After two years of experimenting, the Jaguars acknowledged on Thursday that playing Myles Jack at middle linebacker wasn't exactly his ideal position.
After finalizing former Cleveland Browns middle linebacker Joe Schobert's five year, $53.7 million free agent contract, Coach Doug Marrone said Jack is moving back to outside linebacker.
?This gives us the ability to move Myles to outside linebacker, which I feel is a more natural position for him,? Marrone said in a statement. ?Myles and I spoke about the change and he's excited.?
In 2017, Jack started training camp at middle linebacker but struggled to make plays that forced the Jaguars to scrap their plans. They switched Jack to strong-side linebacker and moved Paul Posluszny back to middle linebacker in their base defense.
When Posluszny announced his retirement in March 2018, Jack was handed back the starting middle linebacker job.
But Jack struggled the past two seasons getting off blocks and last season in particular he had problems stopping inside run plays and making the right reads.
It led to the Jaguars allowing 139.3 yards rushing per game in 2019, the fifth highest in the league. And they allowed 23 rushing touchdowns, the second-worst in the NFL to only the Carolina Panthers.
The Jaguars signed Jack to a four-year, $57 million contract extension before the start of the 2019 regular season. He finished the season with 66 tackles, his lowest total since his rookie season in 2016. Jack played only 11 games after going on season-ending injured reserve in December due to a knee injury.
Schobert, 26, has made more than 100 tackles per season since 2016. He led the Browns last season with 133 tackles, the fifth-most among middle linebackers in the league. He also made a career-high four interceptions and had nine pass breakups in 2019.
Schobert earned a Pro Bowl selection in 2017 after finishing tied for first with Buffalo's Preston Brown in the NFL with 144 tackles.
?We really feel great about the things Joe has been able to do and what he adds to our team," Marrone said. "He brings an ability to tackle and diagnose plays. He's a true middle linebacker and has played it at a high level. He's really going to help us, not only at the MIKE linebacker position, but he also helps us overall across our whole linebacking corps.?
