The Jacksonville Jaguars went into free agency with many holes but one they won’t have to worry about heading into the draft is at MIKE linebacker after signing Joe Schobert. The position was one the team tried to place on the shoulders of Myles Jack, but unfortunately, it just wasn’t something that was natural to him like playing on the outside.
Like many fans and the coaching staff realized, Schobert understood what the Jags could have if Jack was paired with another stud like himself, which he says drew him in on “The Pat McAfee Show.” He also liked the aspect of being a guy who could change their locker room culture by being himself, something he learned during his time in Cleveland from players like Joe Thomas and Christian Kirksey.
“It came down to a couple of teams,” Schobert said. “Coach [Doug] Marrone and GM Dave Caldwell wanted me to join the team. They preached a message to me about bringing in good football guys, good character guys, to set a right way in the locker room — leading and speaking. [Also] for me especially to get to play with a guy like Myles Jack another linebacker. Be the MIKE linebacker, take over the defense, do the things I do well, setting the defense, diagnosing plays, calling things for other people to get set and letting Myles go play football and be the animal he is.”
This is a lot of what many had suspected. In a nutshell, the Jags’ front office needed a Paul Posluszny-like figure on the field and in the locker room, something the Jags have long missed.
After Posluszny retired (in early 2018), several reports surfaced of personalities clashing in the locker room and a rift between Tom Coughlin had with certain players. On the field, they lacked a field general defensively and the responsibility fell on Jack’s shoulders, who is still a very young player learning the ropes.
Schobert is a player that has seen a lot of things (49 career starts) and played against a lot of playoff-caliber teams in the AFC North like the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens. Sure, the Jags may not be as talented around him as many would hope but acquiring him is a good start to the offseason because he could prove to be the gel that holds everything together.