Bobby Wagner spent ten seasons in Seattle as the Seahawks starting middle linebacker, but he’s now entering season number eleven with a change of scenery, with the Los Angeles Rams. Yes, that’s right the same division rival and reigning Super Bowl 55 champion Rams! Once upon a time, this was unfathomable, but now it’s a reality, and here is what it means for everyone involved. Let’s look at what can be expected from Wagner in 2022 and beyond.
Reflecting on the Past
Bobby Wagner played ten seasons with the Seattle Seahawks where he was an eight-time Pro-Bowler and nine-time All-Pro. He has had at least 100+ tackles every season, leading the NFL twice in 2016 (167) and 2019 (159). Wagner is currently the active all-time leader in tackles (1383) and resides 17th in NFL history. He has been as reliable as any player in the league and has made 150 career starts and missed just nine career games. Not bad for a player who has logged nearly 10K career snaps (9618). Wagner has five seasons of over 1K snaps including the past two, where he’s been over 1100. Just as important as his on-the-field play, his team leadership has been just as valuable if not more.
Stats Provided By: Pro Football Reference
Looking Ahead to the Future
Wagner made a change of scenery as he moved 21 hours down the I-5 corridor to his new home in Los Angeles. Last year the Rams won the Super Bowl but it wasn’t due to the superb play they got from the linebacker positions. In fact, four of their top six tacklers were defensive backs Jordan Fuller (113), Taylor Rapp (94), Jalen Ramsey (77), and Darious Williams (71). The other two were defensive tackle Aaron Donald (84) and linebacker Troy Reeder (91). It’s not a good trend for your team if multiple safeties make the most stops. Over the past couple of seasons that has been the case, but with Wagner now in town, that will change quickly.
Wagner will instantly give the Rams a significant upgrade at linebacker, with both his dependability and production. He should become the leading tackler easily, as he will swallow up tackles as he’s always done. In each of the past six seasons, Wagner has produced at least 130+ tackles. Over that same span, the Rams have had only two players reach that mark. This Rams team is loaded with talent and could possibly be the best team that Wagner has played with. This is a win for both Wagner and the Rams. They get a legit playmaker at linebacker and he gets a legit shot at another ring.
Fantasy Outlook
Wagner has been a hot topic of discussion for fantasy managers as of late and they have many questions. There are three main reasons a player continues to play when they have accomplished what Wagner has, love of the game, money, and championships. Wagner has all three! For me that says that he still has the love for the game and wanted another championship, but knew that wasn’t likely to happen in Seattle again. These days playing your entire career with one team is a rarity nowadays, so players that have played a long time are making the decision to go play with a team that gives them the best chance to win. The Rams give Wagner just that and everyone will reap the benefits from it. So now to answer the questions of fantasy managers.
What can be expected of Wagner going forward? You can expect the same elite play from Wagner that he’s always produced, but the more important question is for how long? As I mentioned above he’s accomplished everything he possibly can, but clearly, he’s still motivated to continue playing. So as long as he’s motivated you can count on him to produce. In redraft leagues he an elite option and there is no concern whatsoever. In these types of year-to-year leagues, there’s minimal risk with Wagner and you should continue to draft him as one of the top IDPs until you see that major drop-off or he retires.
In dynasty leagues, the outlook on Wagner's fantasy value is a lot hazier. The two big questions that loom are as I just said above, production drop-off or retirement. With how Wagner has been playing, retirement scares me more than the production drop-off. Does a possible 2nd ring make it enough for him to call it quits or does he continue to play until he feels he’s not producing at his expectations anymore? Only he knows that answer so we fantasy managers are at his mercy. So how would I handle having Wagner on my roster?
So here goes! If you have him rostered and you are a contender, you riding the wave until it crashes, as you’re unlikely to get what his true value is. Unless your team is set at LB where you can afford to trade him and you can find a desperate enough trade partner to give you what you want, you keep Wagner. If you do fund that trade partner, make sure you’re set and get the most you possibly can. Realistically Wagner (32) has a good two to three years left before I worry about the drop-off in his production. It’s a gamble in dynasty but with his fantasy output, I’m willing to take that chance.
Thanks for reading my article. I am a member of the FSWA (Fantasy Sports Writers of America). Follow me on Twitter at @HollywoodTitan, on Facebook on my IDPNation page, on Reddit in the fantasy football IDP sub — I’m user KingTitan1 — and tune in each week and listen to IDP Nation and Devy IDP Grind, the podcasts that I co-host, on several different platforms. Feel free to email or dm me with any questions that you have, as I’m always glad to help fellow IDPers. #IDPNation #IDP #IDPDevy.
