Dan Quinn is clearly going to have to fight off an old friend if he wants Bobby Wagner to stay with the Commanders
The Washington Commanders have 28 unrestricted free agents to weed through in the coming weeks and one of their top priorities will undoubtedly be Bobby Wagner. Not only did the future Hall of Famer have a solid first year in Washington, he was a central figure in helping Dan Quinn build and establish the team's locker […]
The Washington Commanders have 28 unrestricted free agents to weed through in the coming weeks and one of their top priorities will undoubtedly be Bobby Wagner.
Not only did the future Hall of Famer have a solid first year in Washington, he was a central figure in helping Dan Quinn build and establish the team's locker room culture that sparked last year's incredible run.
Many around the league noticed what Wagner did, especially his former coach and Quinn's former boss, Pete Carroll.
"I thought it was a remarkable season that he had, in many ways," Carroll told reporters Tuesday at the NFL Combine. "I know he was a great asset to Dan, putting together the system and the approach and the principles and stuff. We all kind of grew up in Seattle the same way. The message and the voice that Bobby had on that club and particularly with the quarterback – it was irreplaceable for the men.
"And I know Bobby's a free agent."
Carroll definitely got excited at the idea of Wagner as a free agent, as you can see below and it makes sense: Wagner can come to Las Vegas and help him just like he helped Quinn in Washington.
Think about it: Carroll, like Quinn, is an experienced head coach looking to instill his own system and culture in Vegas. He's trying to turn around a roster and a franchise that doesn't know how to win and he needs established guys who can help mold that both on the field and off. Wagner can still provide quality snaps on a consistent basis and is essentially a coach on the field. There's plenty of value that comes with him being on a roster.
Enter Wagner and as it just so happens to be, Raiders starting middle linebacker Robert Spillane is set to become a free agent. In other words, the Raiders have a need at the position.
And, of course, the Raiders have plenty of cap space to work with. It's not like Wagner is going to command a ton of money, either.
There's still plenty of road left to travel, but the Commanders need to be ready for a challenge when it comes to retaining Wagner this offseason.
