The Raiders Nation waited almost a month for the Raiders to do anything, anything, in terms of adding a defensive defense. That wait ended Friday, when the team recaptured former opener Karl Joseph after a year away in Cleveland.
The question of any signing so far at the free agency is what impact this player will have. Viously, obviously, that remains to be seen. If you want to be a shocking signing, here are five ways this would be.
1. Draft flexibility
Immediately, it was imperative to add a viable exit security at any point before the draft. If they had entered the draft only with Johnathan Abram as the safe starter and Jeff Heath as the starter, there will be no way out of the first two days without working out any safety.
Sure, it seems easy enough, but that’s what everyone says until: a) the guy they wanted is either not there, or there’s a scope in that position; go through addressing the security position (offensive attack, anyone?).
With Joseph at home, if the Raiders are in any of the above dilemmas, it’s much easier to make the right decision and lean more toward the best player available (in a position of need) than to get upset because they’re desperate.
2. Low cost contract
Going for one of the best guarantees for free agents would have been the best option here. But this ship has basically sailed. As of Joseph’s signing, they are expected to have less than $ 3 million in the maximum room, which isn’t even enough to sign their draft class.
The Raiders became Yannick Ngakoue and, for some reason, gave Kolton Miller a three-year extension and put some of that money at the lower end of that year. So even before we know the details of Joseph’s contract, we know he must be on the cheap side or he wouldn’t be here right now.
3. Move (backwards) to protect it freely
It may be at number three, but it’s easily the most important thing. Joseph came out of West Virginia and made comparisons with Earl Thomas of NFL draft expert (check notes) Mike Mayock. You know, the same guy who is now the GM of the Raiders.
Thomas is a three-time Free Security Pro team as a key piece of the Boom Legion defense in Seattle, which gained prominence under defensive coordination (check notes) Gus Bradley. You know, the guy the Raiders just hired as a defensive coordinator?
Mayock called Joseph “a poor man’s Earl Thomas” when Joseph entered the draft in 2016. An ACL tear threatened to pull Joseph out of the first round, but the Raiders were unmoved. and they got it at the age of 14 in general … then they moved it to a strong security (facepalm).
Joseph lined up with free safety the first year Jon Gruden trained again in 2018. And then they drafted Johnathan Abram, who looked like he could take more time at center for Joseph. But Abram was injured at the start of the season and with Erik Harris more fit for free safety jobs, Joseph would be much more in the box.
Even in Cleveland, Joseph lined up mostly with a lot of confidence. But as it turns out, his only interception of the season was a free safety (wait) on Gus Bradley’s favorite Cover-3 defense.
Seeing this interception of Karl Joseph by Dwayne Haskins
* Everyone’s favorite work, four verticals
* Working your readings against cover 3 on this
* Move security with your eyes … or not pic.twitter.com/zKf7f6ybML– Mark Schofield (@MarkSchofield) September 28, 2020
4. Presence of changing rooms
While we’re talking about Joseph making comparisons to Earl Thomas, it’s worth noting that right now there are no teams that have a chance to sign Thomas. Despite being only 31 years old and coming out of a Pro Bowl season. Because? because it is seen as a locker room problem.
It stinked enough in Seattle in 2019 that they refused to sign it for a long-term deal. Then, after a delay, he returned to play the remaining season, only to break his leg in the fourth game. When he was retired from the field, he notoriously resigned from his coach, Pete Carroll.
His frustrations seemed a bit justified and, after this season, he signed a four-year deal with $ 55 million with the Ravens. It lasted a season before he was cut in the middle of reports that his teammates were advocating to get rid of him.
Joseph likes it a lot. Friday was also very frank when he signed on about how he never wanted to leave the Raiders in the first place and felt like he was coming home (even though the Raiders weren’t in the same place as when he left). He also added that when the Browns played the Raiders last season, there was an outpouring of love from their former teammates.
“[A]After the game, I realized how much I miss these guys here, just by hitting some of these guys after the game, I felt like I had never left, ”Joseph said. “I thought he was still like my family, hugging some of those guys after the game, he even shared a few words with coach Gruden after the game.”
5. Versatility / depth
So let’s say they make it back to free security. But then they take a free security to the draft and it’s ready to start from day one. While Joseph will make a close solid man in any safe place. The four guarantees would be Abram, a free security player, Joseph and Jeff Heath, who is a good group with whom to enter the season.
Plus, Joseph isn’t too proud to play special teams. While he often played all defensive shots in 2019 with the Raiders, he still saw double-digit shots in most special team games. And last season with the Browns, he also played a lot on special teams.
So while we’re talking about the possibility that he won’t be a starter in the season, he won’t just occupy a place on the roster either. The most valuable reserves also contribute to special equipment.