Las Vegas Raiders: 5 untagged 2021 free agents to target
Safety. Los Angeles Rams. John Johnson. 4. player. 51.
The Los Angeles Rams had some tough decisions to make this offseason to get back under the salary cap after some big spending in recent years and one of the casualties was not being able to bring back safety John Johnson. He was one of the key members of a dominant defensive unit for the Rams, but they have several young safeties that they hope can fill his shoes next season so they declined to tag him.
This opens the doors for the Raiders to swoop in and sign a player that is still just 25 years old but has been a starter in the NFL for four years now. After an injury-plagued 2019, Johnson came back strong in 2020 with 105 tackles, two tackles for loss, eight pass breakups, and no touchdowns allowed per Pro Football Reference.
Johnson received an 85.6 overall grade from PFF this season, third-best in his position group, and and marks over 80 in both run defense and pass coverage. The former third round pick is a versatile player that is equally adept in coverage as he is in the box and would provide the Raiders with a foundational piece in the defensive secondary.
Many predict that Johnson will receive a 4-year deal worth around $13 million per year, and that would be a solid value for a player that can lead the defense and make plays as well. If the Raiders do not plan to select a safety early in the draft then John Johnson is a player that certainly fills a need in the back end of the defense.