Packers: Would trading for Karl Joseph help at safety?

As a whole the Green Bay Packers defense has been inconsistent this season, in particular the safety position has struggled. With the trade deadline fast approaching, does it make sense for Green Bay to trade for safety Karl Joseph of the Oakland Raiders?

Ever since Jon Gruden took over as head coach of the Oakland Raiders, he has been trading away many key pieces in order to start rebuilding the team in his vision.

One of the more notable players available from Oakland is safety Karl Joseph, who in 2016 was the Raiders first-round pick at 14th overall from West Virginia.

Joseph played in the first three games of the season but has since been out with a hamstring injury. However the injury is not believed to be severe.

Packers safeties

Currently at safety, the Packers have Ha Ha Clinton-Dix as their best option this season and he has made a few big plays but overall has been underwhelming.

Along side of him is Kentrell Brice who has struggled mightily in 2018. Pro Football Focus has Brice rated as the 79th best safety in the NFL with an overall score of just 54.1. He is a poor tackler, struggles to locate the ball and appears lost on the field at times.

The last option is Josh Jones, who the coaching staff has refused to put on the field. As to why they haven’t, I don’t think anyone knows.

Given Green Bay’s past, it could be due to his performances in practice or he is struggling to grasp defensive coordinator Mike Pettine’s system. Either way he doesn’t appear to be a solution.

Why does Joseph make sense for Green Bay?

Adding Joseph to the roster would give the Packers more depth at a position where they are lacking playmakers. Joseph is known for being an aggressive player and a good tackler, while coming out of college he was touted for his play-making abilities and highly-rated ball skills, an area that Green Bay’s current safeties are struggling with.

Although he has missed some time this season, Joseph played in 15 of Oakland’s 16 games in 2017. Over his career he has made 101 solo tackles, assisted on 37, recorded 10 pass deflections and has made two interceptions.

A big factor for Green Bay in making this decision is that Joseph is going to be cheap. Oakland is looking to make a deal and with Joseph’s slow start to 2018, I would imagine that the Packers could get Joseph for a fifth to seventh-round draft pick.

Joseph in his third year and at just 25-years-old has a better chance of making an impact on this team than a fifth to seventh-round draft pick does.

Joseph is also still on his rookie deal, meaning that he still isn’t owed much money. In 2018, Joseph is due just $1.53 million and in 2019 he will make $2.07 million, according to Spotrac.

This would benefit the Packers greatly as they would get a full year-and-a-half to see Joseph play in Mike Pettine’s defensive system before having to commit to a long-term deal.

Up to this point in his career, Joseph hasn’t been as productive as the Raiders organization would have hoped. But he does have Pro Bowl level talent, and with Joseph still being young and a low-cost to the Packers, making the move and trying to unlock his potential could be worth it.