We heard at the end of March that linebacker Bobby Wagner and the Seahawks had started negotiations on a new contract. Wagner’s long-term future in Seattle was complicated by whether the team would have to commit significant cap room to Frank Clark, but now that Clark has been traded to Kansas City, the thought was that the Seahawks would shift their focus to getting a deal done with Wagner, who is eligible for free agency at the end of the 2019 season.
However, contrary to those earlier reports, Wagner himself says that he and the Seahawks have not yet started contract talks (Twitter link via Omar Ruiz of the NFL Network). There is still plenty of time to work something out, even if substantive discussions haven’t yet taken place, but if what Wagner is saying is true, that could mean that Seattle is not going to break its budget to keep Wagner in the fold.
After all, the Seahawks are now paying Russell Wilson at a historical rate, so GM John Schneider, who ended up with 11 picks in the 2019 draft when he was originally slated to have just four, needs to focus on acquiring as much cheap labor as possible. Paying a top-of-the-market price for a middle linebacker who turns 29 in June may not be the best allocation of resources, no matter how good that middle linebacker is.
And the free agent contract that C.J. Mosley recently signed with the Jets could have dashed Seattle’s hopes to keep Wagner. Mosley is now getting paid $17MM per year, and he is only two years younger than Wagner. Plus, Wagner is generally a better player, so it stands to reason that Wagner, who is handling the negotiations himself, would aim to match or exceed Mosley’s new pact.
If the Seahawks can keep Wagner for something that more closely resembles Luke Kuechly‘s $12.4MM-per-year deal, then perhaps the two sides can reach an accord. But if Wagner is determined to be paid Mosley money, then he could find himself on a new team in 2020.
Wagner told Ruiz, “I want to retire a Seahawk, but I understand it’s a business. I’m preparing like this is my last year as a Seahawk. If it is, I want to make sure I go out with a bang and make sure I give the city something to remember.”
Great player, the seahawks are gonna have to get lucky over next couple seasons that they draft picks will pan out
Brady said it best it’s a salary cap league you can’t take the most money and surround yourself with the best talent to win. Legit every other team is cursed with greedy players who screw over there team to make more money too only lose.
Brady also has the luxury of being married to Gisele who makes a lot of money on her own. I imagine that at least 90% of the other NFL players in the league don’t have a spouse who can make over a couple million dollars a year on their own. Also it takes two sides to make a deal…the team has to be willing to offer the contract. Since there’s almost no such thing as loyalty in the NFL (both from the player side and the team side) and the fact that the NFL is the only league where contracts usually aren’t fully guaranteed, players are going to seek as much money as they can. Us armchair GMs can complain how players don’t need this much money to live and should take a paycut but as long as NFL teams are willing to pay them that money, there’s little reason why the players shouldn’t take that money.
Yeah I fully support loyalty and think players should take discounts for their home teams absolutely. BUT, I think if any of us were in bobbys situation how can you stay loyal vs. may an extra say 10millon a year on the open market over day 4 years is an extra 40 million dollars for your family once you retire, and you simply can’t blame players for setting their families up for life over a couple years of being a good loyal guy.
What’s the point of a salary cap if players take a discount? The best 50 players could be on the same team if they all play for minimum, is that what you want to see?
If they are all on the Seahawks I would love to see the top 50 players on one team. Lol
Wagner is as important to this team as Wilson. Hopefully they can agree to a contract if not get a better trade deal than they did for Clark.
Wagner is my favorite player I want him to be here until he leaves the league on his own terms not like Kam.
As for this being the beginning of the end for Seattle last year was a rebuilding year for them and they made the playoffs. Seattle has the best coach/GM duo in the NFL. I trust them to put together a winning team. They had a great draft so not worried.
The point of the salary cap is to prevent exactly that. lol you think each franchise can dole out the same amount of money? Some teams would have a great advantage if they could pay everyone whatever they want.
The beginning of the end of the Seahawks. Well at this point maybe the acceleration toward the back half of the end