Getty Las Vegas Raiders Safety Karl Joseph.
When the Las Vegas Raiders let Karl Joseph walk in free agency last offseason, it looked like he was just going to be added to the long list of draft picks who didn’t end up working out with the team. Well, it looks like he’ll get another chance to prove that he was worth that first-round pick. It was reported by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport on Thursday that Joseph was visiting the team.
That visit went well as Las Vegas announced that they’ve signed him to a contract.
Back in the Silver and Black.
We have signed S Karl Joseph » t.co/Jro7zUpXXz
Joseph spent last year with the Cleveland Browns and started in eight games. He didn’t see a lot of suitors in free agency but the Raiders had a big need at safety. Joseph probably isn’t a long-term solution but he’s a good guy to have around while the team develops a younger player. He should see a lot of playing time this season.
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Joseph Addresses Returning to Raiders
Though Joseph went to a different team last offseason, it wasn’t up to him. He made it clear that he wanted to return but the Raiders were ready to move on. That was clearly a mistake as the team’s safeties struggled a lot last year. With Gus Bradley taking over as defensive coordinator, Joseph will be a better fit with the team. He had a chance to talk about his decision to come back to the team and revealed that he believes he’s back where he belongs.
“First off, I never wanted to leave,” Joseph said after the news dropped. “I think this my home, I was drafted here, feel like I was born to be a Raider.”
Joseph hasn’t lived up to his status as a top-15 draft pick but he was one of the Raiders’ better defenders when he was still with the team. He’ll definitely be an upgrade over what Las Vegas currently has and should start unless they find a great prospect in the draft.
Joseph Believes Raiders Are Ready to Win
Jon Gruden’s first three years back with the Raiders have been disappointing. The team hasn’t made the playoffs and there’s little reason to believe that they’ve improved enough to get over the hump. Despite that, Joseph believes the Raiders have enough pieces in place to win some games.
“Coach Gruden and Mike Mayock have been building a real good team and I’ve been paying close attention to that the year I was gone,” Joseph said. “All the pieces are there. I think we’re ready to win, and so whatever I’m going to need to do to help us win, that’s what I’m gonna do.”
There are a lot of question marks surrounding the Raiders. Their offensive line has been rebuilt and there are still issues in the defensive secondary. It’s possible that the team surprises everybody and gets back into the playoffs in 2021, but it’s more likely that they will be ready to contend in 2022.
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