Getty The Broncos could sign linebacker Joe Schobert.
The Denver Broncos could be looking to add a former Pro Bowler.
As reported by Field Yates of ESPN on Saturday, July 30, the Broncos hosted former Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Joe Schobert for a free agent visit.
The Broncos hosted veteran LB Joe Schobert on a free agent visit.
Broncos Lacking Depth at Inside Linebacker
The 28-year-old Schobert spent last season with the Steelers after he was traded by the Jacksonville Jaguars during the preseason. The veteran linebacker posted 112 tackles — his fifth consecutive season with at least 100 tackles. Schobert ranked second on the Steelers in total tackles.
According to Pro Football Focus, Schobert posted a 52.1 defensive grade last season. That grade actually ranked among the bottom half of all linebackers in the league, with Schobert ranking 124th among 200 players at his position.
It’s clear that the Broncos’ depth at inside linebacker isn’t very good. Behind projected starters Josey Jewell and Jonas Griffith are Alex Singleton and Justin Strnad. While Singleton racked up 137 tackles last season, he also ranked as one of the lower-graded linebackers in the league last season. As noted by PFF, Singleton posted a 52.4 defensive grade last season.
Meanwhile, 2020 fifth-round draft choice Justin Strnad saw a great portion of his playing time on special teams last season, appearing on 204 special teams snaps in comparison to 316 defensive snaps. However, he was one of the worst-ranked linebackers in the league, posting grades substantially lower than Schobert and Singleton. Strnad posted a 32.0 defensive grade and 29.6 run defensive grade.
If Schobert signs with the Broncos, he’d likely project as their top backup at inside linebacker.
Schobert was released during the offseason by Pittsburgh due to his $8.75 million cap figure. The former fourth-round draft pick previously worked out for the New Orleans Saints back in June.
Prior to his stints with the Steelers and Jaguars, Schobert spent the first four seasons of his career with the Cleveland Browns.
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GM on Wilson: He’s ‘High-Maintenance’
Some league-wide executives aren’t too high on Russell Wilson.
The 33-year-old quarterback was ranked as the No. 8 quarterback in the league by The Athletic’s Mike Sando. Sando’s rankings were based upon votes from 50 NFL coaches and executives.
One of the reasons Wilson was ranked as a tier-two quarterback is due to the belief that he’s a “high-maintenance” guy.
“The difference with Russell is, he is a lot more high-maintenance,” one NFL general manager told Sando. “He’s got the entourage, he needs the office at the facility, the extra hotel rooms on the road, all that stuff. It will be interesting how that dynamic works with a rookie head coach and rookie offensive coordinator, how they jell.”
Wilson is about to begin his first season with the Denver Broncos with a first-year head coach in Nathaniel Hackett and a first-year offensive coordinator in Justin Outten. The nine-time Pro Bowl quarterback publicly denounced the firing of his former Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer back in January of 2021. However, he actually reportedly grew tired of Schottenheimer’s play calling at the end of the 2020 season.
Via Corbin K. Smith of Sports Illustrated:
“Don’t let his comments mask his real thoughts,” the source remarked. “He had grown tired of Schotty from a play calling perspective and wanted something fresh. As much as he benefited from his coaching, he didn’t think the two could co-exist anymore in a football marriage.”
The fact that Wilson is coming off of a playoff-less campaign for the first time in four years probably isn’t helping his reputation entering the 2022 season. But if Wilson can right the ship and lead the Broncos to their first playoff appearance since winning Super Bowl 50, the veteran quarterback will definitely be considered above a tier-two quarterback entering the 2023 season.