As soon as the Browns released John Johnson III in March, fans urged the Rams to bring him back to Los Angeles. He was a fan favorite from 2017-2020, so it was only natural that his supporters wanted him back in horns.
The Rams are making it happen, agreeing to a one-year deal with Johnson on Monday after he visited training camp one day earlier.
It was such an obvious match between the team and player, so it’s hardly surprising that the two sides made it work. Johnson gets to return to the team he shined with for four years, while the Rams get a veteran safety to join their young secondary.
Aside from 28-year-old Ahkello Witherspoon, who the Rams signed in June, there isn’t a defensive back on the roster older than 25. Only Witherspoon, Jordan Fuller and Robert Rochell have been in the NFL for at least two seasons, which shows just how young and inexperienced the Rams’ secondary is.
Johnson changes the picture a little bit, both in terms of age and NFL experience. Though he’s entering his seventh season, he’s still just 27 years old. There are only nine players on the Rams’ entire roster older than Johnson and only five with more seasons in the league.
Johnson won’t be handed a starting role because so few people on this team are going to be, but it’s hard to imagine him being a backup to Fuller, Russ Yeast and Quentin Lake. In all likelihood, Johnson will be a starter next to Fuller, allowing Yeast and Lake to play almost exclusively in sub-packages.
Johnson’s experience in the Rams’ system is an added bonus. It’s not just that he’s played a lot of snaps in the NFL – 5,056, to be exact – it’s that he played four years in Los Angeles, one of which was in the current scheme established by Brandon Staley in 2020.
Johnson was a captain that year and also wore the green dot on his helmet as the defensive signal caller, so he had Staley in his ear on every snap relaying the play call. Though the scheme has changed a little bit since Raheem Morris took over, the basic structure remains similar to when Johnson was in L.A.
Beyond just the experience he brings, Johnson is also a talented safety – and a versatile one, too. He can play deep in coverage, line up in the box and split out wide to cover tight ends one-on-one. Just look at this interception he had in 2018, playing it perfectly against Jared Cook on the outside.
Starting off year two with a 💥!
Go ahead, @iamjohnthethird! 👀 pic.twitter.com/FtWGjuRIhQ
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) September 11, 2018
On this play that same season, Johnson matched up with George Kittle in man coverage, following him across the field on a crosser. Johnson stayed close to Kittle and broke on the ball to not only break it up, but somehow intercept the pass.
It was one of the best picks of his career so far.
Interception No. 3️⃣ on the season for @iamjohnthethird 👏#LAvsSF pic.twitter.com/CXFXbimWkP
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) October 21, 2018
And who can forget his interception in overtime against the Saints to help send the Rams to the Super Bowl? He showed good awareness to find the floating pass and haul it in while falling on his back, setting up the eventual game-winning field goal.
Rams D making BIG catches 💪 pic.twitter.com/YJGroeby01
— The Checkdown (@thecheckdown) January 20, 2019
Johnson’s tenure with the Browns was shaky at times, earning defensive grades of 62.8 and 68.7, according to PFF, but he was fantastic with the Rams. And considering he’s just 27 years old, he’s not past his prime by any means.
If the Rams can get the version of Johnson they saw in his four years in Los Angeles, this defense just got a significant upgrade. And even if he isn’t that same player, the safety depth improved significantly with this move, providing some insurance in case Fuller, Yeast or Lake get injured.
Johnson is durable, talented and experienced, which makes this a perfect move by the Rams.
