Steelers are trading for Joe Schobert from Jacksonville

[Ice]

Knowing the salary/cap angle, I definitely think this was a good move.

[Pabst]

Looks like he converted $2.36 million of his remaining salary to a signing bonus, in order to shrink the cap charge for 2021.

Wonder if that will get paid in Florida or PA. Schobert could save himself a nice chunk of change by avoiding PA income tax.

[Roeth2Rudolph]

Looks like he converted $2.36 million of his remaining salary to a signing bonus, in order to shrink the cap charge for 2021.

Wonder if that will get paid in Florida or PA. Schobert could save himself a nice chunk of change by avoiding PA income tax.

That's a good question. I would think it will be in FL as that's where his primary residence likely was at the first of the year, but I'd have to defer to Signstein on this one, as he's more qualified to answer the question than I.

[K_C_]

Knowing the salary/cap angle, I definitely think this was a good move.

Depends on how well he plays.

Avery Williamson was a really good player for the Jets.

He looked like a camp body in Pittsburgh (okay, maybe not just a camp body. He had that one big game against the Colts, but overall Williamson was unimpressive).

Schobert literally MUST make a positive impact at ILB this season because what we're currently sending out on the field isn't going to scare anybody.

Including Bush.

[Kodiak]

I feel like Bush is quite a bit better than people are giving credit for. The light seemed to go on in his 2nd year before he got hurt, and he was definitely trending up. He was never going to be Shazier, but I think he'll be a good to very good ILB.

[K_C_]

I feel like Bush is quite a bit better than people are giving credit for. The light seemed to go on in his 2nd year before he got hurt, and he was definitely trending up. He was never going to be Shazier, but I think he'll be a good to very good ILB.

For what the Steelers gave up to get Bush, he needs to be a difference maker.....like Shazier. To be fair, Shazier wasn't a star his first year or so but you saw signs. I'll agree that Bush was trending up, but I'm not sure he was trending up towards difference maker territory and that's where Bush needs to be at some point soon.

Concerned the Schobert trade says as much about Bush as it does about Spillane.

[jebrick]

Knowing the salary/cap angle, I definitely think this was a good move.

If it cost them extending Watt then it is a terrible trade.

[Ice]

If Watt is looking for the sort of guaranteed money it's been rumored he is, the 1 million Schobert costs against the cap isn't the issue, and Watt may very well get tagged twice then leave via FA.

[RemoAZ]

I feel like Bush is quite a bit better than people are giving credit for. The light seemed to go on in his 2nd year before he got hurt, and he was definitely trending up. He was never going to be Shazier, but I think he'll be a good to very good ILB.

Bush has a ton of talent and I agree, he was trending up. Still too early to make a call on him but I think this board waaaaay over-rates Shazier. Yeah, great athlete but those teams he played on were horrible against the run, especially in crunch time. Sure he could chase guys down but he had to do that way too much imo. That Cowboys game where they just ran it down our throats two drives 4th quarter in '16 I think it was, sticks out in my mind. Watching that defense gave me chest pains every game.

[SteelerDayTrader]

If Watt is looking for the sort of guaranteed money it's been rumored he is, the 1 million Schobert costs against the cap isn't the issue, and Watt may very well get tagged twice then leave via FA.

Yep.....especially considering he will be 29 in 2 years

[Roeth2Rudolph]

What sticks out in my mind w/ Shazier is him coming up with a pick or forcing a fumble when we absolutely had to create a turnover late in order to have a chance at winning. It had become almost like clockwork.

[SteelerDayTrader]

What sticks out in my mind w/ Shazier is him coming up with a pick or forcing a fumble when we absolutely had to create a turnover late in order to have a chance at winning. It had become almost like clockwork.

Yeah.....Shazier had his faults at times .....but he also slammed the door numerous times as well and seemed to be rising in that regard IMO

[Kodiak]

"Schobert said he has been told once the regular season starts he’ll have the green communication dot on his helmet and will be responsible for making the defensive calls. "


LOL, 3 weeks on the team and he'll have the green dot. I remember when it took YEARS to learn Lebeau's defense. Might explain a few things.

[Roeth2Rudolph]

It's all in the first name.

[DP39]

"Schobert said he has been told once the regular season starts he’ll have the green communication dot on his helmet and will be responsible for making the defensive calls. "


LOL, 3 weeks on the team and he'll have the green dot. I remember when it took YEARS to learn Lebeau's defense. Might explain a few things.

This is what I thought the trade was more about anyway. In several preseason interviews MT and others mentioned getting the right on-field adjustment calls made when there was a breakdown in that area; it was something that needed cleaned up. When the trade opp came up, my guess is KC talked to TJ and asked just how football smart Schobert was and he told him he could do the job and then some.

Imo, on D, you've got Cam, TJ, Minka and maybe Haden that are smart enough to make the right calls but they're in the wrong positions, so they went out and got a quality starting ILB that's more than capable in wearing the green dot. Not only do we get a better physical ILB, we get one that'll make everyone else better/smarter. This should also free up Bush to make more plays, hopefully.

[Pabst]

LOL, 3 weeks on the team and he'll have the green dot. I remember when it took YEARS to learn Lebeau's defense. Might explain a few things.

It didn't. This is a complete myth.

[Baltostiller]

LOL, 3 weeks on the team and he'll have the green dot. I remember when it took YEARS to learn Lebeau's defense. Might explain a few things.

It didn't. This is a complete myth.

Dagummit, I think Butler's defense is a bit easier to understand than LeBeau's.

[955876]

Can it really be called “Butler’s defense”???

Didn’t Jibbs take play calling duties from him?

[El Kabong]

LOL, 3 weeks on the team and he'll have the green dot. I remember when it took YEARS to learn Lebeau's defense. Might explain a few things.

It didn't. This is a complete myth.

Once upon a time the Steelers would draft defenders high in the draft, but they would rarely see the field as rookies causing much angst amongst the fandom causing some to suggest that LeBeau's defense was just too complicated for rookies to handle. I think it had more to do with the fact that back then we had outstanding talent on defense so there just wasn't the need for rookies to see the field.

[El Kabong]

Can it really be called “Butler’s defense”???

Didn’t Jibbs take play calling duties from him?

Yes.

[Ice]

LOL, 3 weeks on the team and he'll have the green dot. I remember when it took YEARS to learn Lebeau's defense. Might explain a few things.

It didn't. This is a complete myth.

Once upon a time the Steelers would draft defenders high in the draft, but they would rarely see the field as rookies causing much angst amongst the fandom causing some to suggest that LeBeau's defense was just too complicated for rookies to handle. I think it had more to do with the fact that back then we had outstanding talent on defense so there just wasn't the need for rookies to see the field.

And salaries were low enough that you could afford to keep rookies on the bench for a couple, three years before playing them significantly. Now? Not a great business model.

[Jobu]

It didn't. This is a complete myth.

Once upon a time the Steelers would draft defenders high in the draft, but they would rarely see the field as rookies causing much angst amongst the fandom causing some to suggest that LeBeau's defense was just too complicated for rookies to handle. I think it had more to do with the fact that back then we had outstanding talent on defense so there just wasn't the need for rookies to see the field.

And salaries were low enough that you could afford to keep rookies on the bench for a couple, three years before playing them significantly. Now? Not a great business model.

And LeBeau loved his vets.

[Pabst]

LOL, 3 weeks on the team and he'll have the green dot. I remember when it took YEARS to learn Lebeau's defense. Might explain a few things.

It didn't. This is a complete myth.

Once upon a time the Steelers would draft defenders high in the draft, but they would rarely see the field as rookies causing much angst amongst the fandom causing some to suggest that LeBeau's defense was just too complicated for rookies to handle. I think it had more to do with the fact that back then we had outstanding talent on defense so there just wasn't the need for rookies to see the field.

That's exactly it. Lebeau was here from 2004-2014. Here is every defender drafted in the first round during that period:

Lawrence Timmons
Ziggy Hood
Cam Heyward
Jarvis Jones
Ryan Shazier

Timmons, Hood, and Heyward were all stuck behind All-Pros when they first got to Pittsburgh. And believe it or not, Jones and Shazier both started the majority of the games they appeared in during their rookie seasons.

Stephon Tuitt and Anthony Smith were both starting by the end of their first season.

6th round draft pick Vince Williams started 11 games as a rookie in 2013

Lamar Woodley was starting in his 2nd season.

Willie Gay and Bryant McFadden both saw plenty of playing time as rookies.

As for the others.......I know this may sound crazy, but the reason Dick Lebeau didn't play guys like Ricardo Colclough, Bruce Davis, Thaddeus Gibson, Curtis Brown, Alameda Ta'amu, etc is because they weren't any good.

[StillMadAtSlobber]

It didn't. This is a complete myth.

Once upon a time the Steelers would draft defenders high in the draft, but they would rarely see the field as rookies causing much angst amongst the fandom causing some to suggest that LeBeau's defense was just too complicated for rookies to handle. I think it had more to do with the fact that back then we had outstanding talent on defense so there just wasn't the need for rookies to see the field.

And salaries were low enough that you could afford to keep rookies on the bench for a couple, three years before playing them significantly. Now? Not a great business model.

And even worse, the FO sign non 1st rounders to 4 year contracts, so we didn't get much to base decisions on if they didnt see prolonged starting time until year 3.

[Ice]

Good times... though Pabst makes good, well-reasoned points in his post about some of the specifics on defensive draft picks during the Lebeau Era, as well.

[LakecrestSteeler]

Fort Injured in Baltimore:

Now they have lost former Steelers linebacker L.J. Fort. Via RavensWire, Fort suffered an ACL injury during the first half of a preseason game against the Carolina Panthers and is likely done for the year as a result.

After leaving Pittsburgh, Fort carved out an increased role in Baltimore. In his first two years with the Ravens, he totaled 88 tackles and two sacks. He played on defense and special teams.

One has to wonder if former Jacksonville Jaguars inside linebacker Joe Schobert may have become a Raven if he hadn’t just been traded to the Steelers last week.

[Ice]

Fort Injured in Baltimore:

Now they have lost former Steelers linebacker L.J. Fort. Via RavensWire, Fort suffered an ACL injury during the first half of a preseason game against the Carolina Panthers and is likely done for the year as a result.

After leaving Pittsburgh, Fort carved out an increased role in Baltimore. In his first two years with the Ravens, he totaled 88 tackles and two sacks. He played on defense and special teams.

One has to wonder if former Jacksonville Jaguars inside linebacker Joe Schobert may have become a Raven if he hadn’t just been traded to the Steelers last week.

Makes me like the trade all the more. Sorry for Fort. Showed some flashes here, was good to see him making progress.