Bobby Wagner ‘at peace’ with decision to leave Seahawks for Rams
Throughout his 10-year career with the Seattle Seahawks, linebacker Bobby Wagner — who the team drafted No. 47 overall in 2012, teaming up with K.J. Wright, Earl Thomas and Richard Sherman, among others — was a lynchpin in the defense, and a vital centerpiece to Seattle’s “Legion of Boom” era.
Wagner tallied 1,383 combined tackles in his Seahawks career, leading the NFL in tackles in two seasons (167 – 2016; 159 – 2019). He added 68 tackles-for-loss, six forced fumbles, five fumble recoveries and 11 interceptions — earning first-team All-Pro six times, eight pro-bowl appearances and a Super Bowl title in 2013.
Wagner was released in March — plus a cold shoulder from the team — with one-year left on his deal for $16.6 million with a $20.4 million cap-hit. But he ultimately stayed in-division, signing with the defending-champion Los Angeles Rams at the end of March on a five-year, $50 million deal.
While hosting a Boys & Girls Club field day event Wednesday at Husky Stadium in Seattle, Wash., Wagner opened up about the decision on being cut and playing for his hometown team, the Rams.
“Obviously, there are still feelings there [about being released],” Wagner said, according to Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times. “But at the end of the day, I have a different perspective. I think my opinion on it would have been different if I ended up somewhere else. But to have the opportunity to go home and play not far from my family. Like I haven’t played this close to my family since high school [Colony High in Ontario, Calif.].
“I didn’t want to leave Seattle. But if I was going to leave Seattle, home was the next-best thing for me and so being able to be home, like I’m at peace with the situation. But still, any competitor is looking forward to going back to the place that you played that they felt like you didn’t have nothing left and proving them wrong.”
Find the full quotes here.
Wagner now joins a defense that ranked top-5 last year in DVOA (Defense-adjusted Value Over Average), a Football Outsiders statistic that analyzes the “entire season play-by-play, comparing success on each play to the league average based on a number of variables including down, distance, location on field, current score gap, quarter, and opponent quality,” per the website. They also ranked T-7 in yards per play allowed (5.2), T-10 in turnovers forced (25) and T-15 in scoring defense (21.9).
While the Rams defense lost key component, EDGE Von Miller, Bobby Wagner still bolsters the fearsome front-seven led by Leonard Floyd and Aaron Donald, arguably the best player in the league.
“I think that I’m in a better position to make plays and I think I’m going to have more opportunities to do some of the things that I was doing early on in my career,” Wagner said about what he could add to the Rams defense. “So, I think I’m going to surprise everybody but myself.”
Quote via Seattle Times
SUBSCRIBE to the Vendetta YouTube Channel!
SHOP for Vendetta Merch!
SUPPORT Vendetta on Patreon!
