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Rams Place Jonah Jackson, John Johnson On IR; Cooper Kupp To Stay On Active Roster

September 19th, 2024 at 8:58am CST by Sam Robinson

SEPTEMBER 19: Kupp will be in a cast for the next week before beginning his rehab, McVay said, via The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue (subscription required). He added the injury will not require surgery, which is another positive development. McVay also said a final decision on injured reserve has not been made yet in Kupp’s case, however, so he could still be shut down for notable stretch.

SEPTEMBER 18: This season is skidding off track quickly for a Rams team that carried higher expectations compared to 2023. More IR placements are on tap for Sean McVay‘s team.

Jonah Jackson and John Johnson are heading to IR, the team announced. Jackson joins O-linemen Steve Avila and Joe Noteboom on the injured list, with more injury trouble persisting on the team’s front beyond the IR crew.

That said, some good news has come out of this early-season bloodbath. Cooper Kupp is not currently viewed as an IR candidate, ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets. Kupp is again battling an ankle injury. McVay had previously said Kupp was an IR candidate.

[RELATED: Steve Avila Undergoes MCL Surgery]

Previously the last man standing among Rams starters in terms of health and overall availability entering Week 2, Jackson aggravated the shoulder injury that sidelined him for much of training camp and the preseason. The free agency addition must now miss at least four games. Jackson must sit until at least Week 8, while Avila and Noteboom are out until at least Week 7. The Rams have their bye in Week 6. That suddenly looms as an important recovery period, despite it coming so early in the season.

The Rams gave Jackson a three-year, $51MM deal days after re-signing Kevin Dotson (three years, $48MM) to remain at right guard. A four-year Lions left guard starter, Jackson has bounced between LG and center early in his Rams tenure. But injuries have overshadowed the entire O-line’s work thus far. Dotson is playing through a sprained ankle.

Alaric Jackson‘s return from a two-game suspension will help a Rams team in crisis. That will give the team three of its five O-line starters available, with longtime RT Rob Havenstein returning in Week 2. But the team is battling injury issues at multiple spots. Johnson sustained a hairline scapula fracture and had loomed as an IR candidate. Re-signed to continue his second Rams stint in July, Johnson had started one game for a Rams team otherwise retooling at safety.

As the Rams’ O-line injury issues remind of their 2022 problems, Kupp’s most recent trouble is familiar as well. Kupp suffered a foot injury in October 2022 but then went down with a more significant ankle malady a month later. The All-Pro receiver underwent season-ending tightrope surgery to repair the issue, and while he returned in time for training camp in 2023, a hamstring issue delayed his debut last season.

Kupp has missed 13 games since his dominant 2021 season, stalling the crafty wideout in his early 30s. The Rams gave Kupp a big raise after his Super Bowl MVP showing — during an offseason in which the team paid Matthew Stafford and Aaron Donald — but have not seen much to justify it since.

Kupp, 31, does lead the NFL with 18 receptions through two games; that total came despite leaving the Rams’ Week 2 loss early. The team has Puka Nacua on IR as well, leaving the likes of Demarcus Robinson, Tutu Atwell and rookie Jordan Whittington as Stafford’s top targets.

Rams WR Cooper Kupp Candidate For IR

September 16th, 2024 at 5:27pm CST by Ben Levine

The injury issues keep piling up for the Rams. Days after placing wideout Puka Nacua on injured reserve, coach Sean McVay revealed that fellow star receiver Cooper Kupp will also miss “an extended period of time” (per ESPN’s Sarah Barshop).

[RELATED: Rams To Place WR Puka Nacua On IR]

Kupp missed the second half of yesterday’s loss to the Cardinals following a second-quarter ankle injury. The receiver was spotted wearing a boot after the game, and McVay has since acknowledged that the veteran may land on injured reserve.

This is a tough break for Kupp, who has missed time in each of the past two seasons. His 2022 season ended prematurely following a high ankle sprain that required surgery, and he missed the beginning of the 2023 campaign while nursing a hamstring issue. Kupp’s latter absence allowed Nacua to establish himself atop the depth chart, and there was plenty of optimism that the duo would emerge as one of the league’s top WR tandems in 2024.

Instead, Matthew Stafford will likely have to navigate the next month with the likes of Demarcus Robinson, Tyler Johnson, Tutu Atwell, and sixth-round rookie Jordan Whittington. We already got a preview of the Rams’ offensive struggles during yesterday’s game. Per Barshop, yesterday marked the first time Stafford failed to toss a touchdown since Week 1 of the 2023 campaign. That ended the second-longest active streak in the NFL (behind Kirk Cousins).

The injury news doesn’t stop there. Guard Jonah Jackson re-aggravated his shoulder injury and could also land on IR, per Barshop. The offseason acquisition dealt with a shoulder injury for much of training camp and the preseason but was able to make his way into the lineup for Week 1. Jackson’s injury will stress an already depleted OL depth chart that’s without Steve Avila and Joe Noteboom.

The injuries also extend to the defensive side of the ball, as Barshop reports that safety John Johnson III is also a candidate for IR while dealing with a shoulder injury. Per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Johnson suffered a hairline fracture in his scapula and is expected to miss four to six weeks. The veteran defensive back started eight of his 17 appearances during his first season in Los Angeles in 2023.

Rams Re-Sign S John Johnson

July 11th, 2024 at 4:39pm CST by Sam Robinson

JULY 11: Johnson will receive a slight raise for 2024, with USA Today’s Howard Balzer indicating his latest Rams contract is a one-year, $1.38MM accord. The Rams are guaranteeing Johnson $750K. This obviously pales in comparison to the eight-figure-per-year Browns contract Johnson inked in 2021, but he has settled in as a role player during his second Rams stint.

JULY 4: The Rams made the move to reunite with John Johnson last year, bringing the former Super Bowl LIII starter back midway through training camp. Working on a holiday, the club again moved to keep Johnson in the fold.

Johnson re-signed with the Rams on Thursday, the team announced. He will join some new safeties in L.A., most notably Kamren Curl. With Thursday’s agreement poised to extend Johnson’s second Rams stint to two years, this will be his sixth season with the team.

After the Browns cut bait on Johnson’s three-year, $33MM deal in 2023, he played in every Rams game last season. The 2017 third-round pick made eight starts and lined up with Los Angeles’ first-stringers in the team’s narrow wild-card loss in Detroit. Going into his age-28 season, Johnson will vie for another regular role at a position group that has seen some offseason updates.

As they did with Johnson three years ago, the Rams let safety starter Jordan Fuller walk in free agency. The Day 3 find wound up with the Panthers. The Rams replaced him with Curl, who signed a modest contract (two years, $9MM) despite being one of the top free agent DBs available. Curl’s contract overlaps with Russ Yeast‘s rookie deal. With both Curl and Yeast signed through 2025, Los Angeles also added Kamren Kinchens in the third round. Despite Fuller’s exit, Johnson returns to a more crowded group.

Johnson played 574 defensive snaps last season, making 42 tackles and intercepting two passes. Pro Football Focus ranked Johnson 77th at the position, however, and no free agency rumors followed the Boston College alum this offseason. Johnson played for just $1.1MM last season; it stands to reason his third Rams contract comes in at a similar rate.

Commanding the three-year Cleveland commitment in 2021, Johnson delivered good value for a Rams team that needed to keep hitting on later-round draft choices due to the lack of first-round picks available and high-priced contracts flooding the top of the payroll. Chosen in Sean McVay‘s first offseason in L.A., Johnson started 48 games from 2017-20. While the 2018 NFC championship game is better known for a missed pass interference call, Johnson keyed the team’s route to the Super Bowl by intercepting an overtime Drew Brees pass.

Johnson was initially one of the starters the Rams were comfortable parting with to afford their high-end contracts, but after the veteran DB tumbled off the eight-figure-per-year level, he has settled in as a role player back with his original team.

Rams To Bring Back S John Johnson

August 7th, 2023 at 9:52am CST by Adam La Rose

John Johnson was released by the Browns in March, marking an end to his tenure with his second career team. A reunion with his first is now in order. The veteran safety has agreed to a one-year deal which will return him to the Rams (Twitter link via ESPN’s Jeremey Fowler). It is a veteran minimum pact worth $1.08MM, per Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic (subscription required).

Johnson spent his first four seasons in Los Angeles, quickly establishing himself as a key member of the team’s secondary. He started 48 of his 54 games with the Rams, and played every snap of the 2020 season. That made him a hot commodity on the open market when he reached free agency, and he arrived in Cleveland with plenty of expectations.

The Boston College product signed a three-year, $33.75MM with the Browns in 2021, and provided playmaking in his debut season. Johnson recorded three interceptions and five pass breakups while remaining a full-time starter. Things did not go as well last year, though, one in which he was moved closer to the line of scrimmage. That decision resulted in a 100-tackle campaign for the third time in his career, but only one interception and a career-worst passer rating allowed in coverage (82.8).

The Browns saved $9.75MM by designating Johnson as a post-June 1 release, something which came about after it was clear they would look to trade him in a cost-shedding move. Cleveland signed Juan Thornhill and Rodney McLeod in free agency to work alongside incumbent Grant Delpit on the backend. Thornhill in particular will be counted on to replace Johnson’s production.

The Rams have a number of relatively inexperienced options at the safety position (among many others after embracing a youth movement this offseason). Jordan Fuller can be expected to once again shoulder a starting role after being limited to just three games last year, but Johnson could find himself alongside the former sixth-rounder with the first-team defense if he can regain his previous Los Angeles form. Doing so would help the Rams improve on their highly disappointing performance in 2022 while boosting his free agent stock ahead of next offseason in the process.

Browns Release DE Jadeveon Clowney

March 15th, 2023 at 5:33pm CST by Ben Levine

For the fifth-straight offseason, Jadeveon Clowney is on the market. The Browns announced that they’ve released the defensive end.

After joining the Browns for the 2021 season, Clowney re-signed with the organization last offseason. While that contract technically featured some future seasons, the Browns would have had to commit more than $40MM to the defensive end if he was still on the roster on Friday. As a result, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero tweets that Clowney’s second contract with the organization was always intended to be a one-year deal.

The former first-overall pick helped rehabilitate his image in 2021 following a disappointing, zero-sack performance with the Titans in 2020. Clowney started all 14 of his appearances for Cleveland in 2021, with his nine sacks proving to be his best mark since the 2018 campaign.

However, things slightly went down hill in 2022. Clowney wasn’t nearly as productive in his 12 games (10 starts), collecting only a pair of sacks and four QB hits, his lowest total in that latter mark since his four-game rookie campaign. Further, after publicly questioning his playing time and hinting that he wouldn’t be back in Cleveland for the 2023 campaign, Clowney was sent home by the organization and was inactive for the season finale. The defensive lineman later apologized for his comments, but it seemed pretty clear that Clowney’s stint in Cleveland had all but come to an end.

Still, considering Clowney’s pedigree, there’s a solid chance he finds another gig this offseason. Despite his numbers being down, Clowney still finished as Pro Football Focus’ 27th edge rusher (among 119 qualifiers), with the site giving him a particularly high grade for his running defense.

Meanwhile, the Browns also officially announced that they’ve released safety John Johnson. We heard back in February that the Browns were planning to part ways with the veteran.

Browns To Part Ways With S John Johnson; Team Eyeing Jessie Bates?

February 28th, 2023 at 12:54pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Browns made a significant addition to their secondary when they signed safety John Johnson as a free agent in 2021. His time in Cleveland is coming to an end, however. Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports that Cleveland will release him at the onset of free agency in March unless a trade partner can be found before then (Twitter link).

Johnson, 27, inked a three-year, $33.75MM contract in 2021 after a productive start to his career with the Rams. He was arguably the top safety on the market that offseason, but reportedly took less money to come to Cleveland. That reflected the optimism surrounding the team at that time, but still led to high expectations given the Browns’ investment in Johnson to solidify their backend.

Johnson had a strong 2021 campaign, recording three interceptions and five pass deflections. He also posted career-best numbers in terms of coverage statistics, allowing an opposing passer rating of 70.1. Things went differently this past season, one in which the former third-rounder moved closer to the line of scrimmage while remaining a full-time starter. He eclipsed the 100-tackle mark for the third time in his career, but totaled just one interception.

Johnson is due to carry a cap hit of $13.5MM this season, making him a logical candidate for a cost-cutting trade or release. The only way the Browns would see any savings by moving on from him, though, is they designated him a post-June 1 release. Assuming that takes place, Cleveland will save $9.75MM while incurring a dead cap charge of $3.75MM. Those savings could help them re-stock with a notable name.

Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com reports that the Browns “are expected to pursue” Bengals safety Jessie Bates in free agency. The 26-year-old has been with Cincinnati for all five years of his career, but the contentious negotiations which took place between he and the Bengals last offseason resulted in the franchise tag being used. That move, along with the team’s decision to draft Daxton Hill in the first round, point to Bates heading elsewhere this year. He will no doubt command a lucrative deal, but freeing up funds from Johnson’s deal will allow the Browns to at least be a contender to add more playmaking on defense.

Given his age and production, Johnson will himself likely have suitors on the open market, albeit at a reduced rate compared to his Browns deal. Cleveland, meanwhile, will be a team to watch if they become serious in their pursuit of Bates, one of the top defenders set to hit free agency.

NFL COVID List Updates: 12/20/21

December 20th, 2021 at 10:23pm CST by Ben Levine

A long list of players were placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list. We listed the players who landed on the list today, as well as those who were activated off the list:

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Kansas City Chiefs

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Las Vegas Raiders

Miami Dolphins

New England Patriots

New York Giants

New York Jets

  • Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DE John Franklin-Myers, DB Sharrod Neasman

Philadelphia Eagles

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

Washington Football Team

Browns’ Baker Mayfield, Case Keenum Ruled Out

December 20th, 2021 at 9:31am CST by Zachary Links

Baker Mayfield and Case Keenum weren’t able to test out of the NFL’s COVID-19 protocols in time for today’s game (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero). With that, Nick Mullens is set to start for the Browns against the Raiders today.

[RELATED: Raiders-Browns Moved To Monday]

The Browns were able to activate safety John Johnson III from the list, but the bulk of their COVID-19 positive players from last week will be held out. To fill the roster, the Browns have elevated cornerbacks Brian Allen and Herb Miller, safeties Tedric Thompson and Jovante Moffatt, defensive end Joe Jackson, guard Hjalte Froholdt, and running back John Kelly for tonight’s game.

Without their top two QBs, the Browns will need a big day out of their running backs. Unfortunately, that group won’t include Kareem Hunt, who also finds himself on the COVID-19 list. Instead, they’ll look to Nick Chubb, who has 5.5 yards per carry on the year, and D’Ernest Johnson, the reserve who turned in a couple of impressive performances earlier this year.

John Johnson Turned Down More Money To Sign With Browns

March 21st, 2021 at 9:28pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Browns added a big piece to their defense when they signed safety John Johnson last week, and they apparently faced steep competition for his services.

Johnson turned down “significantly more money” from another team to sign with the Browns, his agents told Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. He was clearly very excited about the prospect of playing for this upstart Browns team that is coming off their best season in decades. It’s a sign of how much the times have changed that players are now taking less money in order to sign with the Browns as a destination in free agency.

Imagine if someone had told you that a few years ago. Johnson signed a three-year, $33.75MM pact with the Browns that included $24MM guaranteed, and was arguably the top safety on the market after guys like Justin Simmons, Marcus Maye, and Marcus Williams all got franchise tagged by their respective teams.

Johnson’s AAV of $11.25MM has him as the eighth-highest paid safety in the NFL currently. Shortly before he signed with Cleveland we heard the Lions, Eagles, and Jaguars were pursuing him, so it’s possible it was one of those teams that offered him the bigger contract.

The Rams opted not to tag him for financial reasons, but Johnson has been a really good player since entering the league as a third-round pick in 2017. He played every snap for a Los Angeles defense that was best in the league last season, and won’t turn 26 until December. Johnson will start next to either 2020 second-round pick Grant Delpit or Ronnie Harrison in 2021.

Browns, S John Johnson Agree To Deal

March 15th, 2021 at 3:25pm CST by Sam Robinson

Entering the legal tampering period in need of defensive talent, the Browns are making a big move early. They agreed to terms with longtime Rams safety starter John Johnson, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

With Justin Simmons, Marcus Maye and Marcus Williams receiving the franchise tag, Johnson moved up the list of available safeties. The Browns will add the former third-round pick on a three-year, $33.75MM contract, according to NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo (on Twitter). Johnson will receive $24MM guaranteed in the deal.

The Rams have lost a host of key role players over the past three offseasons, with the team having made a few splashy moves. Johnson follows the likes of Rodger Saffold, Lamarcus Joyner and Cory Littleton out of Los Angeles. He joined them as a Super Bowl LIII starter and had been a Rams first-stringer since his 2017 rookie season. Being well over the cap, the Rams will lose Johnson to a team with in a better financial spot.

The Browns ranked 25th in defensive DVOA last season. They lost second-round pick Grant Delpit to injury and used multiple stopgaps at the position. This represents a much bigger investment than Cleveland made at the spot last year. Johnson will join Denzel Ward as high-end Browns secondary cogs. Pro Football Focus has regarded Johnson highly for much of his career; he ranked as PFF’s No. 3 overall safety in 2020.

Despite Johnson’s status as a high-end free agent, his contract will not quite hit the top tier among safeties. It is outside the top five at the position in both AAV and guaranteed money. But the Browns will have a key piece to team with both Delpit and Ronnie Harrison under Joe Woods going forward.

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