Joe Schobert was caught off guard when Jacksonville Jaguars general manager Trent Baalke pulled him into his office Thursday evening and informed Schobert that he was no long a part of the Jacksonville organization.
Schobert had been traded to Pittsburgh. Just a sixth-round pick was coming back in return for the one-time Pro Bowler and mainstay in Jacksonville's defense last season. And, according to a report from Pro Football Talk, Jacksonville was retaining $3.65 million of Schobert's guaranteed $7 million salary.
Schobert claims the move was "out of the blue" and that there were no warning signs. Even his defensive coach were surprised by the decision.
"I wasn't sad, but it was kind of stressful, especially during the middle of training camp because you've got a wife, a kid, a dog and a house down in Jacksonville," Schobert said Sunday after going through his first practice in Pittsburgh. "We're going to have to figure out the logistics of moving them up… But I wouldn't say I was sad."
"It was just a shock to the system."
That's what the Steelers hope Schobert brings to them, a shock to their defensive system. And they clearly want that to happen right away, sending the 27-year-old out with Pittsburgh's first team defense at the very start of Sunday's training camp session at Heinz Field.
"We're just trying to teach as much as we can, and the best way to teach is to get him in competitive situations," Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said.
Schobert seemed to fit right in.
"He was out there making some calls," safety Terrell Edmunds said. "It seems like he pretty much knows part of the defense at least when he was out there with us today. He was out there running with us today."
Already making calls? On day one?
"All of those guys know what the communication is, so they can help me if I've got questions on the field, pre-snap," Schobert said, adding that fellow inside linebackers Devin Bush and Robert Spillane aided him in his acclimation Sunday.
"It was just jumping with both feet, right in. A lot of meetings yesterday and today to get the basic installs written down and put into my memory bank. Just have to get out here and start getting reps at it."
It may seem like a lot for a new guy, but the Steelers quite clearly have big plans for their new acquisition.
Schobert said that he has been told the plan is for him begin the regular season wearing the green communication dot on his helmet. That means that he would be making all of the calls on defense.
The first step is to get a handle on the playbook though, and that can happen at a different pace according to the player, according to Mike Tomlin.
"Usually guys that have played (more) football acclimate quickly," who referenced Joe Haden seamlessly joining the defense before the final preseason game in 2017. "Veteran players usually adjust and adapt very quickly."
Schobert himself wants to get the system down. Pronto.
"Hopefully by Saturday, the game (against Detroit), I'll be able to run the basic stuff pretty confidently. As the games go on and season progresses, I'll get more comfortable.
"I don't know many reps I'll get before it'll feel great and I'll be 100 percent comfortable making all of the calls and communicating with everyone on defense, but I think it'll be a pretty fluid process."
