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Browns sign S John Johnson to three-year, $33.75M deal

By Zac Wassink | Last updated Mar 15, 2021 5:25 PM ET

The Cleveland Browns began March needing to improve all aspects of their defense if they are to compete with the likes of the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills next fall.

Cleveland addressed its secondary on Monday.

ESPN's Adam Schefter (h/t Jake Trotter) and NFL Network's Mike Garafolo (h/t Grant Gordon) report that former Los Angeles Rams safety John Johnson has agreed to a three-year deal to join the Browns. The contract could be worth up to $33.75 million and includes $24 million in guaranteed money.

ESPN's Mina Kimes predicted this transaction in late January:

Looking at the Rams free agents (since they're way over the cap now)....John Johnson is a *super* underrated player. One of the better safeties in the NFL.

....Cleveland?
— Mina Kimes (@minakimes) January 31, 2021

The Rams selected Johnson in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft, and he started for Los Angeles beginning back in his rookie campaign. He will bolster Cleveland's rotation that includes Ronnie Harrison and Grant Delpit.

Pro Football Focus has Johnson ranked No. 24 among free agents and estimated he would sign a four-year contract worth $52 million with $25 million total guaranteed and $16.5 million fully guaranteed at signing. "His 85.6 coverage grade ranked fourth among safeties during the regular season, marking the third time in four seasons he was at or above 84.9," PFF explained.

Johnson, who turned 25 years old in December, recorded eight interceptions, 32 pass breakups, and one forced fumble across his four regular seasons with the Rams. He missed over half of the 2019 campaign because of a shoulder injury.

Zac Wassink

Zac Wassink is a longtime sports news writer and PFWA member who began his career in 2006 and has had his work featured on Yardbarker, MSN, Yahoo Sports and Bleacher Report. He is also a football and futbol aficionado who is probably yelling about Tottenham Hotspur at the moment and who chanted for Matt Harvey to start the ninth inning of Game 5 of the 2015 World Series at Citi Field. You can find him on X at @ZacWassink

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