The Rams made one big move in their secondary last week, and would prefer not to make another.
That means getting something done with safety Lamarcus Joyner, who is set to become an unrestricted free agent next month. An underrated member of the Rams’ defense in 2017, Joyner might be the hinge to the rest of the Rams’ offseason, and the Rams recognize the need for urgency.
“I think it’s a huge priority for us,” Coach Sean McVay told reporters at the NFL draft combine in Indianapolis on Wednesday morning.
Combine week is about identifying prospects, and the Rams figure to take a long look at offensive linemen and edge rushers in advance of the draft, which will be held April 26-28 in Dallas.
By then, the Rams hope to have solidified their secondary. They went bold last week and agreed to a trade with Kansas City that will bring in cornerback Marcus Peters for two draft picks. McVay on Wednesday even hinted at the possibility of the return of pending free agent Trumaine Johnson.
The cog, though, might be Joyner, a four-year pro who made a successful move from nickelback to safety in 2017. Joyner had three interceptions, one of which he returned for a touchdown.
Joyner had a salary-cap hit of only $1.6 million in 2017, which was the final year of his rookie contract. The Rams would like to cement a long-term pairing of Joyner and John Johnson at safety.
“I think some of the things he can do in Wade’s system make him a huge priority,” McVay said of Joyner. “He’s a great person as well. He kind of represents a lot of the things that are right about your locker room and what you want guys to embody from a football character standpoint, the way they attack every single day. Lamarcus is someone who is very important and we’d like to get him re-signed, for sure.”
That’s one step for the Rams, before the free-agent signing period opens on March 14. The Rams also, in the next week or so, could create salary-cap flexibility if they cut high-salaried veterans such as receiver Tavon Austin or linebackers Mark Barron and Robert Quinn.
If the Rams can’t get Joyner under contract, they could use the league’s one-year “franchise tag” on him. Another pending free agent, receiver Sammy Watkins, also is a strong candidate to get tagged. That decision must be made by March 6, eight days before the start of the free-agency period.
McVay hinted, during a Wednesday interview with ESPN radio, that the Rams would use the draft to build depth on their offensive line, and also said the Peters trade wouldn’t preclude them from re-signing Johnson, although that seemingly would be difficult given the Rams’ salary-cap landscape.
Johnson, Watkins and Joyner are the Rams’ top pending free agents, but they also must retain or replace players such as center John Sullivan, linebacker Connor Barwin and nickelback Nickell Robey-Coleman.
McVay also made his first public comments on the Peters trade, which brought a very talented cornerback with some off-field character questions. McVay, during the ESPN radio interview, was asked about his reaction when he discussed the possibility of the trade with General Manager Les Snead.
“You watch the tape and when you realize there’s a possibility, you say, ‘Go get that thing done,’” McVay said. “On March 14, I’ll really be chest-bumping him when it becomes official.”
