Report: Former Browns, WVU Safety Karl Joseph Signs with Raiders

Former West Virginia and Cleveland Browns safety Karl Joseph is re-signing with the team that drafted him.

Joseph agreed to a contract with the Las Vegas Raiders on Friday, according to a report by Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, after visiting with the club earlier in the day.

Joseph, 27, had visited with the Pittsburgh Steelers on March 31, but left Pittsburgh without a signed contract.

The No. 14 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, Joseph will return to the franchise that first brought him into the NFL, if not the same team. The Raiders moved from Oakland to Las Vegas in 2020.

The 5-foot-10, 200-pound Joseph stepped into a starting role at strong safety as a rookie with Oakland in 2016, but lost playing time in 2018 and in 2019, the Raiders declined the fifth-year option on his contract.

He signed a one-year deal with Cleveland for 2020 for $2.43 million and had been an unrestricted free agent.

With the Browns, Joseph appeared in 14 games and made eight starts as part of a secondary that was ravaged by injuries and COVID-19 issues throughout the 2020 season. He finished with 67 tackles, tied for third on the team, along with our passes defended and two fumble recoveries.

The Raiders already have 2019 first-round pick Johnathan Abram and veteran Jeff Heath at safety.

This story originally appeared on WVSN partner site Steelers Now.