Tag: Linval Joseph

Chargers make 4 free agent signings official

Four players have officially inked with the Los Angeles Chargers.

Four free agents who had agreed to terms with the Chargers have now officially signed with the team.

This group is made up of offensive tackle Bryan Bulaga (Packers), cornerback Chris Harris, Jr. (Broncos), defensive tackle Linval Joseph (Vikings) and linebacker Nick Vigil (Bengals).

Below is the official team statement on the signings:

The Los Angeles Chargers today agreed to terms with tackle Bryan Bulaga, cornerback Chris Harris Jr., defensive tackle Linval Joseph and linebacker Nick Vigil.

Bulaga, a 2010 first-round selection, has started 111 regular-season games and an additional 18 postseason contests, all with the Green Bay Packers. As a rookie in 2010, Bulaga blocked along an offensive line that helped the Packers defeat the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XLV. In doing so, the Iowa product became the first rookie in NFL history to start at right tackle in a Super Bowl victory.

Bulaga earned second-team All-Pro recognition from Pro Football Focus while blocking for quarterback Aaron Rodgers in 2011, Rodgers’ first NFL Most Valuable Player season. In 10 seasons on the Green Bay line, Bulaga has blocked for Rodgers to throw 4,000-plus yards six times, including a second NFL MVP season in 2014.

In joining Los Angeles, Bulaga is reunited with Chargers offensive line coach James Campen, who served as his position coach in Green Bay for the first nine seasons of his career.

Signed by Denver as an undrafted free agent out of Kansas in 2011, Harris spent nine seasons with the Broncos, appearing in 139 games with 121 starts. He is one of the most decorated undrafted cornerbacks of all-time, with his four Pro Bowl selections tying with Brent Grimes for the most by an undrafted cornerback since 1989.

Harris was recognized as a first-team All-Pro by The Associated Press in 2016, where he had 63 tackles (57 solo), two interceptions, a forced fumble and a recovery. He was a second-team All-Pro the season before when he helped Denver defeat the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl 50.

With four career interceptions returned for touchdowns, Harris is just the fifth undrafted player in the last 40-plus years (1978) to total that many pick-sixes.

A two-time Pro Bowler, Joseph has played in 141 career games, including 134 starts, with the New York Giants and Minnesota Vikings. Joseph, New York’s second-round selection in the 2010 NFL Draft, has totaled 525 tackles to date, the most over that span by any interior defensive linemen. In his second season with the Giants and first as a starter, Joseph helped the New York defeat the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI.

Joseph signed with the Vikings prior to the 2014 season and was named NFC Defensive Player of the Week in 2015 after a 10-tackle performance in Week 9 that included three tackles for loss, becoming just the fourth defensive tackle in Vikings history to win the award.

The Vikings’ Defensive MVP for the 2015 season, Joseph started all 93 contests he played with Minnesota, including five in the postseason.

Vigil joins the Bolts after spending the first four years of his career with Cincinnati, working his way from special teams to the team’s starter at linebacker. He totaled 111 tackles (60 solo) with a sack, a forced fumble, two recoveries and an interception in 16 starts last season. Vigil had four games in 2019 with at least 11 tackles, including a streak of three-straight contests.

Selected in the third round of the 2016 NFL Draft out of Utah State, Vigil served as a defensive playmaker for the Aggies, earning first-team All-Mountain West Conference honors in each of his last two seasons. He was the only Football Bowl Subdivision player to be credited with at least nine tackles in every game during the 2015 season.

11 best deals and biggest steals in free agency so far

Touchdown Wire’s Mark Schofield tells us why players such as Bryan Bulaga, Emmanuel Sanders, Vernon Butler are among the free agent steals.

A fascinating aspect to watching free agency unfold is seeing what teams do in terms of acquiring value on the open market. Whether forgoing the big names for second-tier players, using one-year “prove it” deals or carefully constructing contracts, teams have a few different paths to find steals on the market. Here are eleven players that for one reason or another were quite the steal for their new teams.

Bulaga | Sanders | Clinton-Dix | Ebron | Butler | Littleton | Joseph | Agholor | Ebner | Harris | Hargrave

Bryan Bulaga, RT, Los Angeles Chargers

(Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports)

A season ago, quarterback Philip Rivers struggled against pressure. His Adjusted Completion Percentage of 65.3 percent was good for tenth in the league, a far cry from the 2018 campaign when Rivers ranked fifth in the league in that statistic, posting an ACP of 71.6 percent.

Part of the decline might very well be on Rivers’ shoulders himself, and the Indianapolis Colts are left to sort out the answer to that riddle. But the Chargers did need to improve their offensive line, which was in the bottom-half of ESPN’s team pass block win rate statistic.

As such, the Chargers made two big moves to bolster their OL unit this off-season. They traded for guard Trai Turner, and then they added veteran right tackle Bryan Bulaga via free-agency. Bulaga, who has been an extremely solid starter for the Green Bay Packers since being drafted in the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft, gives the Chargers a rock at the right tackle spot. Last season he allowed just four sacks and only 18 hurries, and playing in a division filled with talented pass rushers off the right edge, he’ll be able to protect whomever is taking the snaps for Los Angeles, whether it is Tyrod Taylor, Cam Newton or a rookie quarterback.

Furthermore, Bulaga came in on a three-year, $30 million contract, under some of the deals paid out to Jack Conklin and Anthony Castonzo, and just a notch more than George Fant. Not bad value for a cornerstone-type tackle.

Bulaga | Sanders | Clinton-Dix | Ebron | Butler | Littleton | Joseph | Agholor | Ebner | Harris | Hargrave

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Everson Griffen’s departure hits a little different for Vikings fans

Perhaps no Vikings player of this era has grown more or been more endearing to fans than Everson Griffen.

It was always going to be a weird offseason for the Minnesota Vikings. You could see it coming way back in January as the Vikings walked off the field in Santa Barbara after the San Francisco 49ers eliminated them from the playoffs. If you looked hard enough, you could see it coming two summers ago as GM Rick Spielman made a series of moves to keep the Vikings’ core intact. Not even the savviest GMing or team-friendly deals can protect any team from the truth. The cap comes for everyone and it’s impossible to keep everybody. 

In the span of a few days, Minnesota has bid farewell to a number of players who have been franchise icons over the past decade. Despite maintaining a still very talented roster, and expectations to compete for a third NFC North crown under Mike Zimmer, it’s difficult to witness the departure of a stable of players who helped the Vikings win a lot of games on the field, and who grew so much as individuals off of it. 

Perhaps no Vikings player of this era has grown more or been more endearing to fans than Everson Griffen, who announced the end to his 10-year run in purple and gold in an Instagram post on Friday afternoon.   

Prior to Griffen’s announcement, Xavier Rhodes and Linval Joseph had their contracts terminated and set the mass exodus in motion. Before the dust had settled on the departure of those two defensive stalwarts, the fireworks surrounding the Stefon Diggs trade lit up the sky from Minneapolis to Buffalo. Trae Waynes left for Cincinnati and a small fortune the Vikings had no chance of matching (and shouldn’t have even if they could). Between those four starters, that’s 336 games worth of plays, wins, and memories on their way out of Minnesota. 

Rhodes came to Minnesota as a first-round pick in 2013. Fans saw him evolve from a talented, but erratic, young player and turn into one of the best cornerbacks in football for multiple seasons. Joseph came in with pedigree, a Super Bowl ring and quickly became a run-stuffing fan favorite affectionately known as “Linval Hungry.” 

Waynes’s first career interception came against Aaron Rodgers and sealed an iconic victory against the Packers in the first game ever at U.S. Bank Stadium. Diggs grew into one of the best route runners in the league, made up one half of the most lethal receiving duo this franchise has had since Cris Carter and Randy Moss, and played a major role in one of the greatest plays in the history of the game. 

Yes, the moves all make sense, financially and logically, but Vikings fans shouldn’t take the careers these players have had with the club for granted. Especially not Everson Griffen’s. 

Griffen was drafted by Rick Spielman with the 100th overall pick of the 2010 NFL Draft. Of all the players on the 2019 Vikings, Marcus Sherels was Griffen’s only remaining teammate from his rookie season. He was always seen as an unbelievable athlete, but words like “underachiever” and “inconsistent motor” poisoned his draft stock and he fell to the third day. 

The Vikings brought him along slowly. He started off as mostly a spot pass rusher, played a lot of special teams, and made one start at defensive end. Even in limited action, his freakish athleticism was on full display. He registered 17.5 sacks over three seasons in his “off the bench” role as a pass rusher, and provided one of the most athletic pick-sixes I’ve ever seen by a defensive lineman against the Rams and future Viking teammate Sam Bradford in 2012. 

Griffen’s career took off with the arrival of Zimmer in 2014. He hit the double-digit sack milestone in his first season playing under his new coach. The next season, he played an essential role in the Vikings claiming their first division title since 2009 and was named to his first of four Pro Bowls. 

It’s difficult to cement a lasting legacy as a defensive lineman for the Minnesota Vikings. Historically, it’s been the franchise’s strongest position group. There are six names ahead of Griffen on the franchise’s all-time sacks list: Carl Eller, Jim Marshall, John Randle, Alan Page, Chris Doleman, and Jared Allen. All of those names but Marshall and Allen are in the Hall of Fame (Allen is entering his first year of eligibility and has a shot, and I’m already on record of how I feel about the hall snubbing Jim Marshall for all these years).

Yet Griffen should be remembered as an all-time Vikings defensive lineman for more than just his talent. He threw himself into every play of every game with an energetic abandon. If a pile of explosives could come together and manifest as one player it would look an awful lot like No. 97. 

It’s almost as if he wasn’t a real person, but was put together in a video game’s Create-a-Player portal with cheat codes unlocked: Pass rush-99, Energy-99, add in Bad Boy Pistons era Dennis Rodman antics, plus Gary Payton trash talking, times Josh Donaldson’s fire, top it off with John Randle style eye black and you get one of the team’s best players of the 2010s. 

Despite his on-field prowess, Griffen was always deeply human. His flaws were never hidden. He was called offsides a lot. Anything that ever happened off the field he was open and honest about and never made excuses. He was unapologetically himself at all times. Whether performing his signature ‘Sack Daddy’ celebration after taking down a quarterback, speaking to the media after games, or out in the community, his bright and vibrant spirit was as undeniable as his devastating spin move. 

Most importantly and most courageously, he spoke up about his struggle with his own mental health issues. He not only asked for help, he pursued it and set an example for his fellow players by taking time away from the game to do so.  

He came to Minnesota a 22-year-old kid with more questions surrounding his character than the number of players drafted before him in 2010. He leaves as a 32-year-old man, a husband, a father, an advocate, an all-time Vikings character with an all-time amount of character. 

Decade-long careers in the NFL are rare. A full decade with one team is almost impossible. He should be someone revered by Vikings fans for ages, partly for the player he was, and totally for the man he became.        

Michael Pierce hopes to fill Linval Joseph’s void with Vikings

The Vikings cut ties with Linval Joseph earlier this week and signed his replacement, Michael Pierce, a few days later.

The Vikings cut ties with Linval Joseph earlier this week, and signed his replacement, Michael Pierce, a few days later.

Pierce, 27, is four years younger than Joseph. And while they play the same position, Pierce is shorter and heavier than Joseph. He’s more of a Pat Williams type.

Even so, Pierce is hoping fans see the effectiveness in his game that they saw from Joseph during his six-year stretch in Minnesota.

“The Vikings have a tremendous history at the defensive tackle position,” Pierce said via the Star Tribune. “And obviously with Linval leaving, I think I can pick up where he left off and continue to grow my game as well.”

For comparison purposes, Pierce signed a three-year, $27 million deal with $18 million guaranteed with the Vikings.

Joseph signed a two-year, $17 million deal with $9.5 million guaranteed with the Chargers.

The Vikings will also be looking for a new replacement for Everson Griffen, who announced on Instagram that he’ll be finding a new home for 2020.

Grading Chargers’ offseason moves

Chargers Wire’s Gavino Borquez grades general manager Tom Telesco’s offseason moves thus far.

The Chargers have agreed to deals with four new players since the start of the free agent negotiating period on Monday, and brought back one of their own.

Here’s a player-by-player report card for their free agent signings up to this point:

OG Trai Turner

The Chargers gave up Russell Okung, which appeared to be a huge loss when it was first reported without the compensation being announced. But landing a five-time Pro Bowl guard without draft picks being included is an absolute steal for a team that needs help along the interior.

At 27 years of age, Turner is one of the best guards in the NFL, and his success speaks for itself. He’s blocked for quarterback Cam Newton en route to the Super Bowl in 2015, and he helped pave the way for running back Christian McCaffrey on his way to 1,387 rushing yards in 2019.

Grade: B+

OT Bryan Bulaga

The Chargers first free agent signing addressed arguably one of the biggest positional needs in the right tackle spot, and they landed him on a heck of a deal when factoring in how hectic the market has become for players at the position.

In nine seasons, Bulaga played in four NFC championship games. In each of his full seasons since 2014, Bulaga has ranked among the 10 best right tackles in Pro Football Focus’ pass-blocking grade, with three ranking in the top three.

Assuming the Chargers are shifting to a zone scheme, Bulaga has shown the ability to excel in that scheme when Packers coach Matt LaFleur implemented it this past season where he was a road grader, finishing with a 79.4 grade in that department.

With additions of Bulaga and Turner, the right side of the line is looking very strong.

Grade: A

DT Linval Joseph

The departure of Brandon Mebane and lack of activity with free agents Damion Square and Sylvester Williams meant that the nose tackle position needed to be upgraded.

What better way to shore it up than signing one of the best in the league in that department, and to be able to get him on a great deal? In 2015 and 2017, he earned exceptional overall grades of 91.0 and 90.0, respectively, per PFF. Joseph has never graded less than 70 overall.

All in all, the run defense gets a lot better with the addition of the clog-like Joseph. Also, the 31-year old also provides the team with an impressive character in and away from the football field.

Grade: A-

CB Chris Harris Jr.

The Chargers caught people by surprise with the signing of Harris, primarily because he thrives more so in the slot and that’s where Desmond King has played the past few seasons. However, it’s expected that King will move to safety, while Harris stays inside.

Harris has been regarded as arguably one of the best at his position within the best decade, earning four Pro Bowl selections and a First Team All-Pro nomination in 2016. The former Kansas product has ranked No. 1 in completion percentage allowed among all slot corners in the league.

Last season, Los Angeles was among the worst in defending targets from the slot. Harris’ presence will be a big help in that area, along with the pass defense as a whole.

Grade: A

Vikings address defensive line with both first-round picks in mock draft

The Vikings are now loaded with two first-round picks after trading wide receiver Stefon Diggs to the Bills.

The Vikings are now equipped with two first-round picks after trading wide receiver Stefon Diggs to the Bills.

Minnesota will have Buffalo’s 22nd pick, along with its own 25th pick.

In Lance Zierlein’s recent mock draft at NFL.com, he has the Vikings addressing the defensive line with both picks.

With the 22nd pick, Zierlein has the Vikings taking Penn State defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos. This pick is under the assumption that Everson Griffen leaves in free-agency.

Here’s what Zierlein wrote about the pick:

With Everson Griffen exploring free agency, the Vikings could look to fill the void here. Gross-Matos is an ascending defensive end with traits and rush potential waiting to be developed.

With the 25th pick, Zierlein has the Vikings taking TCU defensive tackle Ross Blacklock.

Here’s what Zierlein wrote about the pick:

The Vikings know they can find receiver talent outside of the first round, but finding an interior pass rusher like Blacklock won’t be as easy.

The Vikings cut Linval Joseph in free-agency, but found his replacement in Michael Pierce. Even so, the Vikings could use an upgrade next to Pierce, where Shamar Stephen started last season.

Now that Linval Joseph is reportedly gone, where does that leave the Vikings?

Linval Joseph reportedly agreed to a deal with the Chargers. Where does that leave the defensive line?

Linval Joseph had his contract terminated with the Vikings this offseason, but Minnesota still had a chance to re-sign him.

However, on Wednesday, Joseph reportedly agreed to a deal with the Chargers, putting an end to an era where he was Minnesota’s best defensive tackle.

Now, with the depth Minnesota has, it’s time to make some moves for the defensive tackle position in the offseason.

Besides Joseph, Shamar Stephen has been the other mainstay starter on the interior defensive line. Stephen had just one sack and 15 total tackles last season.

You could make an argument that even if Joseph had re-signed, the defensive tackle position was one that needed work. Now it really does.

Joseph was serviceable last season with the Vikings, tallying 44 total tackles and three sacks. Those aren’t crazy numbers, but with what the team has in reserves, it’ll be hard to replace.

Armon Watts and Jaleel Johnson were both among the reserve defensive tackles in 2019-20. They can compete for a starting spot, but I think it’s time to go out and get one, maybe even two, in free agency or the draft.

Watts was a rookie last season, and he had a sack in the game he started against the Bears in Week 17, finishing with 1.5 sacks on the season. Johnson earned more playing time than Watts and tallied 3.5 sacks. However, he only had 29 total tackles and played in 16 games. It makes me too nervous having either Watts or Johnson start alongside Stephen on the interior defensive line in 2020-21.

The Lions’ Damon Harrison is still on the market, and he’s coming off a season where he had 49 total tackles and three tackles for loss. Spotrac doesn’t have a market evaluation for him yet, but Harrison probably wouldn’t be as much money as Danny Shelton, who reportedly went to the Lions for $8 million a year, per ESPN.

The Vikings could also wait until the draft and take a defensive lineman that way. Minnesota is up to 12 picks in total, so maybe a defensive lineman could fall to them. Oklahoma defensive tackle Neville Gallimore has been listed in mock drafts to go to the Vikings. Obviously, take that with a grain of salt, but now that Minnesota has two first-round picks, the team can get creative during the draft.

4 things to know about new Chargers DT Linval Joseph

Get familiar with the Chargers new nose tackle.

The Chargers beefed up their defensive line with the addition of former Vikings defensive tackle Linval Joseph.

In order to get familiar with him, here are four things to know:

Early playing days

Joseph attended East Carolina University for three years, earning first-team All-Conference USA in his junior season in 2009. In his collegiate career, he posted 143 tackles, 29.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks. Joseph skipped his senior season to enter the 2010 NFL Draft. He was selected by the Giants in the second-round (No. 46 overall). Joseph won a Super Bowl with New York in 2012 and inked a five-year deal with the Vikings two years later. On his rookie contract, Joseph started 46 of 53 games, recorded 100+ tackles, 18 tackles for loss, nine sacks, and two forced fumbles.

Big man touchdown

Speed kills. But it’s even more deadly when it’s someone that weighs over 320 pounds. Joseph displayed that in 2018 in a game played against the Eagles where he scored his first defensive touchdown with a 64-yard fumble return. For reference, Joseph ran a 5.04 40-yard dash at 328 pounds out of college.

Where he thrives

Outside of his athletic ability like mentioned above, Joseph is a powerful take-on player with the backfield vision and handwork to make an impact vs. the run. Joseph plays physical, using his upper body and core strength to handle double-teams. His Pro Football Focus grade reflected that, earning a grade of 71.2 in 2019, marking the eighth straight season he’s received a grade above 70. In 2015 and 2017, he earned overall grades of 91.0 and 90.0, respectively.

How he fits with Chargers

The release of Brandon Mebane as well as Damion Square and Sylvester Williams hitting free agency meant that Los Angeles was in need of a nose tackle. Joseph projects as the Day 1 starter in the middle of the defensive line. However, it’s unlikely that he will play all three downs, given the fact that he played only 553 snaps last season which was just over 50%. Expect him to be on the playing field on rushing situations, while Justin Jones and Jerry Tillery rotate in on obvious passing situations. The 31-year old also provides the team with an impressive character in and away from the football field.

Report: DT Linval Joseph signs 2-year deal with Chargers

Joseph was a big part of Minnesota’s defense for the last six seasons.

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The Vikings said they would leave the door open for defensive tackle Linval Joseph after making him a cap casualty earlier this week.

We all knew that was pretty unlikely and that was proven on Wednesday when the big man signed a two-year, $17 million deal with the Chargers.

Joseph, 31, started to lose steam down the stretch for the Vikings in 2019, but his six-year stretch in Minnesota from 2014-2019 should absolutely be considered a success. He was one of the better inside defenders in the league during that stretch, making the Pro Bowl in 2016 and 2017.

Now, he’ll join a Chargers team that isn’t quite sure who their quarterback will be yet.

As for the Vikings, defensive tackle will be a huge target for them in free agency and the draft. Shamar Stephen returns, but it wouldn’t be a surprise if the Vikings tried to find his replacement, either.