Chiefs trade Marcus Peters to Rams | What it means for Jets, Trumaine Johnson

Now that Chiefs cornerback Marcus Peters is heading to the Rams, in a trade, what does this mean for the Jets?

Well, it obviously means the Jets aren't going to trade for Peters, a talented but hot-headed player who is entering his fourth NFL season. The Rams can pick up Peters' fifth-year option for 2019, and have two years of contractual control, because he was a first-round draft pick.

The Jets' best cornerback last season, Morris Claiborne, is a pending unrestricted free agent. Ideally, the Jets would re-sign him.

But what about the Jets' other outside corner, Buster Skrine, who is entering the final year of his contract? Skrine, long penalty prone, is better at slot corner than at outside corner. So could the Jets make a run at Rams corner Trumaine Johnson in free agency?

The Rams are clearly now ready to move on from Johnson, whom they franchise tagged in 2016 and 2017. Now that the Rams have Peters, Johnson will leave in free agency. He figures to have a bunch of suitors, as probably the best corner available.

In his first six NFL seasons, Johnson had 18 interceptions (three returned for touchdowns) and 67 passes defended. He turned 28 last month. He has spent his entire career with the Rams.

The Jets' secondary coach, Dennard Wilson, held that job with the Rams before he joined the Jets last year. So he coached Johnson not long ago, from 2015-16.

The Jets should definitely spend some time at next week's NFL Scouting Combine gauging Johnson's value. They certainly have enough salary cap space (about $73 million right now) to sign him, though a lot of that cap space could get eaten up by a Kirk Cousins signing.

As for Skrine, who wasn't all that impressive last season, his cap number for 2018 is $8.5 million. The Jets would free up $6 million in cap space by cutting him.

Is Cousins worth the money?

Or the Jets could retain Skrine, make him exclusively a slot corner, and sign Johnson to play opposite Claiborne in 2018.

Even if the Jets signed Johnson and cut Skrine, they'd have to address slot corner (which is basically a starting role because of how often the Jets use their nickel package). Skrine has played in the slot in that nickel package. So his departure would leave a hole.

Darryl Slater may be reached at dslater@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @DarrylSlater. Find NJ.com Jets on Facebook.

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