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Tyler Johnson isn’t a name many Rams fans probably recognize. He’s a fourth-year receiver with 72 career receptions, all of which came in 2020 and 2021. He’s not exactly DeAndre Hopkins.
But the Rams see value in Johnson, signing him this week and adding him to their 90-man roster just in time for the second bunch of OTA practices.
Though Johnson will probably never be a Pro Bowler or eclipse 1,000 yards in a season, he does bring experience to a rather unproven group of receivers in Los Angeles. The only wideouts on the Rams’ roster with more receptions than Johnson’s 72 are Van Jefferson (93) and Cooper Kupp (508).
Ben Skowronek has fewer (50), as does Tutu Atwell (18). Before Johnson arrived, the Rams didn’t have another receiver on the roster with more than two receptions. Granted, WR5 isn’t the most important position on the team, but Johnson has at least carved out a role for himself in the NFL. Austin Trammell, Lance McCutcheon and the host undrafted rookies haven’t done that yet.
Johnson’s playoff experience shouldn’t go unnoticed, either. He’s six playoff games, all with the Buccaneers, and even won a Super Bowl the year before the Rams won their ring. He caught seven passes for 76 yards in the playoffs, which aren’t numbers that blow you away, but the Bucs trusted him enough to put him on the field in each of their postseason runs.
Essentially, the Rams are getting a receiver who can at least handle duties as the No. 4 or 5 receiver in the event that Skowronek, Atwell and Puka Nacua don’t ascend the way they hope. He’ll even get a chance to compete as the No. 3 option behind Kupp and Jefferson.
Johnson should be viewed as more than just a camp body. The Rams clearly weren’t satisfied with their receiver group leading up to the draft and even coming out of it, which is why they selected Nacua, signed four other undrafted rookie receivers and traded away Allen Robinson.
With their limited cap space, they couldn’t go out and sign a marquee player like Hopkins or Julio Jones. They had to be selective so as not to make their cap situation even worse. We don’t have Johnson’s contract details yet, but he’s not going to cost much, perhaps even the veteran minimum.
Fans shouldn’t be too excited about this addition, even if it is the team’s only free-agent signing of the year. But at the very least, Johnson can contribute on special teams and bring some valuable experience to a group of receivers that’s lacking exactly that.
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