Jets To Sign Trumaine Johnson

The Jets have agreed to sign free agent cornerback Trumaine Johnson, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). The deal is estimated to be worth $15MM a year, reports NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter).

Plenty of teams had interest in the former Rams cornerback, including the Browns, Cowboys, and Raiders. It’s not all that surprising that Johnson was such a popular name, as the 28-year-old was listed as the top cornerback (No. 8 overall) in PFR’s ranking of the top-50 free agents. While the Jets hadn’t been directly connected to Johnson, previous reports indicated that the organization was looking to add two starting cornerbacks this offseason.

The 2012 third-round pick had spent his entire six-year career with the Rams organization. Johnson had another productive campaign in 2017, compiling 65 tackles, 14 passes defended, and two interceptions in 16 games (five starts). Pro Football Focus was underwhelmed by the performance last season, ranking him 68th among 120 eligible cornerbacks. However, Johnson was graded as a top cornerback in both 2015 and 2016.

Johnson will presumably slide atop the Jets cornerback depth chart, and he’s slated to start opposite Buster Skrine. The organization will have to make a decision on some of their cornerbacks, as they’re currently rostering eight other players at the position, including Darryl RobertsJuston Burris, Derrick Jones, and Rashard Robinson.

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