Los Angeles Rams: Is Johnathan Joseph worth signing in free agency?
By Jason Reed
The Los Angeles Rams do not have much cap space to spend this offseason but could still try and sign a veteran free agent, such as Johnathan Joseph.
The Los Angeles Rams are coming off a disappointing 9-7 season one year after making it to the Super Bowl and do not have much wiggle-room to make improvements to the roster.
The team does not have a first-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft (or in 2021, to make matters worse) and only has a projected $19 million in cap space this offseason, according to Over The Cap.
The Rams could do something to free up space via cuts, trades or restructuring someone’s contract, but as of right now, the team does not have much to work with. This will keep Les Snead’s front office from being as aggressive as recent offseasons, as that aggression is what led to this situation in the first place.
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Instead, the Rams are going to be better off trying to find a bang for their buck, which could lead them to veteran cornerback, Johnathan Joseph.
The Houston Texans announced on Wednesday that the team would be moving on from Joseph, who has played nine seasons with the Texans and was set to be a free agent this offseason. Joseph will be 36 at the start of the 2020 NFL season.
Joseph might not seem like a viable candidate for his age but he absolutely could be someone that the Rams can pick up for cheap who can hold his own as the team’s second or even third best cornerback.
Joseph started just 11 games for the Texans in 2019 but still pulled in one interception as well as 13 pass deflections. He might not be the two-time Pro Bowler that he once was, but he still does offer value to the Los Angeles Rams.
First of all, the team could use more depth at the cornerback position but there are more pressing needs to be addressed in the draft. The Rams should not select a cornerback until at least the fourth round, and at that point, the team is not going to get a rookie that will be much better than Joseph.
Joseph would serve as a mentor while also allowing the Rams to make the mistake of drafting a cornerback too high in the 2020 NFL Draft.
Second of all, it is not like Joseph is going to cost much, if at all. He made $4 million last season and the Rams could probably sign him on a one-year, $2.5 million contract. That is not going to restrict the cap in any way either this year or next year.
It is not like the Rams are going to bring Joseph in to be the number one receiver and there is a chance that he would only line up in certain packages, which is perfectly fine. At the worst, he will be an experienced veteran who provides the depth the team needs.
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At the most, he could find some of that old spark on a new team and make some big plays for the Los Angeles Rams in big moments because of his experience and situational awareness.