The Las Vegas Raiders’ secondary is going to look a lot different in 2020 with now only the return of safety Johnathan Abram, but also the additions of cornerback Eli Apple and safety Jeff Heath in free agency.
The Raiders’ pass defense was one of the worst in all of football in 2019, so it is not surprising to see them committing resources to improve it in free agency.
One of the bright spots for the secondary in 2019 was the play of safety Karl Joseph. The former first-round pick in 2016 out of West Virginia was looking like a bit of a bust but turned things around with a career year before suffered a season-ending foot injury in Week 10.
Raiders head coach Jon Gruden recently addressed the possibility of bringing Joseph back in free agency, but it appears they decided to go with Heath instead, marking the end of his time in the organization.
Joseph has wasted no time finding a new home as according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, he is heading to the Cleveland Browns on a one-year contract:
Former #Raiders safety Karl Joseph is signing with the #Browns, source said. It’s a 1-year deal.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 19, 2020
A one-year deal coming off an injury is perfect for Joseph as he has the chance to prove that he is healthy before reentering the market next offseason. In nine games for the Raiders in 2019, he had 49 total tackles, three passes defensed and a fumble recovery.
It will be interesting to see if the Raiders view Heath as a starter over the top alongside Abram, or if the Raiders bring in someone else either through the draft or free agency to add to the mix in 2020.
