Joe Schobert and Browns linebacking corps enter critical season with something to prove

BEREA, Ohio — Joe Schobert sees at least one advantage to having an NFL body that doesn’t look like it was sculpted by a DC Comics illustrator.

The lean 6-foot-1 linebacker and his wife often blend into public settings, he said, without many people suspecting he’s a pro athlete. It’s provided him cover to anonymously listen to and observe the growing excitement surrounding the upcoming Browns season.

Every time he gazes at a bank of big-screen televisions in a sports bar, at least one seems to be showing a story on his team. He’s overheard more than a few conversations at restaurant tables talking about the Browns.

Naturally, most of the chatter is about Baker Mayfield, Odell Beckham Jr. and the club’s potent attack. The constant focus on the offense is warranted and it doesn’t bother Schobert.

“That is the nature of things,” he said. “You have one of the best young quarterbacks in the league and one of the league’s best…