Former first-round pick Karl Joseph will be heading east. The Browns will add the four-year Raiders safety on a one-year deal, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter).
The Raiders did not pick up Joseph’s fifth-year option in 2019, making him a 2020 free agent. After suffering a season-ending injury last year, Joseph will attempt to re-establish his value in Cleveland.
While the Raiders were open to a Joseph re-up, that was many months ago. And Las Vegas has been busy on defense this week, with one of those additions being safety Jeff Heath.
The Browns, however, have been active on the market as well. Joseph joins B.J. Goodson, Jack Conklin, Austin Hooper and Case Keenum as Cleveland-bound talents thus far in free agency. The Browns were discussing a potential tag-and-trade deal with the Vikings for Anthony Harris as well. Joseph may not interfere with those talks, but he has extensive starting experience and may be tabbed for one of Cleveland’s first-string spots. The Browns have already lost Eric Murray in free agency, and Damarious Randall is now on the market as well.
The No. 14 overall pick out of West Virginia in 2016, Joseph started 41 games as a Raider. He has never been a prolific ball hawk, intercepting four passes in four seasons, but has fared better in the box. Pro Football Focus has graded Joseph as a top-35 safety in each of the past two seasons, rating him as one of last season’s top run-defending safeties.
I definitely thought the Browns needed two safeties this offseason.
I was intrigued by them drafting someone like Kyle Dugger to play the box safety role (Antoine Winfield Jr. is my preferred choice to play free safety), but Joseph is a really good option to play closer to the line and defend the run. It doesn’t hurt that he’s still really young and just four years removed from being a first rounder.
He probably won’t be the most impactful of their signings (and if he is that’s bad news for Conklin and Hooper), but for what they need I really like this.
KJ never did anything his entire time in league. Perfect for Cleveland.
Reading the article might help. He hasn’t lived up to being a first rounder, but he’s a pretty good box safety.