Linval Joseph had done it all through his first 12 NFL seasons, checking off the Super Bowl box with the New York Giants as a starter in just his sophomore campaign and ultimately developing into one of the better nose tackles in the NFL en route to becoming a two-time Pro Bowl selection in Minnesota.
At 34, and with nearly $70 million earned over a decade-plus, Joseph was content to play the waiting game this summer to both let his body heal and see to see if a league obsessed with youth was willing to acknowledge the value of a player in his mid-30s with gas left in the tank.
Eagles GM Howie Roseman, executive of the year per the Pro Football Writers, was the one to do it.
“This past offseason I was trying to get 100%, trying to be on a team that understands my worth and give me a true opportunity,” Joseph said on Saturday. “Howie did that for me.”
Joseph officially signed two days after the Eagles’ first loss of the season, a 32-21 setback to Washington, marred by turnovers and the inability to stop the Commanders’ grind-it-out mentality on the ground.
A high-ankle sprain to rookie Jordan Davis against Pittsburgh two weeks earlier was further exasperated by the torn meniscus second-year man Marlon Tuipultou suffered against Washington.
It’s not a sexy position, but nose tackle in Jonathan Gannon’s variable fronts was so important that the Eagles targeted Davis in the draft and now they were down to practice-squad elevation Marvin Wilson playing what isn’t a natural position for him.
Sensing the championship window was open, Roseman not only brought in Joseph but also Ndamukong Suh to sure up the interior of the defensive line.
While often lumped together, however, the two veterans play completely different positions with the massive 6-foot-4, 340-pound Joseph handling the zero- and one-technique and the five-time All-Pro Suh chipping in with the 4i-, five- and occasional three-technique work.
To understand what’s going on, you have to understand Gannon’s philosophy which is to win first-down with either a 5/2 Tite/Tuff base front or a 5/1 Penny Front to get to obvious pass down when it’s unleashing the best pass rush in football, usually from a 4-2 Nickel over front.
While somewhat esoteric, Joseph’s role in that (and Davis’ before the injury) is extremely important.
Joseph quickly understood he found what he was looking for – the right fit with an opportunity to win another championship.
“Every day working with the guys, seeing how the guys attack, and how they pay attention to detail, that was always very big for me and to see they had that in them, I knew it was going to be special,” said Joseph.
The depth of the front is what has stood out most to Joseph, who was part of groups that tortured Tom Brady in the Super Bowl for New York and assembled three top-five defenses in Minnesota.
“I feel like the Giants had a talented group when I was there, but I feel like this tops it,” Joseph said. “I feel like in every position room, you just have depth and it’s kind of hard to, like, have depth continuously. We have to take advantage while we can.”
There is only one hurdle left to finish the job but it’s a steep one with Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes standing in the way in Super Bowl LVII.
“We know what we’re capable of doing,” Joseph said. “You have doubters and haters, it just motivates you to be better. We’re just trying to win and be the best version we can be and we’re doing it.”
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