3 gifts that the Seattle Seahawks have given 12s in 2023
By Lee Vowell
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Gift No. 2 - Bringing back Bobby Wagner
Let's be real. In 2022 when Bobby Wagner was released by the the Seahawks, the organization did him wrong. He found out he had been released from a message, not from the team. At least general manager John Schneider and head coach Pete Carroll eventually admitted to their mess up. But Wagner was a future Hall of Famer before he initially left Seattle to sign with the Rams, and he is still playing like a Hall of Famer after the Seahawks re-signed him in 2023.
Does Bobby Wagner have issues in coverage? Sure. He always has had. But his deficiencies in that area might partly be to blame on the scheme as well. The reason I say that is that Wagner isn't the only linebacker with coverage concerns; they all do. Maybe the coaching telling Wagner to go back 8 yards and just stand there until the ball is thrown is the problem because that is what looks like happening with Wagner and fellow linebacker Jordyn Brooks.
But I digress. While Wagner might be iffy in coverage, he excels at everything else. Wagner is the second-highest-graded linebacker in terms of run defense this year, per PFF. He has missed only 4 of his 79 tackle attempts on runs. He also has a 10.6 percent stuff rate on runs, among the best in the league.
Who knows how much longer Bobby Wagner will be playing? While he is still performing at a high level, he is in his 12th year in the league. He is also signed through only this season with Seattle. Surely, the Seahawks would not let him leave again and play elsewhere. The hope is that he re-signs in Seattle for 2024 and eventually finishes his career in a Seahawks uniform.