The calendar has turned to March, which means the start of the new league year – March 17, 1 p.m. pacific time – and free agency isn't far away.

Ahead of this pivotal time in the offseason, theRams.com will be breaking down the team's roster with an overview of the players currently under contract and those who are scheduled to become free agents.

The series continues with a look at the safeties:

Under contract

• Jordan Fuller: Sixth-round pick earned starting role as a rookie right away, tying with cornerback Troy Hill for second on the team in interceptions (three) while also making the fifth-most tackles (60) while playing in 12 of 16 regular season games (four missed were due to injury).
• Taylor Rapp: Logged 44 total tackles, three pass breakups, one interception and one forced fumble in nine games before sustaining a knee injury (Grade 2 MCL sprain) in Week 10 that landed him on injured reserve for the rest of the season.
• Terrell Burgess: Primarily a special teams contributor as a rookie who also saw some action on defense, the 2020 third-round pick made eight total tackles and one pass breakup before sustaining a season-ending ankle injury against the Bears in Week 7. According to a video posted to his Twitter account, he recently resumed running again.
• Nick Scott: A key member of the Rams special teams, especially in punt protection and coverage, made 17 total tackles while playing in 15 games – the only one he missed was due to being placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list as part of contact tracing protocol.
• JuJu Hughes: Undrafted free agent signee out of Fresno State last year, began his rookie season on the team's practice squad before being elevated to the 53-man roster in early October, then signed to the active roster in mid-October to bolster depth at the position in wake of injuries. Ended up appearing in 12 games, making three total tackles.
• J.R. Reed: Undrafted free agent out of Georgia last year who was originally signed by the Jaguars last spring, waived by the Jaguars in early September, then signed to the Rams practice squad shortly thereafter. First elevated to the 53-man roster in late November before promoted to the active roster in early December, he appeared in seven games and made two total tackles.
• Jake Gervase (Reserve/Future): Joined the Rams' practice squad late in the 2020 season and was activated from it as a COVID-19 replacement for their Week 15 game against the Jets. He played 16 special teams snaps in the contest.

Scheduled to become a free agent

• John Johnson III (unrestricted – Free Agent Spotlight): On-field signal caller for the defense who led the team in tackles with 105 while starting in all 16 regular season games. Also made eight pass breakups and an interception.