For the final 30 days leading up to the start of Seattle Seahawks training camp, we will be counting down the 30 most important players on the roster heading into the 2019 season.
The Legion of Boom is no longer behind him. Stars Cliff Avril, Michael Bennett, Bruce Irvin and Frank Clark are no longer in front of him. And even though K.J. Wright is still beside him, there’s no doubt that Bobby Wagner will have to remain the best middle linebacker in the NFL for this defense to be above average in 2019.
Wagner is up to the task. The 29-year-old is coming off one of the best seasons of his career. He made his fifth consecutive Pro Bowl and was named an All-Pro for the third time in a row. He did not miss a tackle during the regular season, and only missed one all year – against Dallas in the playoffs.
Wagner’s ability to make plays in the run game and in coverage makes him the most complete linebacker in the game, and the Seahawks need him now more than ever.
Of course, the looming concern with Wagner at the moment is whether he will be in Seattle beyond the 2019 season. Entering the final year of his four-year, $43 million dollar extension, Wagner has made it exceptionally clear that he wants a new deal that eclipses every other linebacker in the game – a fitting ask for a player that is universally considered the best.
The Seahawks typically get contract extensions hammered out right around the start of training camp, so expect an announcement on Wagner’s extension soon.
Either way, expect Wagner to be the leader of Seattle’s defense this season.
