Will Linebacker Joe Schobert Price Himself Out of the Jaguars’ Range?

Linebacker Joe Schobert will hit the free agency market on Mar. 18 as one of the most coveted front seven defenders available, that much is certain. What is uncertain, however, is if his demands, and the demand from other teams throughout the league, will cross him off as an option for the Jaguars before free agency even begins.

After a 2019 season in which the Jaguars struggled to stop the run on a consistent basis, linebacker has become a position many have pegged as one they could invest in during free agency. Jacksonville sustained a rash of injuries to what was already a young position group, and the team could seek a veteran prescence to help calm the waters and bring consistency in 2020.

Entering this offseason, Schobert made a lot of sense as a name to connect to the Jaguars due to his experience (49 starts) over four seasons with the Cleveland Browns. But as it stands today, he may be a name to forget due to the money he could be potentially asking for.

In Schobert's four seasons in Cleveland, he recorded 408 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, 8.5 sacks, six interceptions, and a staggering seven forced fumbles. He is a steady playmaker and a capable prescence inside, all traits that would fit the Jaguars' needs at the second level. But does his asking price align with what the Jaguars could hypothetically offer him if they are actually interested?

According to a report from Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, Schobert will not return to the Browns in 2020 in part because his open-market price could be around $10 million per year, which would be one of the largest linebacker contracts in the NFL.

Currently, there are only seven inside linebackers set to have a cap hit of at least $10 million in 2020, per Spotrac.

New York Jets LB C.J. Mosley: $17.50 million cap hit.
Jaguars LB Myles Jack: $15.40 million cap hit.
Seattle Seahawks LB Bobby Wagner: $14.75 million cap hit
Kansas City Chiefs LB Anthony Hitchens: $12.693 million cap hit.
Atlanta Falcons LB Deion Jones: $10.32 million cap hit.
Minnesota Vikings LB Eric Kendricks: $10.014 million cap hit.
Arizona Cardinals LB Jordan Hicks: $10 million cap hit.

So, Schobert commanding a $10 million-plus per year contract moving forward would make him one of the NFL's highest-paid linebackers. If the Jaguars were to attempt to sign him, it would give them two of the highest-paid players at the position and, by far, the most expensive duo.

For a team that is already limited in terms of its cap space (nearly $23 million in available cap today according to Spotrac), it would be hard to make an argument that paying top-dollar for a linebacker would be a wise move for 2020 or beyond. Jack is already set the have between the second- and fourth-largest cap hit on the team next season, so making the linebacker room even more expensive would be a tough pill to swallow.

Jacksonville also has to pay close attention to the contracts it hands out this offseason due to the impending free agency of defensive end Yannick Ngakoue. Ngakoue is reportedly asking for a contract that pays him $22 million annually, so he will command a large chunk of the cap space if the Jaguars somehow come to terms on a deal with him. If the Jaguars francise or transition tag Ngakoue, he would still command a hefty chunk of their available cap space.

For these reasons, it makes more sense for the Jaguars to look for linebacker additions via the NFL draft or through a cheaper veteran option. The Jaguars could always stick with its current group of linebackers as well, though that seems much less likely.

“I think we will adjust not only that position, but I think we will address every position and if it is not through free agency, it is the draft. If we can get better, we will try and get better," general manager Dave Caldwell said Tuesday at the NFL Scouting Combine.

"We have two guys there that we like in Myles [Jack] and Quincy [Williams]. Dakota Allen is another guy we feel can come in, we got him from the Rams late in the year. He is a physical guy, he did a nice job on special teams. We actually have four guys there plus Leon Jacobs as our SAM. We have some depth there that we have not had in the past. If we can get a guy to come in and if we need to move Myles … Myles offers so much flexibility, whether it’s MIKE, WILL, he played SAM in 2017. We feel good about that.

Schobert is a good player who could help the Jaguars' defense immensely. There is zero doubt about this. But should the team be willing to spend north of $10 million a year in pursuing him? Most signs point to the answer being a resounding no.

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