Steelers Game Just the Latest Argument for Joe Schobert Extension
Lost in the madness of how the Thursday night game ended was the dominance of Cleveland Browns linebacker Joe Schobert, who made another compelling argument for the Browns to sign him to a lucrative contract extension. Schobert produced seven solo tackles, two tackles for loss, a sack, four pass deflections, and a pair of interceptions that fueled the Browns defense to hold the Steelers to seven points in the 21-7 victory.
Schobert is responsible for 67 solo tackles on the season, 14.3 percent of the team's total, dwarfing anyone else at this point. He's a top three player on the defense and is responsible for making all the calls on that side of the ball.
Against the Steelers, they really allowed Schobert to do everything. He was great in coverage, able to fly around and make tackles, but Defensive Coordinator Steve Wilks also utilized him as a blitzer off the edge, which generated multiple pressures against Mason Rudolph as well as the sack. If the Browns had more help, both at linebacker and the middle of the defense in general, Schobert might be able to do more attacking off the edge as a blitzer, but it's risky simply because they don't have the personnel to trust in the middle of the field without him.
Schobert's talent and production speaks for itself as to why the Browns should get this done. His leadership and character, both on and off the field are also in his favor.
The fact the Browns are largely barren on defense in the middle of the field without him also helps his case. If they were to let him walk in free agency, they would be betting on unproven talent to step up and fill a massive void, both in production and in terms of making all the defensive calls.
Mack Wilson has gotten better the more he's played, but much as he did in college, he's shown to be a coverage linebacker as opposed to a full service linebacker to this point. His run instincts aren't particularly good and he tends to get driven out of plays too much. He is blitzed to help simplify his responsibility and try to disrupt the offense. Maybe he improves as a run defender, but he's not there now, which is the scope the Browns have to look at when it comes to Schobert.
Sione Takitaki is starting to see some play and be effective in a limited role, but it's a work in progress. Projecting that to being potentially a starter in the middle of the defense is bold to say the least. There's a lot to like about what he's capable of and the Browns adored him in the draft process, but for what he's doing now, it makes far more sense to keep Schobert and continue adding Takitaki to the mix.
Whether the Browns want to keep Schobert at MIKE or would consider moving him to the WILL in the event they sign him is unimportant. He's good enough to play either spot at an extremely high level and they can fit their defense around him. Schobert can make plays on both sides of the line of scrimmage, impact the run, make plays in pass coverage and he can blitz. If a defensive staff can't find a way to use Schobert, it's time to get a new staff.
The Browns can easily afford to pay one premium linebacker contract. They've got a lot of money and assets tied up in the defensive line as they should. They have corners they like and need to find safeties. Having that one premium player at the second level of the defense is all a defense should require and Schobert has shown he's worth that investment.
Look no further than the Pittsburgh Steelers as a good example of how to structure a defense. They have Cameron Heyward, Stephon Tuitt and T.J. Watt up front. This past offseason, they added Devin Bush to the middle and traded for Minkah Fitzpatrick to headline the back end. The defense has holes, but the spine of the defense is extremely sound.
The Browns have Myles Garrett, Olivier Vernon, Sheldon Richardson and Larry Ogunjobi up front. They have Denzel Ward as a premium corner and Schobert can officially become that franchise player in the middle. There are still holes to address and areas to improve, but they'd ensure the spine of the unit is solid.
The Browns made a great move in signing J.C. Tretter to an extension, ensuring they keep their center in the mix for the next three seasons. He is an excellent player, teammate and leader within the locker room, who is also the type of player the organization loves having represent the franchise. The Browns should treat Schobert the same way, lock him up now and eliminate one more item from their list of issues to take care of in the offseason.
