Lindsey Thiry of ESPN reports that Rams S Lamarcus Joyner will play out the 2018 season under the franchise tag, as the two parties won’t reach an agreement on an extension before today’s deadline.
No surprise here, as recent reports indicated that a deal between the Rams and Joyner was unlikely.
The safety market was far worse than many anticipated, which likely impacted contract negotiations to some degree. Joyner will get an opportunity to test the open market next year, assuming that he doesn’t re-sign with the Rams before the start of free agency.
Joyner, 27, is a former second-round pick of the Rams back in 2014. He played out the final year of his rookie contract before receiving the Rams’ franchise tag several months ago.
Joyner has already signed his franchise tender worth $11,287,000 fully guaranteed for the 2018 season.
In 2017, Joyner appeared in 12 games for the Rams and recorded 49 tackles, three interceptions with one being returned for a touchdown, a forced fumble and nine pass defenses. Pro Football Focus has him rated as the No. 3 safety out of 87 qualifying players.
We have him featured in our Top 25 – 2019 NFL Free Agents list.
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