In the midst of all the moves that are taking place in reference to the new year of the league that will begin in just a few weeks, there is one in particular that could attract wide attention for the Cowboys. It is already known thanks to various sources that the Rams are not going to have linebacker Bobby Wagner for next season. Therefore, it is expected that both parties end their relationship amicably or that, failing that, the NFC West franchise seeks to make a trade for the defender.
Rams and nine-time All-Pro LB Bobby Wagner mutually agreed Thursday to part ways, sources tells ESPN.
Rams needs more cap space and Wagner wants to win. He will now be a notable part of this year’s free-agent class. pic.twitter.com/1A3KvudOhj
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 23, 2023
And while the news is already out, Wagner’s actual release won’t be officially released until the league’s new year begins in March. Consequently, the player will not be able to meet with other NFL organizations for another two weeks. And as already mentioned, there could be the possibility of making a trade for the LB. In this way, any other franchise could take Wagner’s contract. Which ended up being five seasons for a total of 65 million dollars.
As far as Dallas is concerned, it is well known that part of the organization’s philosophy is not to spend a lot of money on items outside of the house. And while it is true that Bobby has a very good relationship with Dan Quinn because of his time with the Seahawks, last offseason nothing could be achieved largely because of money. All this despite the fact that both the coordinator and the player met to see if something could eventually be finalized.
Of course, things may be a little different this off-season. One of the big things the front offices had to deal with at linebacker was Jaylon Smith’s dead money. His $6.8 million dead money charge represented a higher salary than anyone else at the position in Dallas in 2022. Either way, he’s already off the financial books for this year. So it wouldn’t hurt to consider that Dallas could make some sort of move for Wagner.
Money was a factor cited in the Cowboys not signing Bobby Wagner last year. While it could be again, the linebacker who counted most against their salary cap last season was Jaylon Smith ($6.8M in dead money from 2021 release). Smith is off the books in 2023. That helps.
— Michael Gehlken (@GehlkenNFL) February 23, 2023
Likewise, we must not leave aside the actuality of the position at this moment. Leighton Vander Esch, Anthony Barr and Luke Gifford will become free agents on March 15. While only Micah Parsons, Jabril Cox and Damone Clark will be officially back. However, it cannot be overlooked that Parsons during his two seasons with Dallas has been used more often as a defensive end than as a LB. So that’s another thing to consider for the next few months.
In addition, in the offices they know perfectly well that they are going to need elements that help with the defense of the rival run game. Wagner fits perfectly with this task, since despite the fact that he will turn 33 in June, he continued to demonstrate his great level with the Rams. For last season, he finished with 140 combined tackles, six quarterback sacks, five pass defenses and two interceptions. Considering the Rams’ season ended with a losing 5-12 record, Bobby remained one of the elite defensive players in the organization. So consequently, many NFL franchises are going to be interested in taking over his services.
THAT’S LA RAM BOBBY WAGNER. ????
4️⃣5️⃣ @Bwagz | ???? @SNFonNBC pic.twitter.com/NDjIqbNUe3
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) September 9, 2022
Of course, in the offices they would have to evaluate a lot of details before reaching a final decision. Still, if there’s a chance to bring Wagner to the Lone Star team, it’s something that shouldn’t be wasted. We’ll see what happens, there are still a few weeks to determine everything that can happen. Of course, to make the move he will have to be quick to get ahead of the rest of the franchises in the league.
