'Similar to Me': Why Raheem Morris, Falcons Could Sign Rams Ex John Johnson in Free Agency
As Los Angeles Rams coaching analyst Tim Berbenich perused through the halls of the team's facilities in Inglewood, California, he'd joke around with defensive coordinator Raheem Morris.
Among the jokes was something perhaps meant to be funny, but reflects further meaning - Berbenich's fondness for safety John Johnson.
"Tim Berbenich jokes a lot about how ‘JJ’ is his favorite player on the football team," Morris said Dec. 7. "Because of his calming presence, his unique way."
Now, Morris and Berbenich are gone. Johnson may be too. They could be reunited again soon.
Morris is the Atlanta Falcons' head coach, while Berbenich followed him, taking the role of pass game specialist with additional responsibilities for game management.
Johnson, meanwhile, is a free agent after his one-year stint in Los Angeles, which was preceded by two with the Cleveland Browns and four more with the Rams.
With 103 games and 88 starts under his belt, Johnson brings a wealth of experience and production. He's totaled 14 interceptions, had three seasons with at least 100 tackles and played in a variety of schemes.
The 27-year-old Johnson has also been lauded for his character. Why? He's a lot like another high-character individual already well-acquainted in Atlanta.
"He's really similar to me," Morris said. "In the most serious moments where he can just be his authentic self and maybe crack a joke and really mean it and have a certain amount of seriousness to what he's saying. But at the same time, everybody knows that it's serious and that it is something that we got to get done."
In his first stint with the Rams, Johnson didn't play under Morris. Their paths didn't cross until Johnson returned last summer.
Morris knew Johnson was a good player - so much that he tried putting too much on his plate too early. But as Johnson physically returned to shape and mentally understood the scheme, he took off.
Johnson played in all 17 games with eight starts under Morris, recording 42 tackles and two interceptions. Better yet, he emerged as a "glue guy" and veteran leader alongside Jordan Fuller on the back end of Los Angeles' young secondary.
"His communication skills go that way, whether he's talking with Jordan [or] with a younger player," Morris said Dec. 7. "He just brings a certain calming presence that those veterans and those guys that have been there, done that before bring to the table.
"He's having a lot of fun and that's the key elements in those rooms when those guys have fun. They take leadership roles. They take ownership and he's done that in a nice way."
Johnson immediately attacked the process of acquainting himself with the new faces in the Rams' secondary, of which there several players in either their first or second season.
He'd enter a similar situation in Atlanta, with mid-tier veterans in cornerback A.J. Terrell and safety Jessie Bates III leading a young group that includes a pair of second-year players in Clark Phillips III and DeMarcco Hellams, third-year cornerback Dee Alford and fourth-year safety Richie Grant.
The Falcons, who have over $37 million in cap space, according to OverTheCap, have a question mark at starting safety next to Bates, an All-Pro last season.
The safety market is strong, with a number of big-named players headlined by former Denver Broncos standout Justin Simmons prepared to sign elsewhere.
But Atlanta already dished out big money last year to Bates, who signed a four-year, $64.02 million contract, and is expected to give Terrell a hefty extension this offseason.
And so, a cheaper, veteran-laden option may be the avenue Morris pursues - and if he does, Johnson is a realistic option with plenty of familiarity for the culture Morris wants to establish.
"He's right where he needs to be," Morris said Nov. 22. "Picking him up in the offseason was a blessing for us."
