Patriots bring former Pro Bowl guard Davin Joseph in for a visit
A first round pick in 2006, Joseph quickly became entrenched as a starter in Tampa, starting 97 games in his eight year Bucs career. At his best, he was a mauling run blocker, earning a Pro Bowl nod in 2008 and a seven year, $53 million contract in 2011. Joseph rewarded the Bucs faith with his second Pro Bowl selection in 2011, the first year of that mega-deal.
Unfortunately for the Bucs, Joseph was carted off the field in a 2012 preseason game when teammate Donald Penn blocked then-Patriots rookie Chandler Jones into his knee. His injury was diagnosed as a torn left patellar tendon, necessitating season-ending surgery. Joseph returned to play in all 16 games last year, but his play had noticeably declined in his first season post-surgery. That combined with his age (31) and cap hit ($6 million) to make him an obvious cap casualty by the new regime down in Tampa.
Joseph has had two other free agent visits (with the Rams and Cowboys) since his release, but his recent trip to Foxborough was the first in over a month. As a result, Joseph has little leverage contract-wise, and can likely be had on a cheap, short-term deal.
Whether the Patriots opt to sign him will likely depend on how he checks out physically. Joseph was never the most mobile guard, even before his knee injury, and the Patriots will need to know he has enough juice in that knee to get around, as they often ask their guards to pull and reach defenders at the second level.
However, there's no harm done by doing the homework on an available veteran option. Just as they did with TE Dustin Keller, the Pats likely used their visit to see where Joseph is physically. While the guard remains unsigned for now, they could always bolster their depth by signing him later, as they did this week with DE Will Smith.
If signed, Joseph would compete with incumbent Dan Connolly for a starting role at right guard. Considering his presumably low price tag, there would be little financial risk at play. If Joseph doesn't pan out, it wont cost the Patriots much of anything. If he does, he'll bolster the roster at one of it's weaker positions.
