Tag: Linval Joseph

Twitter reacts to Chargers agreeing to deal with DT Linval Joseph

The Chargers fans love the agreement with the two-time Pro Bowler.

After the release of Brandon Mebane and knowing Damion Square and Sylvester Williams are set for free agency, it was clear that the Chargers were going to need to make an upgrade at the nose tackle position.

Rather than addressing it in the upcoming draft, Los Angeles was aware that there were a few intriguing options on the market. The team wasted no time, agreeing to one in two-time Pro Bowler Linval Joseph on a heck of a deal (two years worth $17 million).

Here is a look at how Twitter reacted when the news broke out.

Report: Chargers agree to deal with DT Linval Joseph

The Los Angeles Chargers find their starting nose tackle.

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The Chargers continue to add much-needed pieces in the trenches, but this time it’s on the defensive side of the ball.

Los Angeles has agreed to a two-year deal worth $17 million with former Vikings defensive tackle Linval Joseph, according to NFL Media’s Mike Garofolo.

Following the release of Brandon Mebane, it created a massive hole. The acquisition of Joseph will fill that void.

In 2019, Joseph tallied 44 tackles (26 solos), six tackles for loss, and three sacks. He also earned a grade of 71.2 from Pro Football Focus, marking the eighth straight season he’s received a grade above 70.

Veteran DL Linval Joseph released by Vikings, available for Cardinals

He would be an immediate upgrade to the Cardinals’ defensive line.

The Arizona Cardinals need to address the defensive line this offseason. They have the opportunity to do so even before free agency begins. The Minnesota Vikings released veteran defensive lineman Linval Joseph on Friday after six seasons with the team.

Joseph had two years remaining on the four-year contract extension he signed in 2017. The move saved the Vikings more than $10 million in cap space.

Joseph will turn 32 this coming season. He has played in the NFL 10 seasons and was a Pro Bowler in 2016 and 2017. Listed at 6-4 and 329 pounds, he is a stout interior defender.

He had 44 tackles, six for loss, three sacks, a forced fumble and six QB hits in 2019.

He would be an immediate upgrade on the Cardinals roster. The question is how much he will command in salary.

If the Cardinals could get him for around the $3.75 million veteran Corey Peters will make in salary and bonuses in 2020, he would be a slam dunk of an addition. Peters was again the team’s best interior defender in 2019. He is 31 and had almost identical numbers to Joseph. Having two of those players would be huge for a defense trying to make huge strides over their dismal 2019.

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Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Stitcher Radio.

Ep. 261

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Ep. 260

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A look at Xavier Rhodes’ career earnings

The Vikings cut ties with cornerback Xavier Rhodes in a somewhat expected move on Friday afternoon.

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The Vikings cut ties with cornerback Xavier Rhodes in a somewhat expected move on Friday afternoon.

The last two seasons for Rhodes have been disappointing after an All-Pro season in 2017.

Rhodes, 29, was drafted by the Vikings with the 25th overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft out of Florida State.

Rhodes will likely get a “prove-it” deal with a team that’s mainly incentive-based.

So, how much has Rhodes made during his career so far?

Per Spotrac, that number is just shy of $50 million. Coincidentally, it’s pretty close to what Linval Joseph, who the Vikings also cut, has made.

It will be really interesting to see what the Vikings do to address the cornerback spot in free agency. Trae Waynes and Mackensie Alexander are also free agents.

A look at Linval Joseph’s career earnings

The Vikings cut ties with defensive tackle Linval Joseph on Friday afternoon.

The Vikings cut ties with defensive tackle Linval Joseph on Friday afternoon.

The move was somewhat expected with the Vikings’ tight cap situation.

Joseph, a 2010 second-round pick, is 31 years old and spent the first four years of his career before playing the last six with the Vikings, making the Pro Bowl in 2016 and 2017.

Joseph now hits the market as a free agent. It seems like there’s at least an outside chance he returns to Minnesota, but he’ll likely get a bigger deal elsewhere.

How much has Joseph made throughout his career?

Per Spotrac, that number is just shy of $50 million. Nearly $46 million of that came from the Vikings.

Who will replace Joseph in the starting lineup if he doesn’t return? That’s a great question. Shamar Stephen started alongside him last season and was fine, but the Vikings are probably looking for an improvement there as well.

The draft and free agency should be pretty interesting for Rick Spielman and his crew.

Linval Joseph and Xavier Rhodes had their contracts terminated, now what?

Minnesota terminated the contracts of Xavier Rhodes and Linval Joseph. Where does that leave the Vikings and where do they go from here?

Linval Joseph and Xavier Rhodes both garnered large salaries for next season, and the team decided to cut both of them.

However, that doesn’t mean that the team has to part ways with the two. The Vikings could re-sign Joseph and Rhodes still. There’s also the possibility that Minnesota will find replacements for Joseph and Rhodes in free agency or the draft.

I think they should at least attempt to re-sign Joseph for less money. He was decent last season, and the defensive tackle depth around him isn’t fantastic. Armon Watts and Jaleel Johnson have looked promising, but I’m not sure either of them could pick up right where Joseph left off.

Shamar Stephen, the other mainstay starter on the interior defensive line besides Joseph, had just one sack and 15 total tackles last season. If Joseph finds a different team, there’s not enough to fill the void, unless the team emphasizes that position in the draft. With the other needs the team has, it makes sense to lock down Joseph. The Vikings could still draft a player or sign one to pair alongside Joseph.

For Rhodes, it’s a little more complicated. He’s coming off a year where he had no interceptions and just six pass deflections in 2019, allowing 66 receptions on 81 targets. If the team makes the decision to keep Rhodes, it’ll be on a very cheap contract, and he might not be a starter. For Rhodes and the Vikings, it might be time for a change.

Either way, this move made sense. Minnesota now has over $20 million in cap space, per Over The Cap. That money can be allocated to Joseph or Rhodes on cheaper contracts, and help re-sign players like Anthony Harris, if that’s possible, Mackensie Alexander and others.

Minnesota can now be a buyer on the free agency market, so cutting Joseph and Rhodes is a no-brainer. But will either of the two be back next season? It’s hard to say at the moment.

The Steelers need to kick the tires on DT Linval Joseph

Linval Joseph is a free agent for the Steelers to consider.

Despite the drastic events surrounding many professional collegiate sports, the NFL continues to limp into the new league year with only moderate adjustments. Many teams announced some high-profile cuts to help get their salary caps in order heading into free agency next week.

One player released who should be of interest to the Pittsburgh Steelers is defensive tackle Linval Joseph. Joseph was a second-round pick of the New York Giants back in 2010 but he’s spent the last six anchoring the middle for the Minnesota Vikings.

Pittsburgh is going to need an upgrade along their interior defensive line once Javon Hargrave hits the free-agent market. Pittsburgh is already strapped for cash to sign anyone and after a very strong 2019 season, Hargrave is going to cash in.

Joseph isn’t a longterm solution as he will turn 32 years old during the 2020 season. But he’d be a definite upgrade over Isaiah Buggs and Dan McCullers. In addition, the Steelers could still use a draft pick on a young defensive tackle and Joseph would be an ideal insurance policy.

Last season the Steelers defense saw a huge resurgence. Most give credit to guys like safety Minkah Fitzpatrick and edge T.J. Watt and rightfully so. But you cannot discount the improvement in Hargrave and how his increased reps fed into how much better the defense played.

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Xavier Rhodes, Linval Joseph released by Vikings, should Seahawks pursue?

Xavier Rhodes and Linval Joseph were released by the Vikings, should the Seattle Seahawks pursue as free agents?

Last season the Seattle Seahawks finished with their most wins since 2014 and advanced to the divisional round of the playoffs. The Seahawks are in dire need of retooling their defensive line and secondary. Fortunately for Seattle, NFL free agency is right around the corner and there are now two new potential players to look at who will be hitting the market.

In a move to clear up some much-needed cap space, the Vikings released two key players from their defense – cornerback Xavier Rhodes and defensive tackle Linval Joseph.

Rhodes and Joseph have been stalwarts on a talented Vikings defense for some time now, but their releases were in an effort to free Minnesota of roughly $19 million in their salary cap.

While Rhodes and Joseph were mainly released for salary cap purposes, neither had particularly great seasons last year, which likely factored into their departures. Joseph continued to have a decline in tackles for a third year in a row, with only 44. Meanwhile, Rhodes allowed a completion percentage of 81.5% and a passer rating of 123.8.

Seattle’s defensive front and secondary were considerable liabilities for the Seahawks in 2019, especially during their 28-23 loss to the Green Bay Packers in the Divisional Round. Even Seahawks general manager John Schneider openly recognizes the shortcomings from the secondary.

Although it may seem questionable for the Seahawks to bring in Rhodes and/or Linval, they might be worth a look from Seattle. Their down years might be driving down their financial value, which could lead to them seeking shorter “prove-it” style deals.

If the price ends up being right, Rhodes and Linval might be useful depth signings to bring in a veteran presence to a young Seahawks defense.

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Linval Joseph would be a nice addition for Rams before free agency

Linval Joseph would fit nicely at nose tackle for the Rams.

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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Should 49ers target any of NFL’s new free agents?

Delanie Walker and Xavier Rhodes highlight new NFL free agents 49ers may keep an eye on.

The NFL’s free agent pool got a few intriguing new names Friday after the Titans, Vikings and Lions announced the release of several veterans.

With limited cap space to work with, finding veterans cast aside by their former teams on below-market-value deals will be essential for the 49ers as they try to reconstruct a Super Bowl contender for 2020.

Tennessee released former 49ers tight end Delanie Walker, along with kicker Ryan Succop. Minnesota let go of cornerback Xavier Rhodes and defensive lineman Linval Joseph, while the Lions released offensive tackle Rick Wagner.

While the 49ers have higher priorities than adding veteran free agents, we went through each of the players made available Friday to judge whether they’re a realistic target for San Francisco:

TE Delanie Walker

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A Walker-49ers reunion would be intriguing even though Walker turns 36 in August played only eight games across the last two seasons. A long-term deal probably isn’t feasible, but the do-everything tight end could fit nicely in a reserve role in Kyle Shanahan’s offense. Walker is capable of lining up all over the field and offers a better pass-catching threat than San Francisco currently has behind George Kittle. Ross Dwelley also takes some of the onus off Walker to be on the field for more than a handful of snaps per game. The 49ers don’t necessarily need a tight end, but Walker on a short deal as another dynamic playmaker could benefit the offense while they find a longer-term option behind Kittle.

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