The Jacksonville Jaguars traded Joe Schobert to the Steelers, moving a veteran piece from a young team and signifying a new type of rebuild.
Usually, when a team like the Jacksonville Jaguars enters a rebuild, it’s wise to have veterans like linebacker Joe Schobert, or maybe not. On Thursday, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported that the franchise traded the linebacker to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Keep in mind, Schobert has one of the larger contracts on the roster and this helps free up additional cap space for Jacksonville.
At first glance, it’s easy to wonder why such a move was made. However, it bears mentioning that there is a new regime in Jacksonville, headlined by head coach Urban Meyer and his philosophy on both sides of the ball. Maybe, he wanted as much cap space as possible to resign the guys he feels are worthy of an investment?
Or maybe, with the draft compensation received, Meyer is trying to acquire extra draft capital if there is a player on the board next year he wants and has some ammunition to move up and down the board?
There could be several reasons behind this reasoning. However, one overlooked motive is that Meyer is likely banking on undrafted free agent linebacker Dylan Moses to replace Schobert and join Myles Jack in the lineup potentially.
That, of course, is on the count that he regains total health after suffering a severe knee injury in college. Or maybe he has someone else in mind, but we won’t know unless he says so.
Why Joe Schobert was traded may not have a clear answer, but the Jacksonville Jaguars are in a complete rebuild.
Those who have an affinity for NFL history will recall when Jimmy Johnson took over in Dallas, he released several players that he inherited when Tom Landry was the coach. Only a few members from that tenure, notably Michael Irvin, Bill Bates, and Mark Tuinei, impressed the new staff through his rebuilding process.
They wound up being part of a Super Bowl-winning team four years later that had most of their players taken in the draft, courtesy of the Herschel Walker trade.
Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Meyer is in no way the coach Johnson was. And no general manager will do what Vikings general manager Mike Lynn did, trade a boatload of picks for one player.
However, let’s look closely at the rebuilding process in Jacksonville. There is a strong semblance that Meyer is building the team in his image, which features an aggressive defense, and an offense headlined by speed.
Also, they have an accurate quarterback, who happens to be named Trevor Lawrence. As soon as Meyer chooses to roll with him as the starter, the process can begin. Moreover, with whatever they get back, Meyer will likely use those assets as trade chips to gather more players that he feels can fit into his style of play and blend in.
Joe Schobert is a good player and will continue to be one with the Pittsburgh Steelers. As for Jacksonville, it’s all about patience. The rebuilding in Duval has just begun.