Tim Benz: Steelers are right to see value in Joe Schobert that Jaguars did not

I’m still struggling with the Jacksonville Jaguars’ decision to trade linebacker Joe Schobert to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

During the 2020 NFL campaign, Schobert’s lone season in Jacksonville, the linebacker wasn’t as good as he had been during the previous four years in Cleveland.

OK, I get it. However, look at the Browns compared to the Jaguars last year. Cleveland made the playoffs. The Jaguars went 1-15. It should be no surprise that things didn’t go so great when Schobert jumped from an organization on the ascent, as opposed to a franchise that was about to blow up its entire infrastructure.

When the Jaguars signed Schobert in April 2020, he was misperceived as a potential run-stopper next to Myles Jack. That’s instead of being appreciated for his true skillset, which is closer to being another version of Jack himself.

I understand that, too.

I also get that the Jaguars like former Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Damien Wilson as the potential run stuffer that Schobert couldn’t be. Plus, they want to see more snaps from second-year product Shaq Quarterman.

So essentially ditching Schobert for a sixth-round pick coming back from Pittsburgh was just a salary dump, with an eye toward developing future talents in new defensive coordinator Joe Cullen’s system.

Fair enough. On a rebuilding team, that’s understandable.

But here’s where the Steelers seem to be more forward-thinking on this deal than Jacksonville was.

If it’s true that the primary rationale for moving Schobert is that he does not possess the run-stopping ability to complement Jack, that makes sense.

Five or ten years ago.

To me, having two guys who are sideline-to-sideline coverage linebackers is the way to go. Leave them both on the field to play nickel as often as possible. Or at least have two good options to handle the dime-backer responsibility.

Look at Tampa Bay’s success with Lavonte David and Devin White.

For years, the Steelers were stuck in Jacksonville’s mentality of having one pure run stopper and one three-down guy to complement one another.

That’s likely because the organization held Vince Williams’ run-stuffing and blitz abilities in such high regard, as well as his locker room presence.

In reality, though, the best complement to one three-down, off-the-ball linebacker is another three-down, off-the-ball linebacker.

Again, see: Buccaneers, Tampa Bay (Super Bowl Champions).

That especially goes for the Steelers, who are trying to fill at least two secondary spots this year. It might be nice for them to lean more on nickel than dime this season as those new secondary players carve out their roles.

“I like the versatility (Schobert) gives us,” Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said Sunday. “I’m not looking for similarities or differences in defensive schemes. I’m looking for his instincts and playmaking abilities, regardless of schemes.”

It’s not like the Steelers haven’t tried to get a pair of good inside linebackers at the same time.

Unfortunately, they’ve been challenged to find even one as a replacement for Ryan Shazier. In a perfect world, the Steelers would have Shazier and somebody like Bush — who they probably wouldn’t have traded up to draft if weren’t for Shazier’s career-ending spinal injury — on the field at the same time right now. Not Bush and Schobert.

Under the current circumstances, though, this should work out quite nicely for the Steelers in 2021.

“From my scheme in Jacksonville last year and my scheme in Cleveland in 2019, (the Steelers scheme) is totally different than those,” Schobert said after his first Steelers practice Sunday afternoon. “It’s more similar to my rookie year in Cleveland when (former Steelers assistant coach) Ray Horton was the defensive coordinator. It’s more along those lines, but it’s not even too close to that. It’s a new adjustment. Hopefully, it’ll be a smooth one.”

Very little has been smooth for the Steelers at the inside linebacker position in recent years. Shazier’s injury in 2017. Devin Bush’s injury last year. Empty acquisitions such as Jon Bostic and Avery Williamson. Failed attempts to hybrid the position to safeties. Missing out on Rashaan Evans and Leighton Vander Esch in the 2018 draft. Williams’ sudden retirement this year. Perhaps overestimating the ceiling of Robert Spillane.

Who knows if the Schobert trade will pan out much better than any of those examples. But credit Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert for seeing the value in a player like him and getting him for the minimal cost of a sixth-round draft pick, with Jacksonville retaining $3.65 million of his 2021 salary.

If the trade works out, it could be the steal of the season.

And if it bombs?

Well, could it be any worse than what the Steelers have tried to cobble together at the inside linebacker position in recent years?

The Steelers franchise may not be the perennial AFC Championship contender it appeared to be as recently as the 2017 playoffs. But the Jaguars sure have fallen a lot further a lot faster since their win at Heinz Field during that postseason.

My guess is that the Steelers have a better read on Schobert than the Jaguars did.