49ers Reportedly Interested in Signing Bobby Wagner
Should the 49ers sign another All Pro linebacker to pair with Fred Warner?
The 49ers reportedly are interested in signing middle linebacker Bobby Wagner, who got released by the Seattle Seahawks this week, according to the NFL Network.
Wagner is a six-time All Pro who has gone to eight consecutive Pro Bowls -- he's a future Hall of Famer, and he's still elite.
Which means he should be expensive. The Seahawks released him because they need to get younger, not because Wagner is washed up. He should be able to sign a lucrative two- or three-year deal on the open market.
Should the 49ers give him that multi-year deal?
Pairing him with Warner would give the 49ers the best linebacker tandem in the NFL, but also the most expensive one. Do the 49ers really need an expensive linebacker who will turn 32 in July?
Don't the 49ers have bigger needs elsewhere? They already have arguably the best middle linebacker in the NFL -- Warner. But they don't have anyone near Warner's caliber in the secondary. Wouldn't signing a No. 1 cornerback be a better use of the 49ers' cap space?
And don't Wagner and Warner play the same position? They're both middle linebackers. One would have to change positions.
And isn't Wagner starting to decline? He's still a monster against the run, but he's vulnerable in coverage, as the 49ers have shown numerous times. Last season, Wagner gave up a completion percentage of 81.6 and a passer rating of 97.9. Not great.
I'm guessing the 49ers' interest in Wagner is solely to pump up his price tag, so a team such as the Rams won't get him for cheap.
The 49ers can't seriously be considering spending another hefty price tag on a linebacker, can they?
