Raiders: 3 recently released players the team should target

1. Linval Joseph, DT

When the Minnesota Vikings released veteran cornerback Xavier Rhodes on Friday, few batted an eye. Rhodes had fallen off a cliff over the past two seasons and was a shell of his former self.

The same, however, can’t be said for the other former Pro Bowler the team opted to release.

Along with Rhodes, two-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Linval Joseph was also cut bringing an end to his six-year tenure with the team. But unlike Rhodes, Joseph could still contribute at a very high level.

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And as such, he could make an intriguing target for a Raiders team looking for help on the defensive interior.

Joseph finished last season with a very solid 71.2 Pro Football Focus grade which ranked higher than two of the Raiders’ top three defensive tackles. Only Maurice Hurst ranked higher, but given Joseph’s track record of stellar play, he’d undoubtedly be an upgrade.

Johnathan Hankins was a liability in 2019 and P.J. Hall isn’t much better. Hurst has shown potential, but he needs to provide more consistency.

Joseph has played at an incredibly high level for a long time and even if last season was a down year by his standards, he remains one of the better interior defensive linemen in the league.

Given his age, the Raiders would likely be able to land him on a short-term deal that won’t be as expensive as players like D.J. Reader or Javon Hargrave.

And for that reason, Joseph could be the under-the-radar signing the Raiders are in need of.