Seahawks Open 'Awesome' Contract Talks With Bobby Wagner On Potential Return
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At the annual NFL Scouting Combine, Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider and coach Pete Carroll weren't able to comment on the possibility of reuniting with one of the best players in franchise history.
But one week later, lines of communication with perennial All-Pro linebacker Bobby Wagner have officially opened up heading towards free agency.
Speaking with Bob Stelton and Dave Wyman on his weekly radio show on Seattle Sports 710, Schneider acknowledged he and Carroll recently spoke with Wagner. The future Hall of Famer has been granted permission to talk to other teams from the Rams, who will release him in a cap savings maneuver when the new league year starts on March 15.
“We’ve been able to talk to Bobby now and address some of those things, so it’s worked out great,” Schneider said. “We’re gonna be in communication as we go along throughout free agency now.”
One year ago from Wednesday, the Seahawks not only traded quarterback Russell Wilson to the Broncos in a blockbuster deal for a king's ransom of draft picks. Capping off the most shocking day in team history, they also jettisoned Wagner hours later, releasing him to create much-needed cap space to help offset a $26 million dead cap hit resulting from Wilson's departure.
While Wilson won't be coming back to the Seahawks anytime soon with Geno Smith thriving under center and signing a three-year extension worth up to $105 million earlier this week, Wagner remains one of the NFL's premier linebackers and sounds interested in finishing his career where it started. With Jordyn Brooks recovering from a torn ACL and Cody Barton slated to be a free agent, the team has major question marks short and long-term at the position, creating an interesting fit for both parties.
Showing no signs of decline, Wagner earned Second-Team All-Pro as a bright spot in an otherwise dreadful season for the Rams, racking up 140 tackles, a career-high 6.0 sacks, and two interceptions. He also didn't allow a touchdown in coverage, bouncing back from a difficult season by his standards in that department in his final year in Seattle.
Playing as well as he did a year ago, Wagner may be too expensive for the Seahawks to reel back in. But with his 33rd birthday approaching, he may be willing to come home for less to play for a budding contender at the end of his career, and finances certainly will be an important part of the equation.
“We had a great, awesome, frank conversation, so he knows where we are, and we know where he’s at," Schneider added. "We have so much respect for him personally and professionally, so we were able to talk through some things and yeah, we know where it’s going.”
As Schneider elaborated, as an NFL general manager responsible for building the best team possible, he can't allow sentimentality to guide his decision making process regardless of who the player is. While Wagner clearly can still play at a high level after 11 NFL seasons and it's "flattering" when former players want to come back, he has to evaluate other players available at linebacker to ensure the Seahawks do what it best for the team and within financial means.
In the past, Seattle has welcomed back running back Marshawn Lynch and Richard Sherman with open arms after ugly exits. But only Lynch donned a uniform again and as evidenced last season with linebacker K.J. Wright retiring when the team didn't re-sign him to play, Schneider has been able to separate emotions from the business side of roster building.
Making matters potentially more challenging in this instance, Wagner represents himself, which can make negotiations trickier than if there is an agent to serve as a middle man. At the time of his release, that complication led to poor communication between the two sides and Wagner aired his grievances over social media.
“When you really care about somebody like that, like we do with with Russell [Wilson] and [Richard] Sherman and Bobby, no matter what, you’re gonna get into uncomfortable conversations,” Schneider explained. “If there’s a buffer there, that’s great, and I personally think it helps. Bobby may disagree with me, but I think that no matter what, you’re gonna get into awkward situations. Personally, I pride myself on the relationship I have with the players in trying to be as straightforward with them as I possibly can to help them and to protect the organization, and sometimes that communication is hard.”
Though Schneider won't re-sign Wagner simply for nostalgic reasons, the fact he and Carroll have already had discussions in earnest with the veteran suggests that both sides have at least mild interest in a reunion. Talent wise, there's little doubt he could come in and immediately bolster the middle of Seattle's defense while Brooks wraps up his recovery and the two could once again team up down the line to form an exciting tandem.
Away from still being a tackling machine, Wagner's veteran presence as a leader on the field and in the locker room would also be highly beneficial for a defense that will likely feature several rookie and second-year players next season.
Hinting the two sides will stay in touch once free agency opens next Wednesday, it will be interesting to see if those talks ultimately result in getting the band back together and No. 54 returning to his old stomping grounds. Until then, let the speculation commence.
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