What the future may hold for every Cleveland Browns free agent

Joe Schobert, Linebacker (UFA)

With John Dorsey as the Cleveland Browns general manager, it seemed incredibly unlikely that Joe Schobert was going to be a Cleveland Brown in 2020. It became clear that the Browns had little to no contact with Schobert’s agent and the team was preparing to let Schobert walk.

However, with the new regime in place, including Andrew Berry who was in the front office when Schobert was drafted, there seems to be an increasing chance Schobert is wearing brown and orange in 2020.

Schobert is one of the league’s best coverage linebackers, and he also improved as a tackler in 2019. Schobert is also credited with being the brains of the defense and the on-field leader of the unit.

In 16 games, Schobert made 133 total tackles, seven tackles for loss, two sacks, two forced fumbles, four interceptions, and nine passes defensed.

With linebackers starting to get paid around the league, Schobert is likely looking for a multi-year deal that will pay him over $12 million per year. Panthers linebacker Shaq Thompson‘s four-year, $54.43 million contract extension is expected to be Schobert’s benchmark.

With how much Schobert brings to Cleveland’s defense, the Browns should be willing to give Schobert the multi-year contract he wants. However, it is unknown if Berry and Paul DePodesta value the linebacker position enough to hand out that type of deal.