Jaguars Announce Joe Schobert Signing and a Position Switch for Myles Jack

The Jaguars will be shifting their linebacker group around some after the addition of inside linebacker Joe Schobert.

The Jacksonville Jaguars' biggest free agency move thus far in 2020 has become official, as the team announced Thursday that they have agreed to terms with linebacker Joe Schobert for a five-year contract.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network was the first to report Schobert's agreement with the Jaguars. According to Rapoport, Schobert's deal is a five-year contract with $22.5 million guaranteed at signing. The deal is worth a total of $53.75 million, giving Schobert $10.75 million annually. 

With the addition of Schobert, the Jaguars have a new full-time inside linebacker for the third time in four seasons, following Paul Posluszny in 2017 and Myles Jack in 2018 and 2019.

It's Scho-Time!

We have agreed to terms with Pro Bowl LB @TheSchoGoesOn53 pic.twitter.com/RAMX0WpAho

— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) March 19, 2020

"We really feel great about the things Joe has been able to do and what he adds to our team,” head coach Doug Marrone said in a statement. “He brings an ability to tackle and diagnose plays. He’s a true middle linebacker and has played it at a high level."

With the addition of Schobert, the Jaguars will be moving fifth-year linebacker Myles Jack to weakside linebacker. Jack played strongside linebacker in the first two seasons of his career before transitioning to inside linebacker in 2018. 

Jack has never played weakside linebacker on a long-term basis since the Jaguars drafted him in the second round of the 2016 NFL Draft, but this is largely due to the prescence of Telvin Smith from 2016-2018. Jack signed a four-year, $57 million contract with the Jaguars before the 2019 season began.

"He’s really going to help us, not only at the MIKE linebacker position, but he also helps us overall across our whole linebacking corps," Marrone said about Schobert. "This gives us the ability to move Myles Jack to outside linebacker, which I feel is a more natural position for him. Myles and I spoke about the change and he’s excited.”

"We’re going to get better play from Myles (Jack) moving to the more natural position, which is will; we made one move, but it’s going to help us better overall in our whole linebacker corps...”
-- #Jaguars HC Doug Marrone on the addition of MLB Joe Schobert

— John Oehser (@JohnOehser) March 19, 2020

Schobert, 26, spent the last four seasons with the Cleveland Browns after being selected in the fourth-round (No. 99 overall) in the 2016 NFL Draft.

Entering this offseason, Schobert made a lot of sense as a name to connect to the Jaguars due to his experience (49 starts) over four seasons with the Cleveland Browns. In Schobert's time in Cleveland, he recorded 408 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, 8.5 sacks, six interceptions, and a staggering seven forced fumbles, along with 20 pass deflections. He is a steady playmaker and a capable prescence inside, all traits that would fit the Jaguars' needs at the second level of the defense.

In 2019, Schobert started 16 games and totaled 133 tackles, seven tackles for loss, two sacks, four interceptions, two forced fumbles, and nine pass deflections.

"In 2019, Schobert led the Browns with 133 tackles, four INTs and two forced fumbles. He was the only player in the NFL last season to tally at least 130 tackles and at least four INTs and was named AFC Defensive Player of the Week after posting five tackles, four passes defensed and two INTs against Miami in Week 12," the Jaguars said in a statement.