Former Rams and Jets cornerback Trumaine Johnson is back on the NFL radar. The Panthers brought in the veteran for a visit Thursday, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
The Jets released Johnson on the first day of the 2020 league year, and the former Forbes List resident has been off the grid since. He struggled with injuries in New York and did not live up to the massive contract he signed in 2018. Gang Green ate $12MM in dead money to cut Johnson, though they spread the hit over multiple years via post-June 1 cut.
Johnson, 30, has made 77 NFL starts. His best work came in St. Louis and Los Angeles. The Rams prioritized Johnson over Janoris Jenkins in 2016, giving him the franchise tag. The sides did not work out an extension that year, and the Rams franchised Johnson again in 2017. Although the former UDFA out of Montana has not made a Pro Bowl, he earned quite a bit of dough from his tags and the Jets’ five-year, $72.5MM deal.
The Panthers were without free agent addition Eli Apple on Sunday against the Raiders, and the team was already light on proven corners with Apple in the equation. Apple currently sits on Carolina’s IR list. The Panthers used multiple draft picks on corners this year; both were Day 3 choices, however.
Given my Jets’ luck, he’ll sign with the Panthers and play for them like Demario Davis is doing with the Saints.
Scrub