Didn’t think you’d see that headline, did you?
In the rollercoaster 2021 season, the one constant for the Pittsburgh Steelers was the team’s inability to stop the run. It’s not just that the Steelers were bad, they were, by several metrics, the absolute worst when it came to rushing defense. For example, the Steelers allowed 24 rushes of 20-plus yards in 2021, with the next closest team (the New York Jets) allowing only 16 rushes of that distance. The Steelers ultimately allowed a league-worst 2,483 yards against the run, exactly 700 yards more than they did during the 2020 campaign when they ranked 11th in the league. Not great!
Many observers rightly place blame on the Steelers' decimated defensive line, a product of Tyson Alualu having a season-ending ankle injury, and Stephon Tuitt opting to not participate in the 2021 season after tragically losing his brother in a hit-and-run incident the summer before. While defensive captain, Cam Heyward, did his best to fill the void, the depth was just not there to put forth the traditional level of run defense that is expected of the Steelers organization.
#91 Stephon Tuitt (left) and #97 Cam Heyward (right) against the Seattle Seahawks at Heinz Field. | (AP Photo)
Another notable issue with the Steelers run defense was the less-than desirable play that the team’s starting inside linebackers, Devin Bush and Joe Schobert, demonstrated this past season. With Devin Bush noticeably still recovering both mentally and physically from the torn ACL that he suffered during the 2020 season, Joe Schobert was expected to step-up and and be the guy at middle linebacker. That hope didn't really ever materialize, and Schobert was not able to mask the issues that Bush was having, especially with run defense.
The Steelers acquired Schobert via trade during the 2021 offseason from the Jacksonville Jaguars, setting off significant excitement about what the veteran linebacker could bring alongside a healthy Devin Bush. We don’t need to relitigate the entire season at middle linebacker, but needless to say, the duo did not meet the mark that the Steelers had hoped that they would. The Steelers would of course go on to sign another former Jacksonville Jaguars’ linebacker, Myles Jack, in the 2022 offseason to much fanfare. With Jack being signed to a 2-year $16 million dollar deal, the Steelers unceremoniously cut Schobert, for a net gain of $7.8 million against the Steelers’ cap.
In the two-month (to the day) period since the Steelers cut Schobert, there has seemingly not been much interest in him across the league and he still remains a free agent. Also notable, since cutting Schobert and adding Jack, the Steelers have not added any player to their middle linebackers room that has a legitimate shot of playing at the position (James Robinson, the Steelers 6th round draft pick in the 2021 draft, trends towards being more of a special-teams player). Given these two situations playing out, the Steelers should be aiming to bring Schobert back on a significantly discounted rate for the 2022 season.
Now, I know what you’re thinking, we have Myles Jack now to start alongside Devin Bush, why would we spend on Schobert? This is a fair question, with a simple answer: Depth. The Steelers have been marred by injuries at the middle linebacker position in recent years, and last year they had to resort to reserve inside linebackers Robert Spillane and Marcus Allen starting at various points in the season. With Schobert still out there as a free-agent, the Steelers have the opportunity to sign a cheap contract for a player who knows their defense very well, and has more talent than any of the depth options that the Steelers presently have on their roster. With 10 career interceptions and 10 career forced fumbles, Schobert has more than 10 times the stat numbers in those metrics than Spillane and Allen do combined.
This isn’t to say that the Steelers should cut Spillane or Allen, after all they will likely carry six inside linebackers on the roster as they did in 2021, but it does mean that their depth will be stronger, forcing Spillane into the fourth inside linebacker position, and leaving Allen, 2021 fourth rounder Buddy Johnson, Robinson, and Ulysees Gilbert to battle it out for the fifth and sixth roster spot. All of a sudden, if Bush or Jack are injured, it's not Spillane that is called up, but Schobert who just last year was thought of as a starting caliber inside linebacker. It would even enable the Steelers to play a three inside linebacker set, which is something that they have not had the appropriate personnel to pull off since the ill-fated “Seminole Defense” that was teased in 2018 when the Steelers brought intriguing but ultimately discarded Florida State Linebacker, Matthew Thomas, to camp.
Now, you could challenge my argument for bringing back Schobert by presenting a better free-agent option. But, you won’t likely find one. Presently, there is little depth at the position in free-agency, with former Steelers Jon Bostic and LJ Fort nearing the top of the list. Beyond them, there are names such as Dont’a Hightower, Kevin Minter, and Danny Trevathan on the list, but all are over 30 years old. None of those other free agents seem to be realistic options for the Steelers.
At the end of the day, Schobert already knows your defense, is still fairly young at 28, and is better than any of the depth linebackers already on the roster. And hey, it doesn’t hurt that like Derek and TJ Watt, he’s a Wisconsin Badger, knowing how the Steelers feel about their products from that specific university. The Steelers would be wise to be calling Joe Schobert and inviting him back ahead of the 2022 season.
What do yinz think? Should the Steelers bring Schobert back as a depth piece? Do you prefer one of the other free agent options? Comment below or let me know on Twitter at @JakeVasilj!
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