Seahawks Free Agency: Will All-Pro LB Bobby Wagner Return For 13th Season?
On the heels of a disappointing 9-8 season that ended without a playoff berth and the departure of long-time coach Pete Carroll, the Seattle Seahawks have plenty of roster questions to address heading into a crucial offseason with a new regime in place.
When the new league year opens on March 13, Seattle will have 14 players scheduled to hit the market as unrestricted free agents. Four players will be restricted free agents and five will be exclusive rights free agents, while several other key veterans such as Pro Bowl safety Julian Love will be entering the final season of their respective deals ready to negotiate extensions.
Over the next several weeks, I will break down each and every one of the Seahawks' unrestricted free agents by revisiting their 2023 seasons, assessing why they should or should not be re-signed, breaking down an ideal contract, and making an early prediction on whether or not the player will return in 2024.
Following his 10th consecutive All-Pro selection in a triumphant return to Seattle, will the franchise re-sign future Hall of Famer Bobby Wagner for a 13th season?
Season in Review
Reuniting with Carroll after spending one season in Los Angeles, Wagner remarkably started all 17 games and played nearly 1,200 defensive snaps at 33 years of age, bringing back much-needed leadership on and off the field. Maximizing on those extensive snaps, he led the NFL with 183 combined tackles while tallying 11 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, and a fumble recovery, earning Second-Team All-Pro recognition for the third straight season and fourth time overall in his illustrious career. He also became the first Seahawk to win the Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award, demonstrating his excellence beyond his numbers between the lines.
Why Seattle Should Re-Sign Him
Moving into ageless wonder territory, Wagner showed he has plenty of tread left on his tires, becoming only the fourth player since tackles became an official statistic to eclipse 100 tackles in a season 12 times. While Seattle's struggles getting off the field and finishing dead last in time of possession contributed to his league-leading tackle totals, he wasn't racking up stops as empty calories either. Per Pro Football Focus, he posted an average depth of tackle versus the run of 2.6 yards, which ranked ninth out of 60 qualified linebackers. Further illustrating his consistency making tackles around the line of scrimmage, he ranked in the top seven in run stops and run stop percentage while only missing seven tackle attempts all season.
Still playing like a top-tier linebacker in his 12th season, Bobby Wagner made history extending his incredible streak of 100-plus tackle seasons in a strong return to the Seahawks.
Though he didn't quite match his career high in sacks from a season earlier with the Rams and wasn't sent after the quarterback quite as often in his return to the Seahawks, Wagner remained a prolific blitzer from his middle linebacker stead, finishing 15th out of 30 qualified defenders with 17 pressures and tying for seventh in sacks. Demonstrating elite efficiency on 81 pass rushing reps, his 17.3 percent win rate and 14.0 pass rush productivity rating each ranked seventh overall.
Why Seattle Should Let Him Walk
While Wagner remained a stout run defender and packed a mean punch as a blitzer, his skills as a coverage linebacker took another step backwards in 2023. Finishing with the 33rd best coverage grade out of 52 qualified linebackers, quarterbacks completed 81 percent of their pass attempts when targeting him for 515 yards, 10.5 yards per reception, and a pair of touchdowns with a 113.5 passer rating, the worst mark he has allowed in his career. Opponents frequently tested him with more athletic running backs and tight ends both vertically and horizontally, creating problems for the Seahawks when he was forced to cover in space.
Ideal Contract
One year, $7 million
Prediction
It's never an easy decision for a franchise to move on from an all-time great and ironically, the Seahawks may have a tougher time doing so with Wagner now than they did two years ago. Though he will be 34 years old in July, he silenced critics once again by turning in another outstanding season and stood out as an obvious bright spot for a defense that didn't come close to meeting expectations. Since he can still clearly play at a high level when deployed properly to maximize his remaining strengths, if the organization does turn the page again, it won't be a talent-based decision.
Without any linebackers with starting experience currently signed, Wagner returning shouldn't be ruled out, especially if Seattle can re-sign him on another team-friendly one-year deal. But after Mike Macdonald's defenses in Baltimore thrived with athletic defenders Roquan Smith and Patrick Queen in the middle, it's possible his current skill set may clash with what new head coach prefers at linebacker and the puzzle piece wouldn't fit. Ultimately, money and scheme will be the deciding factors on whether No. 54 returns and this choice could also ride on if Jordyn Brooks re-signs or Queen reunites with his coach in free agency.
Previous Seahawks Free Agency Previews
