Despite missing the playoffs in each of the last four seasons, the Las Vegas Raiders appear to still be a destination free agents want to go to. While the team hasn’t been winning, they are on an upward trend. They have a slick, new stadium and play in a state with no income tax.
Those facts will help the Raiders land key free agents. They probably won’t be big spenders this offseason due to a lack of cap space but they could target one or two big names. One of Las Vegas’ biggest needs is at safety. Erik Harris appears to be set to leave and the Raiders needed to upgrade regardless.
The Los Angeles Rams fielded the top defense in the NFL in 2020 but they could be losing a key piece. Starting safety John Johnson was the fourth-best safety in the NFL when it came to coverage, according to Pro Football Focus. The Rams would likely want to re-sign him but he’s going to cost a lot of money.
It’s very possible that he leaves this offseason and the Raiders are a team to watch, especially after some recent social media activity. Johnson was doing an Instagram live and the person he was doing it with asked him if he’d join the Raiders. The defensive back pointed out that general manager Mike Mayock went to Boston College, which is also where Johnson went. He then got off the video because he didn’t want to “get in trouble.”
John Johnson to the Raiders?
During his Instagram Live, Johnson was asked if he would come to the Raiders.
Check out his response 👀👌🏻
It’s obviously not a guarantee he’s going to Las Vegas but it certainly sounds like he doesn’t hate the idea.
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Johnson Knows ‘His Worth’
If the Raiders do want Johnson on the squad, they’re going to have to pay him. It looks like the safety wants to get a contract in excess of $10 million a year. He basically made that clear when he did a recent live stream.
“Sign a two-year, $20 million deal with the Rams?” Johnson said after a viewer suggested it on the stream, via Rams Wire.” You sleep, buddy. I know my worth.”
Right now, Arizona Cardinals’ Budda Baker is the highest-paid safety in the NFL with a contract that pays him $14.75 million a year, according to Over the Cap. Johnson probably isn’t in line to get paid that much but he might try to demand around $14 million a year. The Raiders paid LaMarcus Joyner $10.5 million in 2020 and the team is probably going to move on from him. If the market for Johnson isn’t as strong as anticipated, perhaps he’s willing to take a contract similar to what the Raiders gave Joyner.
Raiders Haven’t Had Success With Rams Players
The elephant in the room when it comes to free agency for the Raiders is that they’ve swung on a couple of Rams free agents in the past and they’ve been massive misses. Joyner has been a huge bust for the team and they’re likely to cut him this offseason.
The team also signed Cory Littleton last year, who was a Pro Bowler with the Rams. He had a disastrous first year in Las Vegas. Obviously, with new defensive coordinator Gus Bradley coming in, things could look a lot different but it wouldn’t be surprising if Mayock is turned off to the idea of spending big money on another former Rams player.
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Star Rams DB Makes Cryptic Comments on Raiders Ahead of Free Agency