The Cleveland Browns appear willing to let Joe Schobert walk in free agency, creating a huge unnecessary need in the linebacking corps.
The Cleveland Browns appear willing to let Joe Schobert test the free-agent market, according to Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot.
This move is reminiscent of what the Browns did back after the 2016 season. When Mitchell Schwartz faced free agency, the Sashi Brown-led front office, excited over the opportunity to prove how much smarter they were than everyone else, let the offensive lineman test the market, and he happily accepted a lucrative deal from the Browns.
Loaded with cap space, Cleveland easily could’ve done better, but the die was cast.
Now, John Dorsey is willing to play the same game, risking the creation of a huge need for no particular reason.
The entire argument for keeping Schobert is that the Browns’ linebacking corps was already thin entering the season. Fifth-round pick Mack Wilson has made some plays, but missed some, too. That’s OK. He’s a rookie and they are growing pains.
Sione Tackitacki is starting to get on the field more, but it’s still too earl to tell what the Browns have in the BYU product.
Getting a deal done seems easier said than done, however. The Browns have cap space, but they have some pretty hefty decision to ponder in the near future. Will they present Myles Garrett with a contract extension following the season?
After the 2020 regular season, Baker Mayfield will be eligible to sign his extension. Those two players alone will eat a ton of cap space. That’s not even taking into account Denzel Ward and Nick Chubb.
Schobert can be a polarizing figure, because there’s a sect who view him as an average player, while others are higher on him. He’s probably not elite, but I’d hate to see the Browns’ defense without him.
Shaq Thompson‘s new contract may have set the tone for what Schobert is looking for when he signed a four-year pact for $52 million with the panthers.
Through 69 career games, Thompson has 341 tackles, one interception and has forced two fumbles, while recovering two. Schobert, through 58 games has compiled 371 tackles, pick, while forcing seven fumbles and recovering three.
The Browns are willing to let him walk and have not contacted him in months, according to Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot. According to Cabot’s source, when the topic was broached, the notion of re-signing Schobert was not taken seriously.
Preliminary numbers indicated the Browns weren’t even going to make Schobert the highest paid linebacker on the team. Christian Kirksey makes the most at $9.5 million. That makes him the 21st richest linebacker in the NFL.
As the Browns will learn, you don’t know what you’ve got, until it’s gone. And with three games to go, time is winding down. The Browns can get a deal done after that, but you better believe Schobert’s agents will want to see how green the grass is across the street in free agency.