Teams went on a cap-shedding spree Friday afternoon, releasing several pricey veterans before free agency starts in less than a week. Among them were Xavier Rhodes, Linval Joseph, Rick Wagner, Thomas Davis, Brandon Mebane, Cordy Glenn and Delanie Walker.
While some of those players could be targets for the Rams, one stands out as someone the team should absolutely target: former Vikings defensive tackle Linval Joseph.
Nose tackle isn’t viewed as a position of need for Los Angeles this offseason, but that shouldn’t prevent the team from kicking the tires on Joseph. He’d be a valuable addition to the defensive line, potentially giving the Rams the presence inside they’ve been looking for in recent years at that position.
They’ve tried everyone from Michael Brockers to Ndamukong Suh to Sebastian Joseph-Day to Greg Gaines, but none of them have really shined in that nose tackle role. Joseph fits nicely at that spot despite the fact that he’s primarily played in a 4-3 scheme, making him a promising target for the Rams.
At 6-foot-4, 329 pounds, Joseph has the size to line up at nose tackle and take on centers and guards. He doesn’t just eat up blocks, either. Last season, he had six tackles for loss, six quarterback hits and three sacks in only 13 games. He earned an overall grade of 71.2 from Pro Football Focus, marking the eighth straight season he’s received a grade above 70 from the analytics site.
His power is apparent when watching him play, showing the ability to walk centers and guards back into the quarterback and running backs to cause problems after the snap. That’s evident on this play, where Joseph gets to Aaron Rodgers for a sack.
On this play, he shows good awareness and discipline to keep his eyes on the running back as he cuts back inside. Joseph immediately gets his arms extended against the guard, which allows him to disengage quickly and make the tackle for a gain of just 1 yard.
This is the sort of play that would be extremely valuable and beneficial to the Rams, who have had trouble stopping the run in recent years.
Joseph’s market won’t be robust, but he’ll definitely have his share of suitors – even at the age of 31. On his last contract, Joseph was making $10 million per year. His base salary was set to be $11.5 million in 2020, which is a fairly high number for a nose tackle.
Given his age, Joseph probably won’t make $10 million per year on his next contract. However, the Rams are no strangers to short-term deals with veteran linemen, giving Ndamukong Suh $14 million for one season back in 2018.
Joseph is the same age as Suh was then, but he’s not regarded as highly as the five-time Pro Bowler. As a result, his contract will be cheaper, potentially in the range of $7-8 million per year.
If the Rams could get Joseph at that price for one season, he’d be worth adding. It would give them more flexibility up front, too, potentially sliding Joseph-Day out to defensive end if Michael Brockers doesn’t return. And as always, the fact that he won’t count against the compensatory pick formula is an added bonus for Les Snead and the Rams.
It’ll come down to price, though, with the Rams having limited cap space this offseason.
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