Report: Broncos signing former Pro Bowl linebacker after Griffith injury
Aug 15, 2022, 9:56 AM
That didn’t take long.
The Denver Broncos have found their replacement for inside linebacker Jonas Griffith, after he was hurt on the second play of the preseason against the Cowboys on Saturday night. Griffith dislocated his elbow and is expected to be out four to six weeks. Welcome to Denver, Joe Schobert.
The #Broncos are signing veteran LB Joe Schobert, source said, some important help at a key spot. Schobert, who starred for the #Browns and most recently was with the #Steelers, recently tried out in Denver. He helps fill the void created by an injury to Jonas Griffith.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 15, 2022
As Rapoport mentioned, Schobert was in town for a visit in late July, but no deal was reached. That obviously went well enough though, as the Broncos offered him a deal on Monday morning.
Schobert, who made the Pro Bowl after the 2017 season, lingered on the market this year after a single season with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Pittsburgh acquired him from the Jacksonville Jaguars last year for a sixth-round choice.
He played in Cleveland from 2016-19. His first campaign as a full-time starter came in 2017, and ended with a Pro Bowl selection after he notched a league-leading 144 tackles. He also added 6 quarterback hits and 3.0 sacks, although his use as a pass-rusher dropped in recent years.
Pittsburgh cut Schobert earlier this year to save $7.8 million on the salary cap.
Schobert logged 112 tackles for Pittsburgh last year. He finished with his best missed-tackle rate since at least 2018 — just 7.4 percent, per the data compiled by SportRadar.com. But he finished the year without a sack for the first time in his career. Pro Football Focus also gave him a 53.5 grade, the lowest season-long figure of his career.
Josey Jewell remains locked in as a starter with Justin Strnad and Alex Singleton slated as the backups, at least before the Griffith injury. We’ll see where Schobert ultimately fits in, but the Broncos added depth in a position they were already thin at.
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