

The Rams haven’t used the tag since 2018 when they applied it to Lamarcus Joyner, passing on the chance to tag a player in 2019 and 2020. Could that change this year?

S John Johnson

(Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)

Projected tag amount: $11.2 million Johnson has been a certified stud for the Rams since being drafted in the third round four years ago. He had arguably his best season in 2020, leading the team with 105 tackles. He also pulled down one interception and broke up eight passes, flying all over the field and relaying the defensive plays as the signal caller. Johnson has become one of the best safeties in the league and he’ll surely want to be paid like it this offseason. Given the way safety contracts have been trending, he’s almost certain to earn at least $13 million per year on his next deal, potentially pushing into the five highest-paid safeties with a contract that averages at least $14 million per year. By tagging Johnson, the Rams would technically be getting a slight discount at $11.2 million, if that’s where the amount comes in. But that would only keep him around for one season, and it would be fully guaranteed, whereas a four-year deal worth $56 million wouldn’t be fully guaranteed. The Rams rarely sign defensive backs to long-term extensions, with the exception of Jalen Ramsey, but the franchise tag has been used on DBs before (Joyner, Trumaine Johnson twice). It’s still unlikely they’ll use it this year, but it remains a possibility.

OLB Leonard Floyd

(AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)

Projected tag amount: $15.7 million Pass rushers are some of the most frequently tagged players in the league, in part because teams hate to lose them. Floyd is certainly a candidate to receive the franchise tag from the Rams this offseason after his breakout campaign in 2020, racking up a career-high 10.5 sacks, 11 tackles for loss and 19 QB hits. Floyd more than made up for the loss of Dante Fowler Jr. He was actually an upgrade, performing extremely well against the run and as a pass rusher. He started and played every game at outside linebacker, capitalizing on the opportunities he was afforded by playing alongside Aaron Donald. After seeing Fowler cash in last offseason with a three-year, $45 million contract, Floyd is in line to receive a similar deal. At the very least, he should be able to match Fowler’s value in free agency, potentially pushing toward $16 million per year where Za’Darius Smith, Chandler Jones and Melvin Ingram reside. At $15.7 million, Floyd would be costly. It’s hard to doubt that he would have a similarly productive season if he returns to L.A. for 2021, but after giving him a one-year deal worth $10 million last year, $15.7 million is quite the price hike. If the Rams do tag Floyd, they should try to work out a long-term deal to lower his 2021 cap hit from the $15.7 million amount. That’s an expensive price to pay for a player who’s had one truly productive season.

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