Getty Kelvin Joseph could enter training camp on the roster bubble.
Cornerback Kelvin Joseph’s future with the Dallas Cowboys continues to remain uncertain given the former second-round pick’s inability to display consistency. The addition of star corner Stephon Gilmore this offseason calls into question Joseph’s status in Big D. ESPN’s Todd Archer noted that the the following four Cowboys veterans have been “put on notice” by offseason moves: Joseph, defensive tackle Neville Gallimore, cornerback Nashon Wright and defensive tackle Quinton Bohanna.
Joseph is of particular interest as Dallas used the No. 44 overall selection in the 2021 NFL draft on the corner. The defender is slated to have a $1.3 million salary in 2023 and has two seasons remaining on a four-year, $7.7 million rookie deal.
“Joseph is one of the Cowboys’ best special-teamers, but that’s not enough as a former second-round pick, who has not taken advantage of his opportunities at cornerback,” Archer wrote on May 6, 2023. “In Week 15, he gave up two touchdowns in the loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars and was benched in favor of Wright. After playing 37 defensive snaps in that game, he played just two in the final three contests. He is, at best, CB5 if not CB6 behind Wright.”
Cowboys Rumors: Kelvin Joseph Will Be Fighting for a Roster Spot in Training Camp
Joseph has played in 26 games over his first two NFL seasons in Dallas but only notched three starts. The Athletic’s Jon Machota has Joseph making the final roster in his latest projections but added that the corner is not guaranteed a spot.
“The final spot here comes down to rookie sixth-round pick Eric Scott and Wright,” Machota detailed on May 8. “Maybe even Joseph ends up on that bubble mix, depending on how he looks in training camp. Diggs, Gilmore, Bland and Lewis make up a pretty strong top of that depth chart.”
Jerry Jones on Kelvin Joseph: ‘It’s Time for Some of the Side Stuff to Ease Its Way Out of His Life’
Cowboys 2nd RD pick Kelvin Joseph 😤
2nd most INTs in the SEC last season
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has already expressed his frustration over Joseph’s slow start to his career given the team utilized a second-round pick on the former Kentucky standout. During a December 9, 2022 radio appearance with 105.3 The Fan’s “K&C Masterpiece,” Jones emphasized it was “go time” for Joseph as the team dealt with a litany of injuries in the secondary at the time.
“It’s called ‘go time’ for Joseph,” Jones remarked during a December 9, 2022 interview with 105.3 The Fan’s “K&C Masterpiece.” “It’s time for him to become a man and that type [of] terminology. He’s gotta say, ‘It is time now.’ And that happens to young people and he should accept a higher level of responsibility.
“He’s got more people depending on him. He’s got his teammates depending upon him. It’s time for some of the side stuff to ease its way out of his life, and it’s time to get down to business. He’s got a lot of people depending on him. That will make him better. It always does. He’s capable of it, and we thought that when he was going through some of that initial hard times. He’s very talented. He can be a good player for us.”