Cleveland Browns: Could Joe Schobert be on the way out?

Joe Schobert and the Cleveland Browns have yet to agree on a new contract and one writer believes he could be out if the team relies heavily on analytics

Sometimes we need to be careful what we ask for. Cleveland Browns fans have been excited about the prospect of the team using more of an analytical approach to building the roster, which has arisen from the fact that Paul DePodesta has been gaining more control in recent weeks.

DePodesta is well-known for his ‘Moneyball’ approach as he spent years helping guild Major League Baseball rosters by finding production with the most affordable players possible. That could end up leading to some shake-ups in Cleveland since they have a lot of players who are either making a lot of money or about to get paid.

This led Nick Dudukovich of Factory of Sadness to start wondering if any players on the Browns could be in trouble in the coming season. He speculated about Olivier Vernon or possibly one of the high-priced wide receivers — Odell Beckham, Jr. and Jarvis Landry.

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But what really stood out, and could be the most likely player left out in the cold, is Dudukovich’s thoughts on pending free agent Joe Schobert, who he believes might not get a new contract in 2020.

"“As for Schobert, the future free agent probably won’t return with Paul DePodesta still in place as Chief Strategy Officer. Remember, he rose to fame through Moneyball by finding production from cheaper players. With Schobert looking for Shaq Thompson-esque money, it’s just seems unlikely the Browns are going to pony up the cash.” —Dudukovich, Factory of Sadness"

Schobert is coming off his third-straight season with at least 100 tackles and has become a fan favorite. This season, he not only racked up 133 tackles, but he also broke up nine passes and had a career-high four interceptions.

That type of production is going to make him an awful lot of money in free agency. However, the team is also in need of a lot more than just a linebacker to be competitive on defense. Perhaps DePodesta does decide to use that money to fill several holes, rather than keep one player.

Of course, this is all speculation and once the Browns do finally name a coach, the talk of analytics could be thrown out the window.

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Only time will tell, but right now there is at least a chance we won’t be seeing Schobert on the Browns in 2020.

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