The Pittsburgh Steelers acquired Joe Schobert from the Jacksonville Jaguars in a Thursday night trade, a source confirmed to ESPN’s Michael DiRocco, filling a significant need at inside linebacker with a month until the season opener.
Terms of the trade, including the Steelers’ return package to the Jaguars, were not immediately disclosed.
The Steelers needed inside linebacker depth after the surprise retirement of veteran Vince Williams on the eve of training camp, leaving former top-10 pick Devin Bush, who tore his left ACL last season, and Robert Spillane as the starting inside linebackers. The rest of the group included Ulysees Gilbert III, safety-turned-linebacker Marcus Allen and 2021 fourth-round pick Buddy Johnson.
“We’ve got to see what’s going on there,” defensive coordinator Keith Butler said of the inside linebackers last week. “We’ve got to find out who’s going to be our best backups. Right now, that’s still in question, I think.”
Spillane proved to be a solid replacement for Bush last season, displaying his strength as a run-stopper. But the Steelers’ inside linebackers have shown a weakness in coverage throughout training camp, and Schobert is especially strong in coverage. His addition will allow the Steelers to rotate Spillane and Schobert to play alongside Bush.