Cleveland Browns: 5 players that could benefit from the Kevin Stefanski hire
By Chad Porto
Joe Schobert
It might be a done deal on Joe Schobert, due to “analytics” but Stefanski is aware of the value of a player of Schobert’s caliber. Some claim Schobert only made tackles “ten yards down the field” which is first; not true. Secondly, he had plenty of tackles at the line or behind. It’s not our job to show you every one. Schobert was the best player in a bad linebacker’s corp. Mack Wilson showed promise but only really showed up for a few games. Christian Kirksey was injured for most of the year, marking the second straight year that he suffered a major injury and someone like Sione Takitaki really didn’t break the game with his limited play.
Schobert is the best linebacker on the team by a large margin. With the failed acquisition of Oliva Vernon, the team can’t afford to create another hole to fill. The team was 19th in the league in yards, and third-worst in rushing. The defensive line didn’t show up, and most games it felt like only Schobert was making tackles. He can’t cover every gap assignment, others need to step up.
Stefanski should know this, he was apart of the staff that fought tooth and nail to retain Anthony Barr. Schobert is a better player than Barr and that alone should be the reason why he gets re-signed. A leader like Schobert can’t be measured with analytics. It can’t be graded by that either. Sure, there is a limit to how much you should pay Schobert. That’s the case for every single player just about, however. There’s a limit for just about every player in the NFL.
Stefanski should know the team can’t afford to keep replacing players, and it’d be hard to argue against giving the coach guys he needs. So if Stefanski goes to bat for Schobert, the former Pro Bowler could end up staying in Cleveland, which would give the team one less hole to worry about, and would allow them to build a better defense through the draft. Rebuilding it around Schobert, Myles Garrett, and Denzel Ward.