Tag: JoJo Natson

Browns to sign former Rams PR JoJo Natson

The Browns are adding Natson on a one-year deal.

There was little chance JoJo Natson was going to return to the Los Angeles Rams after they waived him last week, but that ship has officially sailed now. Natson is signing with the Cleveland Browns, landing a one-year deal worth $1 million.

Natson spent the last two years with the Rams, replacing Pharoh Cooper as the team’s return specialist.

Natson was set to become a restricted free agent this offseason, but the Rams released him beforehand. No team claimed him off waivers, so he became an unrestricted free agent.

In 2019, Natson returned 19 punts for 149 yards, also returning 13 kickoffs for 289 yards. The Rams are now left needing a return specialist, though Darrell Henderson could potentially take over as the kick returner, just as he did when Natson was injured.

Browns will sign KR/WR JoJo Natson from the Rams

Browns will sign KR/WR JoJo Natson from the Rams

Former Los Angeles Rams wide receiver and return specialist JoJo Natson will sign a free agent deal with the Cleveland Browns. Several sources confirmed the pending signing with Natson himself.

College fans of the MAC will remember Natson from his days at Akron. He transferred to the Zips for his final season after three years at Utah State.

He is one of the smallest players in the NFL at 5-foot-7 and a listed 157 pounds, but that hasn’t stopped him from being the Rams’ primary punt returner over the last two years. He’s also run back kickoffs for both the Rams and the Jets, where he spent his rookie campaign in 2017.

Natson has electrifying lateral quickness and acceleration that help mitigate his lack of size. With just two receptions in three seasons, it’s fair to say the Browns see Natson only as a return specialist solution.

5 potential replacements for JoJo Natson as Rams’ return specialist

The Rams have two internal options as potential replacements for JoJo Natson.

(Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images)

The Los Angeles Rams moved on from punt and kick returner JoJo Natson on Tuesday, waiving him a week before he was set to become a restricted free agent. That leaves a vacancy on special teams, where John Bonamego is taking over as the coordinator.

So who could replace Natson as the primary return specialist? There will be a lot of options available for the Rams, including a pair already on the roster.

Here are five potential replacements for Natson.

Nsimba Webster

When Natson missed time last season with a hamstring injury, it was Webster who took over punt return duties. He took back seven punts for only 18 yards, fumbling one of his attempts. He also returned two kickoffs for 57 yards, including a long of 30 yards.

Webster had experience as a return specialist at Eastern Washington, primarily on kickoffs. He’s an obvious candidate to replace Natson on punt returns, given his low cost and the Rams’ apparent confidence in him down the stretch last season.

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Rams waive JoJo Natson, who was set to be a RFA

The Rams are moving on from JoJo Natson, waiving him Tuesday.

JoJo Natson has served as the Los Angeles Rams’ primary return specialist for the last two years, but it seems he’s not in the tam’s plans moving forward. Before he could become a restricted free agent next week, the team waived Natson, according to ESPN’s Field Yates.

If Natson goes unclaimed on waivers, it’s possible the Rams could bring him back by signing him as a free agent. However, given this decision, it seems they’re likely moving on from him. They could have retained Natson easily with an RFA tender, but that would have cost them at least $2 million.

Natson returned 19 punts for 149 yards last season, as well as 13 kickoffs for 289 yards. He did not have any fumbles, which was a positive development for the young returner.

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Rams 2020 free agency preview: L.A. must gauge value of JoJo Natson

JoJo Natson is a restricted free agent, making him easier for the Rams to keep him.

Special teams was not a strength for the Los Angeles Rams in 2019. Johnny Hekker had a down year, Greg Zuerlein was shaky for most of the year and the return game didn’t offer much in the way of helping set up the offense.

JoJo Natson was the primary return specialist, playing 12 games for the Rams this past season. He took back 19 punts and 13 kickoffs, averaging 7.8 yards per punt return and 22.2 yards per kick return.

He was tied for 15th in punt return average and 20th in total kick return yardage, but most encouragingly, he didn’t fumble the ball once. Will that progress be enough for the Rams to bring him back?

As a restricted free agent, the Rams can almost assure themselves that he’ll remain in L.A. next season. But that price will be more than $2 million for 2020 alone, if the Rams go that route. There are other options, of course.

  • 2019 stats: 19 punt returns, 149 yards (7.8 average). 13 kick returns, 289 yards (22.2 average)
  • PFF grade: N/A

Analysis

Natson wasn’t spectacular in 2019, nor was he close to the team’s biggest problem. He had a handful of great plays, returning one punt 35 yards and another 32 yards. He did make his share of mistakes, of course, but he never fumbled the ball.

His gaffes were more along the lines of letting punts go instead of fielding them, allowing the opponent to pin the Rams deep. Or taking kickoffs deep out of the end zone, failing to get back to the 25-yard line.

But Natson did provide a spark at times with his shiftiness and quickness. Though he didn’t contribute on offense, he showed potential in the preseason with five catches for 21 yards and a touchdown.

Positional need: Low

The Rams had one of the best return specialists in the NFL in 2017 when Pharoh Cooper was in L.A. They moved on from Cooper and handed Natson the keys, but the impact hasn’t been as great.

They’re not desperate for a punt and kick returner, but they don’t have many great options beyond Natson. Darrell Henderson could handle kickoffs and Cooper Kupp punts, but the Rams would rather protect those offensive players by keeping them out of harm’s way.

Prediction: Signs one-year, $720,000 deal with Rams

The Rams can easily apply an original-round tender to Natson and keep him for $2.14 million in 2020 – assuming he doesn’t sign an offer sheet with another team. That would be a steep price to pay for a player who almost exclusively plays special teams.

Instead, the Rams should sign him to a one-year deal worth far less than that, keeping as much cap space as they can while simultaneously retaining a capable player. I expect them to re-sign Natson, but not to an RFA tender. They need cap space, and they wouldn’t afford them much.

What should the Rams do with their three restricted free agents?

The Rams have some decisions to make with their RFAs this year.

For the Los Angeles Rams, most of the attention is being paid to the 10 unrestricted free agents set to hit the market next month – including five key starters. But what gets lost somewhat in the shuffle are the three restricted free agents who are also on expiring contracts.

Morgan Fox, Donte Deayon and JoJo Natson have all accrued only three seasons in the NFL and are considered restricted free agents, which makes it easier for the Rams to retain them. But how interested is Los Angeles in bringing those three contributors back in 2020?

These decisions aren’t as clear cut as they were with last year’s restricted free agents. Last offseason, it was Cory Littleton, Malcolm Brown, Troy Hill and Blake Countess who became RFAs. Littleton was kept on a second-round tender, while the Rams signed Hill to an extension and matched the Lions’ offer sheet for Brown.

While restricted free agents are easier to retain than unrestricted ones, they aren’t always bargains. According to Over The Cap, here are the projected tender amounts:

  • First round: $4.667 million
  • Second round: $3.278 million
  • Original round: $2.144 million

If the Rams assign a first- or second-round tender to a player and he’s signed to an offer sheet, they have the chance to match that contract. If they decline, they’ll get a draft pick back in the round of the tender assigned. For the original-round tender, it’ll be a pick coming back in the round the player was drafted; or no pick if he went undrafted, as Fox, Deayon and Natson all did.

The first- and second-round tenders protect the team more, but they’re also costlier. For the Rams, none of their three RFAs would need tenders above the original-round designation. Still, that doesn’t make them easy decisions to make.

JoJo Natson

Natson was decent as a punt returner, but paying him more than $2 million to primarily play on special teams probably isn’t necessary. He doesn’t contribute enough on offense to warrant a contract that size, and the Rams shouldn’t have much trouble replacing him on special teams for significantly less money.

Don’t be surprised if Los Angeles declines to tender Natson and allows him to hit free agency. If no one bites and he can’t find a new team, it would open the door for the Rams to sign him for less money than the tender.

Morgan Fox

Fox is the likeliest of the three to be tendered. Michael Brockers is an unrestricted free agent and if he doesn’t return, Fox gains some leverage because he’d be L.A.’s most obvious choice as a replacement.

He’d be worth keeping at the original-round level for $2.144 million, especially if he’s elevated to a starting role in 2020. The Rams would like to keep him at a lower price, but he could have suitors in free agency.

Donte Deayon

Deayon was only active for three games, playing just 43 defensive snaps and 44 on special teams. He was buried on the depth chart last season and will remain a deep reserve in 2020 if the Rams keep him on the roster.

He’s squarely behind Jalen Ramsey, Troy Hill, Nickell Robey-Coleman and David Long, and would have trouble beating out Darious Williams, too. The Rams should pass on using any tender on him, allowing him to hit free agency and gauge his value.

Rams KR JoJo Natson out 4-6 weeks with hamstring injury

Darrell Henderson and Nsimba Webster could replace Natson.

The Los Angeles Rams will need a new plan in the return game moving forward. Sean McVay told reporters at Monday’s press conference that JoJo Natson is out 4-6 weeks with a hamstring injury suffered against the Cardinals on Sunday.

Natson was the only player to get injured during the game, but it’s a significant one, according to McVay.

“JoJo Natson was the only one during the game,” McVay said. “He got a hamstring and he got it pretty good so it’s a 4-to-6-week injury. We’ll have some further updates on his status and how exactly we’ll handle that.”

As for who could replace Natson, who has returned kickoffs and punts this season, the Rams have a couple of options. McVay mentioned rookies Darrell Henderson and Nsimba Webster as candidates on kickoffs and punts, respectively.

“I think there’s a good chance you could put Darrell back there for kick returns,” the coach said. “And then in terms of the punt returns, Nsimba was a guy that did a really nice job at that in the preseason. Consistently caught the ball and he’s a guy that can do a nice job creating after the catch, getting vertical immediately, so he would be the next guy up.”

With only four regular-season games remaining, there’s a chance Natson won’t play again this year. He has 19 punt returns for 149 yards and 13 kick returns for 289 yards. He averaged 10.8 yards per punt return last season but is down to just 7.8 in 2019.

Also on the injury front, McVay said Rob Havenstein and Gerald Everett are both day-to-day as they recover from knee injuries.