Trumaine Johnson was destined for the St. Louis Rams

We probably should have known all along that Trumaine Johnson was going to play for the St. Louis Rams. The team's third-round pick had connections to the team the pre-dated the 2012 NFL Draft. He was in good with the Fishers.

From a profile on Johnson in the Great Falls Tribune:

"I played with (Brandon) at Montana for two years. They wanted me, so they drafted me."

That's Brandon Fisher, son of Rams head coach Jeff. He and Johnson played together at the University of Montana for two years. Fisher's son worked for the Lions in 2011 as a defensive assistant before taking a job in St. Louis last season as an assistant secondary coach.

Fisher, the elder, praised Johnson during his final press conference of the season, after the rookie started three games as the outside corner in place of Cortland Finnegan opposite Janoris Jenkins.

"Cortland did a real nice job for us," Fisher said. "Wish he could've finished up outside, but that just gave Trumaine (Johnson) an opportunity and we've got something in Trumaine Johnson as well. We've got a good football player there."

Fisher went on that day to squelch the idea, wherever it may have originated, that Johnson could be moved to safety.

"No, he's a corner - a big, physical corner," Fisher said. "This is probably the most physical group of corners I've been around in a long time with the depth, and the contact, and the size. It's a good group."

Johnson's emergence is a big reason why Bradley Fletcher was pushed out of the picture in the Rams secondary, despite being an effective corner. Fletcher is a free agent this year, and most certainly will not return.

As for Johnson, if he continues his progress from this season, the Rams will have a very effective trio of corners next year with Jenkins and Finnegan in the lineup.