The addition of veteran cornerback Johnathan Joseph gives the Tennessee Titans some solid depth and veteran leadership at the position, but could he also provide an improvement in coverage?
The numbers seem to bear that out, as Joseph (65.0) posted a higher Pro Football Focus coverage grade in 2019 than both Malcolm Butler (64.2) and Logan Ryan (60.6).
Of the Titans’ top corners from last season, Joseph only trailed Adoree’ Jackson in the category.
Some @PFF numbers on CB Johnathan Joseph, who agreed to terms with #Titans:
–Saw 622 snaps last season, 2nd-most of any #Texans CB
–Posted a coverage grade of 65.0, which — for comparison's sake — was ahead of Titans' Butler (64.2) and Ryan (60.6), trailed Jackson (75.3).— John Glennon (@glennonsports) April 29, 2020
Now, let’s compare Joseph’s completion percentage, passer rating and touchdowns allowed to Butler, Jackson and Ryan, via Pro Football Reference.
Bear in mind, Joseph played in two less games than Ryan, but three more than Jackson and five more than Butler.
- Joseph: 64.1% | 94.9 passer rating | 2 TD
- Jackson: 66.7% | 94.3 passer rating | 1 TD
- Butler: 63.2% | 91.3 passer rating | 3 TD
- Ryan: 66% | 88.7 passer rating | 5 TD
Based on the numbers, the 36-year-old looks to actually be an improvement in coverage for the Titans in 2020. These stats also give insight into why the Titans might have been reluctant to even consider bringing Ryan back.
Of course, at this stage of his career Joseph is no longer a No. 1 corner and we could potentially see more drop-off in his 15th season, but for now it appears the Titans are getting pretty good bang for their buck.
Joseph’s one-year deal is for $2 million ($1.5 million guaranteed), but can go as high as $3.25 million with incentives.
When you compare his salary with Butler’s ($13.3 million in 2020) and Ryan’s ($10 million in 2019), and then look at their numbers side-by-side, it’s even harder to justify paying those two veterans what they’re making or did make last season.
Joseph’s ability to play the boundary effectively at his advanced age also gives the Titans more options in the slot. They can deploy Joseph on the outside, which will open up Jackson to be able to play the slot in sub packages if need be.
When taking a closer look at his statistics from last season, it’s clear Joseph isn’t just depth and another coach on the field, he’s an upgrade as well.
[lawrence-related id=34372,34212,34348]