Seattle’s defensive front-seven overhaul continued on Saturday, with the team bringing back former linebacker Bobby Wagner on a one-year deal.
A one-year contract for a 32-year old off-ball linebacker usually doesn’t move the needle much in the modern NFL. This is not your average off-ball linebacker, though. He has had worthy contenders like Luke Kuechly and Lavonte David, but Wagner is the heavyweight-champion for the post-Ray Lewis generation of linebackers.
Fans may have had their perception of Wagner tainted by the last time he was in a Seattle uniform – but his uncharacteristic off-year in 2021 isn’t an accurate reflection of what Wagner can do.
In his one year with the Rams Wagner proved that he can still be an extremely disruptive defender and play his position about as well as anybody in the league.
Moreover, while Wagner was down in LA the Seahawks completely fell apart at this position. Jordyn Brooks took over as the centerpiece for their defense but continued to struggle in coverage, a weakness that their more clever opponents exploited throughout the 2022 season.
With Brooks now nursing a late-season ACL tear, their need for an upgrade was even greater. There wasn’t a better one on the market – to say nothing of picking up an experienced, instinctive defender who already knows the way Pete Carroll’s staff does things.
What this means for Seattle’s 2023 NFL draft plans and the offseason after this one is anybody’s guess. For now the outlook for this upcoming season just got a whole lot better.
