Starting safety Lamarcus Joyner did not agree to a new contract with the Rams before Monday’s NFL deadline, so Joyner will play the 2018 season under a franchise tag.
Joyner had been set to become an unrestricted free agent in March, but the Rams chose to apply a “tag” to him, which guaranteed Joyner a one-year contract worth $11.287 million.
“I’m not focused on wealth,” Joyner said last week during the Rams’ offseason program. “I’m just focused on the passion I have for the game. That’s all.”
The Rams had until Monday to sign Joyner to a new contract but, as expected, they did not. Joyner now is set to become a free agent next March, but the Rams would have the option to apply the tag to Joyner for a second time, and at a higher salary.
That situation is complicated by the fact that the Rams have yet to sign star defensive lineman Aaron Donald to a new contract. In a worst-case scenario, the Rams might have to use their 2019 franchise tag on Donald.
Joyner, 27, enjoyed his most successful NFL season in 2017, his fourth year with the Rams. Joyner played 12 games and started all of them, and recorded the first three interceptions of his career. Joyner is expected to be a leader in a talented secondary that also includes cornerbacks Aqib Talib, Marcus Peters and Nickell Robey-Coleman and safety John Johnson.
