Trumaine Johnson Reportedly Will Remain with Rams Amid Trade Rumors

The Los Angeles Rams are planing to retain cornerback Trumaine Johnson for the 2017 season despite nearly two months' worth of trade rumors.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported Johnson will stay put. The Rams franchise-tagged their star corner for the second straight year in March and have seemingly made no progress on a long-term contract.

Johnson will make $16.7 million in 2017. He had previously mentioned being on the trade block in a March Snapchat update:

Rapoport's confirmation that Johnson is staying likely means the Rams were unable to find their desired draft pick compensation ahead of this week's draft. Trading him was always going to be a difficult task, given the amount of guaranteed money involved here.

Between the two franchise tags, Johnson will have racked up more than $30 million in guaranteed money over a two-year period. Any long-term deal he would have signed with a new team likely would have had to make him the highest-paid cornerback in league history to make it worth his while.

Johnson can re-enter the market next offseason and should wind up reaping even more financial rewards, barring a catastrophic injury. Should he sign a contract with something around $20 million in guarantees—an extremely conservative number—he'll have locked up $50 million in guarantees over the course of a three-year span.

No team was going to give up a high-round draft pick for the right to pay a player who is still yet to make a Pro Bowl. The best-case scenario here for both parties is that Johnson emerges as an actual star in 2017 and the Rams pay him long-term accordingly. 

 

For more news, rumors and related stories about Trumaine Johnson, the Los Angeles Rams and the NFL, check out the NFL and Rams streams on Bleacher Report's app.