2015 St. Louis Rams Roster Preview: CB Trumaine Johnson Expects Big Things In Contract Year

17.

That's the number of free agents the Rams are looking at dealing with next offseason. Some of those will need to find employment elsewhere. Retention rates for teams in the NFL are, in case you haven't noticed, less than 100%. Tough decisions loom. Many of those decisions, though, will be affected by the play of the individuals involved in 2015.

So for Rams CB Trumaine Johnson, 2015 isn't just another season. It's an opportunity to make a statement about what his NFL career is going to be.

Roster Battle

Things are interesting at the top of the Rams' cornerback chart. Janoris Jenkins, E.J. Gaines and Tru are your likely top three, though Lamarcus Joyner has to be determined to break through in year two and Marcus Roberson could be on the up throughout camp. Still, there's no reason to think Tru won't be heavily involved.

Expectations

And there's the rub.

Injuries pulled him back in 2014, but there's no reason not to expect Trumaine Johnson to excel this year. Going into his fourth year with that defensive line, his job isn't nearly as demanding as some of his peers throughout the league. To the extent that he plays, he should come out with more positives.

Chances of Making Final Roster (10/10)

I can't envision a 53-man roster without him for 2015, but that's the aside here. More important is what he does once the 53-man's set. WIth the surprise of E.J. Gaines in 2014, Tru's trajectory with the Rams is uncertain. A shaky 2015 could see him out the door while a banner year would either entice the Rams to retain him or push him to test the market. Regardless, the latter's certainly more favorable. The Rams' cornerback position should be one of strength with as much as they've invested in it.

Tru's part of the reason why (cue up 2 Chainz).