Lofa Tatupu: Seahawks LBs Bobby Wagner, K.J. Wright Have 'Several Good Years Ahead of Them'

Though Wagner and Wright will be on the wrong side of 30 years old by the time the 2020 NFL season kicks off, a former Seahawks great believes both players still have plenty of good football left in them.

Over the past two seasons, the Seahawks have used three draft picks on linebackers, including using their No. 27 overall selection in the first round of last week's NFL Draft on Texas Tech standout Jordyn Brooks.

With Brooks, Cody Barton, and Ben Burr-Kirven all being chosen in one calendar year, some wonder if the clock could be ticking on long-time starters Bobby Wagner and K.J. Wright. Though each player enjoyed a strong 2019 campaign, both will be on the wrong side of 30 when training camp opens, creating speculation about their futures.

But while he views Brooks and Barton as intriguing talents who could shine in Seattle for years to come, former All-Pro linebacker Lofa Tatupu believes it would be silly to write off Wagner or Wright just yet.

"I find it hard to have a problem with how Bobby Wagner and K.J. Wright take care of business," Tatupu smiled. "K.J. just coming off his best year statistically, actually - career highs in several categories - Bobby is the consummate pro and leader of that defense."

Last season, the Seahawks finished among the league's worst defensively in all facets of the game. They finished 26th in DVOA defending the run, 20th in EPA per play against the pass, and 31st overall in sack rate rushing opposing quarterbacks.

These struggles were apparent throughout the course of the season, but Tatupu doesn't think Wagner or Wright deserve to be blamed for the defense's poor performance. Collectively, he felt issues developing chemistry with several new players in the lineup and lack of depth hurt Seattle more than anything else.

"We lost some guys, which happens each year," Tatupu commented, citing defensive end Frank Clark as an example. "We added a stud in Jadeveon Clowney, but that time, that chemistry to get going up front [wasn't there]."

From a statistical standpoint, it's hard to argue with Tatupu. Without Wagner and Wright producing as they did playing in all 16 games, Seattle's defense might have been the worst in the entire NFC last year.

Wagner led the NFL with 159 tackles, produced 3.0 sacks, and passed Eugene Robinson as the franchise's all-time leader in the category, earning his fourth consecutive First-Team All-Pro selection and fifth overall. As for Wright, he registered a career-best 132 tackles, 11 pass deflections, and three interceptions, moving into sole possession of third place on the franchise tackles list.

In coverage, Wagner and Wright had their share of difficulties, each giving up over 600 receiving yards and completion percentages higher than 72 percent per Pro Football Focus. Wagner also uncharacteristically missed 10 tackles after only being credited with a single missed tackle in 2018, while Wright missed 11.

But schematically, both linebackers were put at a bit of a disadvantage in coverage with the Seahawks playing more than 50 percent of their defensive snaps in base defense. Without the pass rush finding any consistency and injuries hitting the defensive line and secondary hard, it made life tougher on them.

Even without Clowney currently under contract, Tatupu thinks Seattle has done a good job this offseason of adding pieces on defense, particularly along the defensive line. Bruce Irvin and Benson Mayowa were signed in free agency and Darrell Taylor and Alton Robinson were drafted in an effort to shore up the pass rush.

The secondary should also be improved, at least on paper, by the trade for former Redskins cornerback Quinton Dunbar and a full season with Quandre Diggs roaming center field at free safety. As Tatupu noted, this should only lessen the burden on Wagner and Wright, who carried the weight of the defense on their broad shoulders last season.

"Going into this season, I think we're going to be a lot deeper, so I have the upmost faith that K.J. and Bobby have several good years ahead of them, quality years."

If the pass rush comes to life and the secondary puts things together as envisioned, Tatupu has no doubt Wagner and Wright will continue to play at a high level as they consistently have throughout their careers. Though Brooks and Barton may be the future, the two mainstays aren't going anywhere and will remain critical to Seattle's chances of returning to the Super Bowl.