Bobby Wagner Released

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I'm a little worried about how much is left in the tank but if they add him at a low rate it's all good. And I'm sure he'll play like he's 5 years younger vs Seattle. Plus we can laugh at the Seattle tears because they're gonna fucking HATE it if it happens. :laugh4:
5 Milly from the Rams and another 5 Mill from the Missouri Rams contingent should get this deal done!
 

Elmgrovegnome

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Yea I know but way less than what Gilmore or someone in that talent pool would want will want. Obviously I'd want Gilmore or Howard.

I'd also look at Callahan or Fuller I believe both available but then you looking at 2 more comp picks if it was clowney and one of those two.
I’m not so sure Gilmore gets more than a one year deal. Age and injury play a part. Also consider that he knows McDaniel who is the new coach of the Raiders. The Raiders have a need at corner. Seems like an obvious fit. So why didn’t it happen yet? I think nobody is banging down his door. Maybe he’s in negotiations with a few teams and waiting on the best fit. Gilmore is friends with Ramsey, and the Rams would be a nice team to try to play with his friend and get another ring in LA to boot.

I’m not giving up on Gilmore until I see he signed elsewhere.
Another thing to think about with spending on Wagner vs a top Edge still available...Ernest Jones rushed the passer surprisingly well last year and should only be better this year. If we sign Wagz we will want both him and Jones on the field together A LOT which will require Raheem to tweak our scheme a bit. But I wouldn't be surprised in sub packages if we put in Ernest Jones at OLB to solely rush the passer. Or line him up at ILB and ask him to blitz a lot on known passing downs. Maybe if we implement something like that not singing a top edge will be less noticeable. IDK but just a thought because I liked the way Jones rushed the passer when he was asked to blitz.
I mentioned scheme fit too. If they sign Wagner then it won’t be exactly what we’ve seen in the last few years. They almost have to play Wagner and Jones together in a straight 3/4 alignment. It would really help to shut down the running teams. But they’d have to get another experienced Corner to help with the lack of extra people in the defensive backfield.
Rappaport: ILB Wagner visiting the Rams.

His 2nd best season was 2021?


NFL Free Agent ILB: Bobby Wagner (former team) Seattle Seahawks: Born Jun 27, 1990 (age 31)

(Turns 32 years old on Jun 27, 2022.)

I wasn't that excited about Wagner possibly coming to the Rams when the free agency period started.

I was willing to welcome him but didn't realize he how productive he's been over the last few seasons.

I thought Wagner was still a good player but not at the level his statistics show over the last 3 seasons.

I honestly had no idea Wagner's 2nd best season of his 10 year NFL career was in 2021.


2021 Seattle Seahawks 16 games 155 tackles #2
2020 Seattle Seahawks 16 games 136 tackles #4
2019 Seattle Seahawks 16 games 144 tackles #3
2018 Seattle Seahawks 15 games 126 tackles
2017 Seattle Seahawks 16 games 124 tackles

2016 Seattle Seahawks 16 games 164 tackles #1
2015 Seattle Seahawks 15 games 111 tackles
2014 Seattle Seahawks 11 games 97 tackles
2013 Seattle Seahawks 14 games 111 tackles
2012 Seattle Seahawks 16 games 130 tackles #5

Wagner has produced at least 111 tackles or more over his last 7 seasons.

This is quite impressive for a 10 year veteran inside linebacker.



il_794xN.2354695682_9s30.jpg
I mentioned this before too. The Seahawks defense was on the field more in 2021 than more recent seasons. They didn’t have the ground control offense working so well, so they had more short drives or drives with big plays. Wagner was not nearly as good in coverage last year. He’s a bit slower. So maybe they put Jones over the strong side and Wagner over the weak side. He is still good against the run and brings leadership to the defense.
 

Elmgrovegnome

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I'm a little worried about how much is left in the tank but if they add him at a low rate it's all good. And I'm sure he'll play like he's 5 years younger vs Seattle. Plus we can laugh at the Seattle tears because they're gonna fucking HATE it if it happens. :laugh4:
Going from Pete’s staff to McVays would rejuvenate him imo. No drama with Russ who teammates felt mailed it in last year. No drama with Pete treating Russ like a Queen. Then a great training staff, an upbeat coaching staff, great teammates and playing behind the best defender in the business. I don’t think Wagner would lack for energy. He’d be high on adrenaline all season. Plus McVay rests his veterans often.
 

Merlin

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Going from Pete’s staff to McVays would rejuvenate him imo. No drama with Russ who teammates felt mailed it in last year. No drama with Pete treating Russ like a Queen. Then a great training staff, an upbeat coaching staff, great teammates and playing behind the best defender in the business. I don’t think Wagner would lack for energy. He’d be high on adrenaline all season. Plus McVay rests his veterans often.
Ok I'm sold.
 

OntarioRam

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I am not too sure how much Wagner has left in the tank. I worry if a lot of his appeal is simply name recognition. But I was also unsure about Miller for similar reasons. And Miller worked out great.

If Wagner does end up in Horns, I suspect he will excel here despite any of my doubts. Why? Because the Rams simply don't miss on pro level acquisitions. The Rams' pro scouting staff is simply unbelievable. In terms of identifying which players will fit into the scheme, the culture, and excel, the Rams are unmatched.

Von Miller. OBJ. Barron. Whitworth. Woods. Floyd. Fowler. Talib. Michel. Ramsey. Cooks. Watkins. Williams. Corbett. Gay. CJ Anderson. Stafford. Robey Coleman. The list goes on and on and on. We are talking 20+ players in short order. And I might have missed some! Almost every single outside pickup of note works. That is borderline incomprehensible. Some (many) of those players are/were home runs. Others are/were merely solid contributors. But to not have any busts... that defies NFL reality.

Marcus Peters is the only player from the McVay era that I might say flopped. But come playoff time during our run to the Super Bowl, he locked it down, so even that might not be fair.
 

Neil039

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Dang, I just can't leave them Hawks fans alone....I just spoke as if Bobby Wagner was a Ram, what it might mean vs their QB...lol

IyuDGMM.jpg
Are you back on their website? I like to read your comments and the angst that ensues
 

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Are you back on their website? I like to read your comments and the angst that ensues
Just one response so far....lol
 

PhillyRam

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I'm a little worried about how much is left in the tank but if they add him at a low rate it's all good. And I'm sure he'll play like he's 5 years younger vs Seattle. Plus we can laugh at the Seattle tears because they're gonna fucking HATE it if it happens. :laugh4:
You can also look at it as he was the focal point of the entire Seahawks defense. Here, he will be a key contributor, but the focus is on Donald & Ramsey, and even Floyd to some extent. He can just do his job, add leadership to the LB corp, and just hit people.
 

PhillyRam

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BTW, if they add Wagner, then I don't see a pick being used at ILB at all in this draft.

And if they don't get an edge rusher in FA, then I could see this being the year they package picks and move up for a pass rusher earlier in round 3.

Package 104 and a 5th & 6th to get up into the low 70's if an edge guy falls that they really like.
 

LA_Rams_#29

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One area that the Rams are ahead of many front offices in is contingency plans. In losing out on Miller, they didn't just try to go sign any old pass rusher off the street (many of which, who remain, wouldn't be a good fit at OLB as they're strictly 4-3 ends) but focused more on how do we make the whole team better and not just band aid a position.

Que bringing in Robinson and shopping Woods.

And now we have Wagner who is arguably a better upgrade to the entire defense than any mediocre and non-scheme fit OLB we could bring in. He still offers good coverage ability, strong tackling and BLITZ ability (imagine a LB who blitzes better than Troy Reeder and can also play LB!!!). Bringing him in may lead us to play more 2 LB schemes as opposed to 3 safety schemes as his ability in almost all areas is better than what bringing in one of our 3rd safeties can offer.

Is he as good a net positive as Miller? No. But he'll offer greater help to the defense overall than any other position besides corner (which they Rams will address) right now.

Rams will pivot, defense will pivot. I think it could work out great for 1-2 years.

Using more 2 ilb sets is a good thing
 

Kupped

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Wagner, at a bargain, would be fine.
I don’t know how much he improves the D, overall.. but I like the idea of having him for the 9ers games.
 

André

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My ADHD brain is having trouble waiting for this one. I went to bed, and woke up clearly assuming this would be a done deal by now.
 

ottoman89

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My ADHD brain is having trouble waiting for this one. I went to bed, and woke up clearly assuming this would be a done deal by now.
I did too. Haha. Hopefully it doesn't slip away.
 

ottoman89

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I'm guessing the Rams have been in contact with him throughout Free Agency and they discussed stuff before he even arrived. So he, and the Rams has a general idea of what it'd take. And he arrived to straighten things out and sign.
 

dieterbrock

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Dude is a tackling machine. And just to play Seattle 2x per year makes this worth while. Cant see how they make the money work, but if they can it's gold
 

blackbart

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Really doubt that if he’s signed the Rams force him into a position he’s not comfortable with. Also highly unlikely the take playing time from Jones.

I expect it would be much like with Stafford where they use his experience to blend something new that we haven’t seen.

He didn’t line up in the middle of the field exclusively in Seattle and I expect he has the ability to move around.

Jones has shown very good coverage skills so I really think he will still be a 3 down guy. Maybe Wagner moves outside in some passing downs.

Should be fun to watch.