The Los Angeles Rams weren't done adding to their defense as they signed veteran safety John Johnson III. Johnson will return to L.A. for the second consecutive season, and the hope is he'll fit in like a glove alongside potential starters Kamren Curl and Darious Williams. That remains to be seen; however, there's a reason the Rams brought Johnson back, which could be the deep safety position.
Johnson played most of his snaps as a deep safety last season and established himself in that role in the second half. The veteran safety could be a natural fit alongside Curl, who has been more of a box and slot defender in his career.
As the training camp approaches, the competition for the safety position is set to intensify. The return of Johnson could signal the Rams' intention to retain safety Quentin Lake and pit Johnson against Russ Yeast and rookie Kamren Kinchens for the spot next to Curl. This potential showdown is sure to be a highlight of the upcoming training camp.
Johnson has experience over Yeast and Kinchens, but regardless, it will be one of the top things to watch for in training camp. The Rams are huge on Kinchens, as they selected him with the No. 99 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Kinchens has deep range, can play from sideline to sideline, and has a tremendous deep defense feel.
Johnson will get a run for his money this offseason, and we'll see if he can carry his late-season momentum into Day 1 of training camp and beyond.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/rams/ as Rams News: Projecting The Effect of Returning LA Safety.