The State of the Jaguars Linebacker Room
By the time the 2019 season ended, the Jacksonville Jaguars had started six different linebackers. Defensive coordinator Todd Wash was one more injury away from needing to put out a community casting call. Now as the team prepares for the 2020 season, the linebacker unit has been replenished and the assembled room has the sense of being right there; right on the cusp of being complete but with the requisite cautious optimism, not wanting to assume anything just yet.
Of the six that started games last season, only Myles Jack, Quincy Williams and Leon Jacobs are still on the roster. All three should be significant contributors again this fall. But barring injuries, there is a clearer pecking order on the big board.
The biggest change to the linebacker room came in the form of Joe Schobert. The former Cleveland Browns is entering his fifth NFL season as the owner of the fourth most tackles (378) in the NFL over the past four years. He was brought in with a clear purpose—to start at middle linebacker. The move is significant enough purely talent wise. He finished 2019 in the Top 10 league wide for total tackles with 133 and his four interceptions last season were second amongst all linebackers.
When the Jaguars began talks with Schobert, they outlined what they wanted in a new addition and what they felt he could bring, explains Schobert.
“They want to bring in proven players who have played in the NFL before and proven they’ve belonged and also guys that’ll be good, leadership role models in the locker room. Level-headed, steady voices.”
Nov 24, 2019; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns middle linebacker Joe Schobert (53) runs an interception back on a pass intended for Miami Dolphins tight end Durham Smythe (81) during the fourth quarter at FirstEnergy Stadium. The Browns won 41-24. Mandatory Credit: Scott R. Galvin-USA TODAY Sports
But adding Schobert also has a ripple effect beyond just the middle of the field. Anchoring him there means Myles Jack can move back outside, this time to weak side linebacker. The shuffling could be seen as an effect of adding Schobert or maybe even the need to do so in the first place. Schobert told reporters when he first signed, it’s a good bit of the latter.
“My goal for me coming in here is to just take things off of the plate, being able to set the defenses, make the calls, make the checks and their adjustments and let Myles just go be an athlete out there and wreck the game which he has the ability to when he doesn’t have to be caught up in trying to get other people lined up and be responsible for all that communication.”
Myles Jack has all the potential to be the star linebacker he was always projected to be; it could even be argued he’s already started to make the case with his 287 tackles, five and a half sacks, two interceptions, 10 passes defended and a forced fumble and recovery. Ergo, it makes sense to bring in new faces and move pieces around to play him in the best possible spot. This will be the first season however that features him at WILL.
While Schobert at MIKE and Jack at WILL are all but set in stone, there is potential for a competitive battle at SAM (strong side linebacker) during camp and pre-season. As mentioned above, this was the spot most often held by Leon Jacobs in 2019. The only games in which he didn’t start, the defense didn’t start a SAM linebacker for the game. He finished with 42 tackles, two sacks and one pass defended.
Wash and Head Coach Doug Marrone have mentioned several times this offseason the plan to switch to more 3-4 defensive looks in the future. They brought in new personnel to help with the move, two of them being Cassius Marsh from the Arizona Cardinals and K’Lavon Chaisson in the first round (20th overall) in the 2020 NFL Draft.
Marsh however revealed to reporters last week that both he and Chaisson have been meeting (virtually) with the strong side linebackers.
“I’ll be playing the SAM,” said Marsh, “and I’m going to work my hardest to compete and hopefully earn a starting job at the SAM position and bring my best every day. I think it is a great opportunity and it is a great defense. I am looking forward to the challenge.”
On Chaisson, Marsh added, “Just a smart guy. He seems real focused. He’s not saying too much. Nothing that comes out of his mouth is a waste of words. He’s only been in a couple of meetings because he just got drafted not too long ago, but from what I’ve experienced, he’s a mature, young man and I look forward to getting to know him better.”
Both Marsh and Chaisson are hybrid linebacker/defensive ends which means they can also move up to the BUCK role for certain plays (Josh Allen will likely be the first tapped). If they are called to do so, Jacobs can still come in to play the SAM.
This means the Jags are potentially three deep at the SAM. Aaron Lynch, last with the Chicago Bears, can also drop back as an outside linebacker on situational plays. With the new additions, Jacksonville is at least two deep across the entire corps. Quincy Williams started eight games at WILL the 2019 season and should be available behind Jack.
And at MIKE, the Jags newly minted rookie Shaq Quarterman brings an old school downhill style now with the chance to learn behind the veteran Schobert.
If the Jacksonville Jaguars can make it an entire season with at least two-thirds of their linebacker corps intact, it will be an improvement over last fall. In anticipation of the development, they’ve shuffled and stacked their unit with the balance of veteran presence and rookie talent to give encouraging depth across the board.
