Rams reunite with 2017 draft pick

The Los Angeles Rams are kicking it all the way back to Sean McVay’s first season in charge.

Rams writer Jake Ellenbogen reported Monday that the Rams are reuniting with veteran safety John Johnson III. Johnson returns on a one-year deal to the franchise that picked him in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft.

Now 27, Johnson spent the first four seasons of his career with the Rams, including their Super Bowl berth in the 2018 season. Johnson left in free agency before the Rams’ Super Bowl LVI triumph though, signing a three-year, $34 million deal with the Cleveland Browns prior to the 2021 season. He registered a total of 162 combined tackles, four interceptions, and nine passes defended over his two seasons in Cleveland (spanning 32 total starts) before being released by the Browns this past March.

The Rams’ secondary is a lot weaker these days after cornerback Jalen Ramsey got traded to Miami, and safeties Taylor Rapp (Buffalo) and Nick Scott (Cincinnati) both departed the team as free agents. Johnson will slot in as a starting-caliber DB who knows the team well already and can provide a bit of edge too with his outspoken nature.