The Las Vegas Raiders 2020 offseason has already been nothing short of entertaining. Even though little to no moves have been made as far as the roster goes, the rumors have been rampant and there is excitement surrounding the 2020 NFL Draft.
Of course, there have been rumors of Tom Brady, and even Antonio Brown, joining the team, but there is no telling how valid they are, particularly in the latter’s case. In a real concern of the Raiders’, they have to address their current free agents.
Although it has been reported that the team will likely let go of linebacker Tahir Whitehead, another defensive player is now on the hotseat. According to Vic Tafur of The Athletic, the Raiders are leaving all options open for safety Karl Joseph:
Gruden on bringing back FA safety Karl Joseph: "We have to see where the market is and weigh all the options. He is weighing them, we’re weighing them. … He is a hitter that made an impact for us this year. He really improved in Year 2 of our system.” #Raiders
— Vic Tafur (@VicTafur) February 27, 2020
Joseph is coming off his best season with the Raiders. The four-year safety finished with one interception, three passes deflected and 38 solo tackles in nine games before suffering a season-ending foot injury.
The Raiders just re-signed four-year safety Erik Harris to a two-year deal last offseason. The Raiders also have multi-positional defender Lamarcus Joyner and the highly touted Johnathan Abram.
Unfortunately, Abram was only able to play one game in his rookie season before a shoulder injury kept him on the sideline. Despite that, coaches have continued to sing his praises and are looking forward to getting him back on the field in 2020.
With those three players, the Raiders should have a number of options at safety, even if they cannot secure a deal with Joseph. The Raiders also expressed interest in Denver Broncos free safety Justin Simmons. However, it is now looking like he will either be returning to the Broncos on a long-term deal of via franchise tag.
The Raiders defense sorely needs to improve and finding strong safeties is a good way to start. Although Joseph has done well, who knows if he is the safety of the future or if another player the Raiders like more will become available this offseason.
