Seahawks LBs Training Camp Preview: Bold Predictions, Projected Depth Chart
RENTON, Wash. - Coming back to the VMAC after spending last season in Los Angeles, Bobby Wagner couldn't have been happier to be back in his No. 54 jersey at the Seattle Seahawks mandatory minicamp last month.
With several familiar faces such as safety Quandre Diggs to reunite with and a special culture in place under the direction of coach Pete Carroll, he felt right at home, eager to sport the green dot on his helmet in the center of the Seahawks defense once again. Off the field, he would embrace a mentorship role in the locker room, ready to provide support and advice for young players, even if he didn't plan to call them by name.
Despite only being gone for a year, however, much has changed since Wagner last donned navy and action green, starting with a retooled roster now completely devoid of members from Seattle's Super Bowl XLVIII squad. As one of the elder statesmen at 33 years old on a team full of young talent that wasn't here before the 2022 season, the future Hall of Fame linebacker admitted starting his second stint with the franchise without any of his former "Legion of Boom" teammates has been an adjustment for him.
"When you're sitting in the indoor [field], and you see all those names that were on the team and where it's at now, it definitely crosses your mind," Wagner told reporters after a minicamp session. "But you know, it's evolution. So I always felt like I was going to be, God willing, one of the ones that got to be around for a long time, so here we are."
Though the Seahawks certainly look a lot different than the team Wagner last played for two seasons ago, most notably with Geno Smith under center instead of Russell Wilson, the eight time All-Pro continues to defy Father Time as one of the best at his craft.
Playing for the division rival Rams, Wagner looked as good as ever in a homecoming of sorts near his hometown of Ontario, California, stuffing the stat sheet making impact plays in run defense, coverage, and blitzing the quarterback. Tallying 140 tackles, a career-high six sacks, 10 tackles for loss, and two interceptions, he garnered Second-Team All-Pro recognition from the Associated Press, standing out as a rare bright spot as the defending champs floundered to a five-win campaign.
After the cap-strapped Rams and Wagner agreed to part ways a few weeks before free agency, speculation quickly heated up about a reunion with the Seahawks, in part due to social media recruiting by Diggs and other players. But the fit looked perfect for several reasons, starting with how much the team's defense struggled stopping the run without the tackling machine in the middle.
While Jordyn Brooks performed well under the pressure of stepping into Wagner's stead and Cody Barton stepped up his play as the season progressed at the other linebacker spot, the Seahawks surrendered nearly 150 rushing yards per game, consistently getting gashed week in and week out. Ranking a dreadful 30th against the run, the abysmal results led to full scale changes along the defensive line as well as the desire to upgrade at linebacker.
Further magnifying the problem, Brooks crumpled to the turf trying to make a tackle along the sideline against the Jets on New Year's Day, suffering a season-ending torn ACL. He underwent surgery in late January, putting him up against the clock to be ready for the start of the 2023 season.
With Brooks facing a challenging recovery and Barton bolting for Washington in free agency, the need at linebacker went from dire to critical without a healthy proven starter on the roster. Even after signing former Steelers first-round pick Devin Bush early in free agency, rumors persisted about Wagner returning and much to the delight of Carroll and fans everywhere, the two sides eventually reached a one-year deal worth $7 million on March 25.
"It just feels so right," Carroll said of Wagner's return. "And it makes so much sense that we just didn't need to screw it up, we just need to do it right. So he's been great. He's so grateful to the area and to the franchise and his background history and to reconnect like he has, it's just been as good as we could have hoped for. And so he's done a really, really good job.”
Set to embark on his 12th NFL season, Seattle won't be looking for Wagner to turn back the clock and play like it is 2013 again. To take some of the pressure off of him, they will be counting on Brooks, who could be ready to return to action at some point during training camp, to round back into form quickly off a severe injury. Bush also provides invaluable starting experience and at only 24 years of age, he still has plenty of untapped potential as a high-ceiling insurance policy
But as he demonstrated last season, Wagner remains an incredibly productive all-around player who has been as consistent as any linebacker in NFL history, racking up 100 or more tackles every season he has been in the league. Maybe most importantly, his leadership and communication skills between the lines should have a positive impact on the entire defense.
As Diggs acknowledged, he had to take on a far more prominent leadership role for Seattle to try to fill the massive void left behind by Wagner's unexpected departure last season and he's relieved to have some of that burden taken off of his shoulders while adding another elite talent back into the mix.
"It's been dope. It's been dope for sure. I'm excited to have him back. Hopefully as an old man he can still make some plays out there," Diggs joked.
From a long-term perspective, the Seahawks have significant question marks at linebacker beyond this season. Along with Wagner being on a one-year deal, Brooks and Bush both are slated to become unrestricted free agents next March, leaving only former undrafted signees Jon Rhattigan and Vi Jones - who haven't started a single NFL game combined - under contract for 2024. All three of those players will have a lot on the line playing for their next deal this fall.
But in the short run, assuming Wagner picks up where he left off last year in Los Angeles and Brooks hits the ground running once he's cleared to return to the field, Seattle has assembled a strong linebacker corps blending experience and youth. Even from a depth perspective, Rhattigan will be more than a year removed from his own ACL injury and Jones has added 10 pounds of muscle to his frame, giving both of them a chance to carve out a roster spot.
Considering the alarming state of the position when the new league year opened in March, Wagner's return and taking a chance on Bush as a reclamation project couldn't have come at a better time. Now, the Seahawks will be banking on that the overhauled group proving to be superior to its predecessor and playing a vital role in the defense rebounding from a disappointing season.
Projected Depth Chart
Competition to Watch
Rhattigan vs. Jones: Wagner, Brooks, and Bush should all be safe on the roster, but with only a handful of spots up for grabs for core special teams players, Rhattigan and Jones likely will be battling for one backup role with the loser relegated to the practice squad.
Athletically, Jones has a significant advantage over Rhattigan, as he ran a blazing 4.52 40-yard dash and a sub-7.00 3-cone at an impressive pro day workout. Those traits helped him to make a strong first impression with the Seahawks last fall and ultimately dress for three games playing extensive special teams snaps. With extra muscle added to his lean frame this offseason, he has a chance to be a dark horse in the linebacker competition if he shows improved football savvy as an off-ball linebacker and does a better job working off of blocks in preseason games.
But while Jones remains a project, Rhattigan came into the NFL as a far more polished prospect after earning All-American honors at Army. Before tearing his ACL late in his rookie season, he had racked up 10 special teams tackles and recovered a fumble, emerging as one of the team's best performers on kick and punt coverage. The team also loved what they saw from him on defense in limited preseason action and his experience and understanding of the position puts a major feather in his cap going into his third season.
Wild Card
Bush: Once Brooks fully recovers from his knee injury, it's safe to assume the fourth-year defender will jump back into the starting lineup alongside Wagner. But if he isn't ready for the start of the regular season, Bush could make things interesting as an injury replacement if he can return to rookie form.
After the Steelers traded up to draft him 10th overall out of Michigan in 2019, Bush earned a Week 1 starting nod and turned in a strong season, surpassing 100 tackles with two interceptions and finishing in the top three in Defensive Rookie of the Year balloting. But only five games into his sophomore season, he suffered a season-ending torn ACL of his own and upon his return in 2021, he looked like a shell of his pre-injury self. Last season, the Steelers benched him in December, a clear sign that the organization was prepared to move on from him.
If there's reason to believe a simple change of scenery could get Bush back on track, he did produce at least 70 tackles each of the past two seasons and looked a bit more spry last season than 2021. Even if he isn't quite as fast as when he lit up the combine with a 4.43 40-yard dash, he still has enough speed to track down plays sideline to sideline and potentially round back into form as a cover linebacker, which would be a big win for the Seahawks and the player as he looks to recoup value before hitting free agency again next year.
Bold Predictions
1. Only eight months removed from surgery, Jordyn Brooks will start in Week 1 and eclipse 150 tackles for the third straight season.
Considering Brooks has been one of the NFL's leading tacklers two years running, racking up a bunch of stops wouldn't be a bold take under normal circumstances. But he injured his knee in Week 17, which normally results in missed time the following season, which would make the accomplishment far more remarkable.
Doing an excellent Adrian Peterson impersonation recovering from a significant knee injury, Brooks returns to action early in training camp and doesn't have any setbacks, allowing him to start next to Wagner right out of the gate. Though Bush rotates in for him during the first few weeks of the season, he settles back into full-time duty by Week 5 and starts racking up tackles in bunches, beating out his veteran counterpart for the team lead and re-establishing his value as one of the best free agents set to hit the market next spring.
2. All the way back from his own knee injury, Rhattigan beats out Nick Bellore to lead the Seahawks in special teams tackles.
As elaborated earlier, Rhattigan could have his hands full fending off Jones for one of the final roster spots in August. But with Seattle being far more comfortable with the prospect of him subbing in on defense if necessary, he sticks around and becomes the first player not named Bellore to lead the team in special teams tackles since 2020, providing himself with extra job security as he approaches restricted free agency next spring.
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