Extra Points: Raiders, Jets, Giants

2016 first-round pick Karl Joseph has justified his draft position through the first two games of this season, writes Scott Blair of CSNBayArea.com. The Raiders safety has compiled 14 tackles, one sack, one pass defended, and one forced fumble through the first two weeks. The team’s coaching staff is predictably happy with his production, although they expected this from the West Virginia product.

“That’s what he’s supposed to do. He’s supposed to make plays,” said head coach Jack Del Rio. “He’s a guy we selected because we thought he’d be a guy that could come in and impact on our defense. In the first two games of this year he’s played well. There are still things, like I tell you all the time, that have cleaning up to do, work to do, things to improve on, but he’s off to a good start and obviously it follows up from a good offseason. Healthy, a lot of good work and confidence that he’s gaining as we go.”

Let’s check out some more notes from around the NFL…

• This offseason, the Jets would prefer to acquire a talented quarterback prospect over a veteran signal-caller, writes ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini. However, in the event that several of the prospects stay in school, suffer an injury, or underwhelm this collegiate season, the team would have several options in free agency. The writer believes an aging quarterback like Drew Brees wouldn’t be a good fit for the younger Jets squad, and he notes that Kirk Cousins will surely demand too much money. Jimmy Garoppolo or Sam Bradford could be intriguing options, although they’re accompanied by their own question marks (including Garoppolo’s availability and Bradford’s injuries). Ultimately, Cimini believes January 15th (which is the final day underclassmen can declare for the draft) will be a “pivotal date in Jets history.”
• Darryl Slater of NJ.com opines that impending free agent running back Le’Veon Bell will ultimately sign with the highest bidder, and the writer believes the Jets could be prepared to break the bank for the Pro Bowler. The team is already eyeing $85MM in cap space next offseason, and they could easily move on from running backs Matt Forte and Bilal Powell. To add a bit of intrigue, Slater notes that Bell grew up as a Jets fan.
• The Giants unwillingness to pursue Rams (and former Bengals) offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth in free agency was an “inexplicable, inexcusable mistake,” writes James Kratch of NJ.com. The writer dismisses the notion that the organization couldn’t have afforded Jason Pierre-Paul had they inked Whitworth to a lucrative contract. Rather, the Giants could have moved on from some of their veterans, including Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. Alternatively, they could have passed on free agent wideout Brandon Marshall and invested that money towards the offensive line.