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The Seattle Seahawks are signing a former Dallas Cowboys second-round pick ahead of their matchup with their NFC rivals.
The Seahawks are signing cornerback Kelvin Joseph to the practice squad, as NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported on Sunday, November 26.
“The Seahawks signed former #Cowboys second-round pick CB Kelvin Joseph to the practice squad,” writes Pelissero. “Seattle visits Dallas on Thursday night.”
Why Kelvin Joseph Was Traded by Cowboys
Joseph is best known for his two year-stint with the Cowboys, initially selected in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft. While Joseph appeared in 26 games and three starts for Dallas during the 2021 and 2022 seasons, he was benched after starting one game during the 2022 season.
That benching occurred after Joseph allowed two touchdowns in a Week 14 40-34 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. It’s a benching that Joseph would never recover from, appearing in just two defensive snaps for the remainder of the season. Dallas would eventually trade the 24-year-old Joseph to the Miami Dolphins in exchange for cornerback Noah Igbinoghene prior to the start of the 2023 season.
Just prior to his start against the Jaguars, team owner Jerry Jones implored Joseph to “become a man” after season-ending injuries to starting cornerbacks Jourdan Lewis and Anthony Brown forced the young defensive back into the starting lineup.
“Time for him to become a man,” Jones said last December according to Yahoo’s Jori Epstein. “Accept a higher level of responsibility. He’s got more people depending on him. It’s time for some of the side stuff to ease its way out of his life.”
According to Pro Football Focus, Joseph posted a lowly 49.2 defensive grade and a 44.1 coverage grade last season. The coverage grade was the eighth-worst mark among cornerbacks with at least 100 defensive snaps.
Why Seahawks Are Signing Kelvin Joseph
While Joseph would appear in four games for the Dolphins, he was mostly limited to special teams duty. Joseph appeared in just 21 defensive snaps — 8% of the defensive snaps — while appearing in 87 snaps, 72% of the snaps on special teams.
Joseph was eventually released by the Dolphins earlier this month.
As Corbin K. Smith of Sports Illustrated points out, the signing of Joseph may have more to do with his familiarity with Dallas’ defensive scheme, along with his experience of playing against quarterback Dak Prescott in practice. That familiarity and experience may give the Seahawks an edge as they prepare to face the Cowboys on Thursday night.
“At minimum, considering the timing of his addition, coach Pete Carroll and Seattle’s staff would be wise to pick Joseph’s brain due to his past experience playing in the Cowboys’ defensive scheme and matching up against Dak Prescott and their offense on a daily basis,” writes Smith.
Considering Joseph has barely played on defense since December, it’s unlikely he’ll play a major role during the Seahawks’ game against the Cowboys. However, he will likely play a role in preparing the team for a big-time NFC matchup against the 8-3 Cowboys.
In three seasons, Joseph holds career totals of 30 games and three starts with 38 tackles and one forced fumble.
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