Steelers make Genard Avery deal official, sign Karl Joseph to one-year contract

The Pittsburgh Steelers make two moves official on Thursday.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have made a move official which was known a few days ago in the signing of linebacker Genard Avery. What they also announced was a new one-year contract for safety Karl Joseph.

For those who want a little background information on Avery, he attended the University of Memphis, and was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the fifth round of the 2018 NFL Draft. In his second season, Avery was traded from the Browns to the Philadelphia Eagles. In five seasons, Avery has started 17 of the 53 games in which he appeared. Avery has a total of 101 tackles and 7.5 sacks in his four seasons.

If you are looking for a playmaking defender, Avery isn’t that guy. In 2021 he played in 16 games, starting 12, and notching 1.0 sack, 43 combined tackles, 4 tackles for loss and 2 quarterback hits. This isn’t to suggest Avery isn’t a good player, but someone who will have to be utilized for his strengths.

As for Joseph, the former West Virginia Mountaineer spent the majority of 2021 on the team’s practice squad. He did see game action in two games where he had two combined tackles and one pass defense.

The Steelers have been on the lookout for safety help, but I doubt many will believe this move is considered the help they were looking for alongside Minkah Fitzpatrick in the deep half of the secondary.

Nonetheless, you can add Joseph to the team’s growing offseason roster, along with Avery, as they prepare for the rest of free agency and the upcoming 2022 NFL Draft.