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The Seattle Seahawks could end up seeing plenty of turnaround with their roster in the coming months.
The Seahawks missed out on playing playoff football this season following their 7-10 finish in regular season play. From the several underachievers on the offensive side of the ball to the multiple injuries on defense, the Seahawks simply did not have much to go their way over the course of the campaign.
Seahawks general manager John Schneider faces quite an uphill battle to retool the roster in the offseason considering that all three of the team’s NFC West rivals are slated to once again be serious contenders for a playoff spot next season. Schneider could opt to go all in to rejuvenate the roster or throw in the towel in an effort to look ahead to the 2023 NFL Draft.
Much talk regarding the Seahawks in the offseason will certainly center around whether quarterback Russell Wilson will return for the 2022 campaign. However, the Seahawks could also face a notable dilemma regarding one of their longtime talents on defense.
One player who could be a surprise roster cut for the Seahawks in the 2022 offseason
It certainly would have come as a shock in the NFL if the Seahawks had given any consideration to parting ways with veteran linebacker Bobby Wagner last year. Now, it sure would not come as a surprise if he has now already played in his final game with the Seahawks.
Overall, Wagner orchestrated another keen campaign for the Seahawks over the 2021 regular season. He featured in 16 games and logged 1,128 total snaps played, which ranked just behind free safety Quandre Diggs (1,228) for the most on defense.
Wagner was simply the do-it-all middle linebacker for Seattle in the season. He was the focal point of the Seahawks rush defense that finished the campaign with a 113.6 rushing yards allowed per game average. His sheer speed and agility factored into his career-high 170 total tackles.
Now-former Seahawks defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr. called upon Wagner in the pass defense on plenty of occasions in the season. Whether it was against tight ends or slot receivers, Wagner sure stepped up to the plate and accepted such tasks on a game-by-game basis. Overall, he did not have his most efficient year in the pass defense; he allowed an 81.6 percent completion percentage while in coverage to go along with a 97.9 passer rating.
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Wagner sure does have plenty left in the tank at this stage in his career, but his future in Seattle is quite uncertain due to the fact that he has a mere one more season remaining on his current contract deal with the team; he is set to hold a $20.3 million cap number for the 2022 campaign.
If it were up to Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll, Wagner would suit up for Seattle in Week 1 of the 2022 regular season.
“I would love Bobby to play here forever,” Carroll said during a press conference in early January. “He’s been as solid as you could ever want a player to be.
“We’ve kind of grown up as Seahawks together over the years here in this program over the years, and I’d love for him to be here. I don’t see why we would be thinking anything else.”
Ahead of the Seahawks’ regular season finale against the Arizona Cardinals, Wagner also shared these same sentiments, although he did note that he well recognizes the business side of the league.
“I don’t feel like this is my last time putting on a Seahawks uniform,” Wagner said. “I don’t feel like this is my last time doing that. I understand there is a business side to this, but there is a lot of optimism on my end that I’ll be back.
“So on my end, that’s where I’m at, that I’m a Seahawk until they tell me I’m not. So that’s my mindset. So I don’t see it as that was my last game or this next game could be my last game.”
The Seahawks will have a multitude of options on just how to handle this matter. If the Seahawks opt to cut or trade the veteran linebacker before June 1, they would carry over $3.75 million in dead cap space for next season but also save $16.6 million. However, it would seem unlikely that a team would consider trading for Wagner without him agreeing to a contract extension deal.
Regardless of what the final outcome will be, Wagner sure has already established his case to be the greatest defensive player to ever feature for the Seahawks in franchise history.
