LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Rams agreed to terms with six-time All-Pro inside linebacker Bobby Wagner, demonstrating once again they will not shy from acquiring proven star players.
Three takeaways on what the acquisition means for the Rams:
—All-Pro talent at all three levels of the defense
The Rams already were envied by other NFL teams because three-time defensive player of the year Aaron Donald anchors the defensive line and three-time All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey leads the secondary.
Enter Wagner, who has been voted to the Pro Bowl in eight consecutive seasons.
At 31, Wagner probably is not the same player physically that he was in 2013 when the Seattle Seahawks won a Super Bowl, and in 2014 when they narrowly missed winning another.
Last season, Wagner amassed 170 tackles in 16 games, but lacked some of the splash plays that defined him earlier in his career.
Regardless, the Rams now have a proven talent to mentor second-year linebacker Ernest Jones.
—Von Miller-type leadership
There’s a reason the Buffalo Bills guaranteed Miller more than $50 million to lure him away from a return to the Rams.
They wanted him because he showed he could close games by pressuring quarterbacks, something that might have come in handy against, say, Patrick Mahomes in the AFC divisional playoff round. But Miller also had provided the Rams with veteran savvy and Super Bowl experience.
As an inside linebacker, Wagner will not have the pass-rushing presence that Miller provided the Rams. Few NFL players, however, are as universally respected as the ultra-tough Wagner.
Remember how the Tennessee Titans, San Francisco 49ers and Green Bay Packers ran right at — and sometimes through — the Rams?
That’s probably not happening with Wagner manning the middle.
—Another homecoming for a Southern California high school star
Wagner played at Ontario Colony High before starring at Utah State and becoming a second-round draft pick for the Seahawks in 2012.
Now he gets a chance, twice a season, to show the Seahawks they erred by releasing him.
Wagner’s return is expected to evolve much more smoothly than DeSean Jackson’s did last season.
Jackson, the former Long Beach Poly High star, quickly became unhappy with his limited role in the receiver corps. He was released at midseason after the Rams found no trade takers.
Wagner should enjoy a much longer tenure with the Rams.
