Getty Images

At a time when the football-following world is considering whether Washington will apply the franchise tag a second time to quarterback Kirk Cousins and whether the Chiefs will apply the franchise tag a second time to safety Eric Berry, the Rams have a player who was tagged a year ago, who could be tagged again.

Cornerback Trumaine Johnson received the tag a year ago. To do it again, Johnson would be entitled to a 20-percent raise over hi $13.952 million salary from a year ago. That’s $16.74 million for one more year with Johnson.

The Rams have to decide whether to make that investment or to let Johnson hit the open market. If he goes, it will be the second straight year for the Rams to lose a top-shelf cornerback to free agency.

Assessing Johnson for a potential return will be a new coaching staff, with a defensive coordinator who comes from a Broncos team that was loaded with quality corners. So what will Sean McVay want? What will Wade Phillips want? And what are the options for replacing him, both on the roster and elsewhere?

There will be plenty of much cheaper choices for the Rams, but can they do as well or better than Johnson? It’s a decision the Rams will have to make by March 1, one way or the other.