Per Alex Marvez, the Minnesota Vikings have agreed to terms with nose tackle Linval Joseph, formerly of the New York Giants.
Despite looking at a number of players in free agency that have had a number of systems’ experience under their belt, they were able to sign a deal with the youngest, and perhaps best, one-technique defensive tackle on the market.
Mike Garafolo (of Fox Sports, same as Alex Marvez) reports that the deal will likely be in the $6M+ range.
Linval Joseph is 25 years old, and will turn 26 years old midway through the season. He doesn’t have extraordinary statistics that you would more likely see come from an undertackle like Henry Melton or Kevin Williams, but he does plug the run extremely well. He has had 9.0 sacks in the previous three years, which is more than what fellow 1-tech and previous Vikings Pat Williams was able to do in any three-year stretch with the Vikings.
Linval Joseph is unique, in that at 328-pounds, he could have played 3-technique coming out of college. He has a good first step and is both strong and quick with a good understanding of leverage, though was weak at consistently lowering his pads coming out of East Carolina.
He is supposed to be good for a 3-4 or 4-3 scheme because of his ability to anchor, length (with astonishing 34.5″ arms) and quickness, although the Giants have almost exclusively used him in a one-gap role.
At the NFL Combine, Joseph didn’t have quick 40-time, but his 10-yard dash was extremely good for a man his size (1.75 seconds) and a mind-boggling 39 reps on the bench press reinforced his reputation for strength.
Per ProFootballFocus, he ranked 21st of all DTs in both 2013 (of 69) and 2012 (of 85) with a positive grade, and in both years, ranked in the fifth of all primarily 1-technique players. This is an exciting signing for a team whose run defense suffered in large part due to having some of the worst nose tackle in play in the NFL, courtesy of recently cut DT Letroy Guion.
UPDATE: The Vikings have given Linval Joseph a five-year, $31.5 million deal, which comes out to $6.3 million. That’s good money for a young player who should keep producing.
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After having a bad start of the day, this certainly makes up for it! So stoked!!
Good...a big dude. Somebody described him as a space eater, like the sound of that.
Ari, does signing Linval Joseph leave enough cap room for the Vikings to go after Jeff Dugan?
well perhaps if the cut the remaing 90 ish players they will be in the bidding war for him
No...nobody has enough cap room for Dugan.
In fact even if all the teams pooled their money together....Wait, Dugan doesn't need money. Money needs Dugan!
We have 11 million left, If I am doing my math right. 41 million -5 for cassell, -8 for Griffen, -6 for Joseph, -3 for Sherels/Dean, -3 for Brinkley, and -6 for the draft picks
Sherels Dean and Brinkleys contracts are all under a mil so more like 17
Nice signing and contract.
Any word on Verner? How bout Revis? Talib? I think the Bucs have another day to try to sign Revis....
No word on any of them, though Verner was supposed to have decided. Unlikely that they will sign unless for some reason Talib is super cheap (it could happen; injury and off-field concerns) because after accounting for the Griffen, Cassel, Sherels, Dean, Brinkley and Joseph contracts, the Vikings likely have about 9-11M left, and signing a CB would take all of that space.
Well, every early indication is that this is awesome news. I'm not well versed in football cap management, but that seems like fair money for a talented, in his prime guy who plays a position the team needed pretty desperately if they wanted to improve the run D next year. A top CB FA would be fun and all, but for not having paid much attention to the FA class beforehand, this signing is exciting.
I suppose it also pushes DT down their draft needs a bit too.
Thanks for bringing me back to my senses Carter.
"Money needs Dugan!"
immortal words right here in Viking Territory
the ref eater
No problem Ole, sometimes we all need a dose of reality.
The nose wasn't in the draft. They can fill any remaining hole in the draft, so everyone chomping at the bit for a top end corner, we have needs in the secondary, on the offensive line, in the backfield and at linebacker. Money has to get spread, and as arif mentioned in previous comments, we have 6-7 million depending on trades slotted for the draft. We actually are going to have to spread the remaining FA money out a bit.
if linjoe was a good deal, can we guess we're gettin a zim discount to play for him? naahhh
Vikings should have enough money to sign CB Nolan Carroll.
Steal LB Vincent Rey from the Bengals.
And still be able to roll the red carpet out for Darren Sproles if/when he gets cut by Saints.