Rams releasing Bobby Wagner

[WarHawks]

If there are some bitter feelings, I hope both sides can take one for the team. We don't even know if Bobby wants to come back, but the consensus here is obviously quite positive. He could be such a great mentor here, even if he didn't play full time.

 

[QWERTY]

Bobby is only good at Run D and blitzing. As for covering RB/TE he can’t cover for his life. He lost a lot of speed

 

[Hockey Guy]

I get the sentiment to bring him back but is he a fit for our new 3-4 defense?

I'm sure he's be better than what we currently have, & could adapt, but our real need is some big boys up front that can cause havoc & keep blockers off our LB's so they can do their jobs. I have a feeling Bobby wouldn't look all that great having to deal with 300+ pound OLineman every play.

I suppose if we can fix the defensive front it would then make sense to bring him back at a decent price but we may need to find/draft the next Bobby Wagner rather then pay the current one.

 

[Aircrew]

Sure one of the best to ever play the position has dropped a bit with age but he’s still better than the majority of NFL LBs who started last season, including ours. Wven if we say he’s lost a step, he more than makes up for it with his intelligence at the position and the way he makes players around him better.

I don't disagree, he would make the LB crew a better unit, that's not even up for debate, imo. The issue is his salary/contract. Pete and John cut Bobby because he wasn't producing at a 10 million per year level anymore. So, if it were to work coming back to Seattle, Bobby would have to take an extremely team friendly deal, which he won't do and I wouldn't either.

 

[JPatera76]

Bobby is only good at Run D and blitzing. As for covering RB/TE he can’t cover for his life. He lost a lot of speed

This is insanely shortsighted to say lol. Remember last yr when Seattle play the rams? BOBBY was in on every play.. even for what. Stripped fumble from Dallas.. as for covering the RB/TE dude.. that’s wasn’t even his assignment why would he? Lol m
Dude still better than every damn LB currently playing younger than him.

 

[Seahawkfan80]

A defensive quarterback that can organize the players in positions they need to be to succeed. I could see him back here.

 

[LickMyNuts]

He’ll be signing with a SB contender.

 

[Donn2390]

He’ll be signing with a SB contender.

So you agree that Bobby will probably be signing with the Hawks?

 

[LickMyNuts]

So you agree that Bobby will probably be signing with the Hawks?

Maybe. We won’t be going anywhere if the defense isn’t fixed. A 32 year old middle linebacker probably isn’t going to do it.

But we all love BW regardless where he ends up. I hope he signs a one day contract with us and retires with his health intact.

 

[Appyhawk]

Agree 100%! We obviously lacked talent on the defensive side of the ball last year. But what everyone fails to mention is that besides the lack of physical talent, we had zero leadership on defense. There was no one to hold the others accountable. They looked completely lost at times, and we all saw it. I also too often saw players just going through the motions.

We need Bobby or someone like him to bring some much-needed leadership and accountability back to this defense. We also need his intensity and will to win attitude, something else that was clearly lacking on the defensive side of the ball last year.

Bring him home where he belongs! I don't care that he's lost a step. The intangibles will more than make up for that, and we have major holes at ILB. He's one of the most loved and respected players in franchise history, and he will make the entire team better because everyone in that locker room will follow his lead.

As long as he's willing to accept a reasonable deal given his age and mileage, this seems like a no-brainer.

Agree, and when he's done playing we can sign him up as our LB coach, for a start to a coaching career.

 

[flv2]

The Seahawks cut Wagner because he was due $16.6M, which the team didn't think he was worth. The Rams signed him to $10M per year + $2M in incentives for 90% of snap, top 27 defense, and making the playoffs. After 1 season the Rams were willing to let him go. It all comes down to cost. Good player, but not worth $8M+ at this point.

 

[sutz]

The Seahawks cut Wagner because he was due $16.6M, which the team didn't think he was worth. The Rams signed him to $10M per year + $2M in incentives for 90% of snap, top 27 defense, and making the playoffs. After 1 season the Rams were willing to let him go. It all comes down to cost. Good player, but not worth $8M+ at this point.

I'd argue that we could afford him at $8 mill + on a short term deal. YMMV.

 

[Chapow]

As much as I would love to see Bobby back in a Seahawks uniform (where he belongs, imo), I can't help but wonder if it would be better for the future of the team to give those snaps that Bobby would be getting to a younger guy that might be the future at the position.

 

[QWERTY]

This is insanely shortsighted to say lol. Remember last yr when Seattle play the rams? BOBBY was in on every play.. even for what. Stripped fumble from Dallas.. as for covering the RB/TE dude.. that’s wasn’t even his assignment why would he? Lol m
Dude still better than every damn LB currently playing younger than him.

Look at his highlights video on Youtube. I didn't create the video but there were less plays of him in covering.

Bobby Wagner | Los Angeles Rams LB | NFL and PFF stats | PFF

NFL and PFF player stats for Los Angeles Rams LB Bobby Wagner on Pro Football Focus.

www.pff.com

If you don't believe PFF it says 91.1 Run 77.9 in coverage.

 

[kidhawk]

I don't disagree, he would make the LB crew a better unit, that's not even up for debate, imo. The issue is his salary/contract. Pete and John cut Bobby because he wasn't producing at a 10 million per year level anymore. So, if it were to work coming back to Seattle, Bobby would have to take an extremely team friendly deal, which he won't do and I wouldn't either.

Bobby wasn't making $10 million here, he had made over $13 million in 2021 and was due a raise to over $16 million in 2022. I'm not sure what the thinking was other than they didn't want to pay him that money. According to Bobby, Pete and John didn't even tell him before they cut him, so it doesn't sound like they tried to rework the contract at a lower value. He ended up signing with the Rams at a lower rate of pay. In fact, his salary for 2022 was about $6.5 million (which included a $5 million signing bonus). That's almost $10 million less than we were paying him.

Now, I have heard that he has guarantees that make the contract pay out at least $20 million but I can't find exactly how those guarantees are written, so I'm not sure how that's set up. If it's true, the rams would still owe him substantial cash.

With all that said, he has said he wants to play for a winner. Does he consider that us? Are the wounds still too fresh? I somehow doubt he'll see us as a team that is ready to win now, so he'll probably end up in KC or someplace similar and look for that second ring. That doesn't mean he wouldn't be a good fit here though, and I believe he would be, I just doubt it will happen.

 

[Hockey Guy]

Bobby wasn't making $10 million here, he had made over $13 million in 2021 and was due a raise to over $16 million in 2022. I'm not sure what the thinking was other than they didn't want to pay him that money. According to Bobby, Pete and John didn't even tell him before they cut him, so it doesn't sound like they tried to rework the contract at a lower value. He ended up signing with the Rams at a lower rate of pay. In fact, his salary for 2022 was about $6.5 million (which included a $5 million signing bonus). That's almost $10 million less than we were paying him.

Now, I have heard that he has guarantees that make the contract pay out at least $20 million but I can't find exactly how those guarantees are written, so I'm not sure how that's set up. If it's true, the rams would still owe him substantial cash.

With all that said, he has said he wants to play for a winner. Does he consider that us? Are the wounds still too fresh? I somehow doubt he'll see us as a team that is ready to win now, so he'll probably end up in KC or someplace similar and look for that second ring. That doesn't mean he wouldn't be a good fit here though, and I believe he would be, I just doubt it will happen.

Just FTR, Bobby walked back that story about learning about his release from the media & not being told by the team.

 

[RedAlice]

I expect him back too. Come on Bobby, come back home.

respect if he does that.

 

[RedAlice]

He was full on true and an amazing player the one year he was a Ram.

Respect for that man forever.

 

[RedAlice]

according to the tweets tho, he said he wants to win.

Now, are those his words? or those of people reporting about him?


Immediate winners can only be: Chiefs, Eagles, Bengals, Bills, Maybe Niners?

 

[Hawkinaz]

I haven't forgotten how much he dropped off his last season here, I'm not interested. But, if it were to happen, money would have to be VERY right for the team. Which he won't take, and I wouldn't necessarily blame him. The team and Bobby are better off going their own separate ways, imo.

Agree. IMO his season with the Rams was fueled by his feeling he had something to prove. Wish him luck and wouldn’t be against Wagner playing his last year for the Hawks at a greatly reduced salary he will probably get offer(s) which could be around $10 million APY