The same teams could be in on Watkins. In Rams general manager Les Snead's perfect world, he probably would have re-signed safety Lamarcus Joyner to a contract extension and used the tag on Watkins to give him another year in coach Sean McVay's offense. But this world is imperfect -- all men are fallible, and the Rams may wind up getting only 593 yards of production (Watkins' yardage total in 2017) out of the second-round pick they sent to the Bills (along with cornerback E.J. Gaines) for Watkins last offseason. Joyner is just too valuable to risk losing, so Snead placed the non-exclusive franchise tag on him Tuesday. Joyner's dynamic versatility and toughness epitomizes everything the Rams are looking for from a defender. Re-signing Watkins to a one-year deal would be ideal for the Rams, but a bigger offer looms elsewhere. Snead may have to settle for a compensatory pick a year from now as the final piece to the Watkins trade.