Raiders: 5 linebackers to target in 2020 free agency
By Nico Di Fede
1. Joe Schobert
Joe Schobert is a four-year veteran looking to get paid after outperforming his rookie contract. Schobert only played in four games as a rookie out of Wisconsin. In 2017 he was promoted to a starter role and broke out for the Cleveland Browns defense.
Schobert led the league that year in tackles with 144 while putting up 3.0 sacks, one interception, and three forced fumbles. This production was met with a Pro Bowl invite.
He had a similar 2018 season, but with fewer tackles. This past season he had his best year as a pro excelling in coverage with four picks on the year as well as nine deflections.
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There are concerns about his tendency to miss tackles and his overall play against the run. While Schobert excels in coverage, he isn’t the greatest athlete and lacks the range to play sideline to sideline consistently.
That being said, while he misses a lot of tackles, he also racks up a lot of tackles, which is evidence that he is always near the ball and in on the play.
He can shoot gaps and stop runs on the inside, so if the Raiders add a more athletic WILL or SAM, he may not need to be the sideline to sideline guy.
His market value will likely be around $7-12 million per year and with the Raiders excess of cap space, that isn’t too much to fork out for a position of great need.