Defensive Notes

August 14, 2022

Bobby Wagner

Seattle's loss is the Rams' gain

I'm not sure if Seattle is tanking this season, going into the season (apparently) with just Geno Smith and Drew Lock at quarterback. But an argument can be made that Seattle is definitely focused on the future rather than the present by their release of Bobby Wagner.

Seattle cut him, and the division-rival Rams happily snapped him up with what was reported as a 5-year, $50 million deal. Unlikely that Wagner plays out that contract; he's 32 years old. But a couple of years, at least, is reasonable. If his on-the-field performance has slipped, it's not readily apparent -- he still looks like one of the game's elite playmakers.

Tackles, for sure. Over the last six years, there have been 63 seasons where a player had at least 130 tackles. Wagner has done it all six seasons, including a career-high 170 (in 17 games, of course) last year. He's also been an All-Pro in five of those years.

But Wagner supplements those tackle numbers (which occasionally ordinary players in favorable situations can generate) with a lot of playmaking ability. He's also had 14 sacks in those years, and put 57 hits on quarterbacks. That includes four of the top eight seasons in that regard among the league's 130-tackle players. Guy can do it all, and remains one of the top-ranked IDPs, for those that use defensive players in lineups.

(Numbers were a little down in 2021 in that regard, for those who want to argue he's lost a step. But still, looks like a strong addition to the Rams Defense, and his absence leaves Seattle's defense weaker.)

Data from pro-football-reference.com was used in compiling the below table, which shows all of the league's 130-tackle players over the last six years, sorted by QB hits.

DEFENDERS WITH 130-PLUS TACKLES, 2016-PRESENT
Year	Player	Team	Comb	Sk	Solo	Ast	Comb	QBHits
2016	Bobby Wagner	SEA	167	4.5	85	82	167	18
2020	Devin White	TAM	140	9.0	97	43	140	16
2017	Demario Davis	NYJ	135	5.0	97	38	135	15
2017	Bobby Wagner	SEA	133	1.5	97	36	133	13
2020	Bobby Wagner	SEA	138	3.0	81	57	138	11
2018	Darius Leonard	IND	163	7.0	111	52	163	8
2016	Zach Brown	BUF	149	4.0	97	52	149	8
2018	Bobby Wagner	SEA	138	1.0	84	54	138	8
2021	Foyesade Oluokun	ATL	192	2.0	102	90	192	7
2019	Jordan Hicks	ARI	150	1.5	93	57	150	7
2016	Christian Kirksey	CLE	148	2.5	96	52	148	7
2016	Kwon Alexander	TAM	145	3.0	108	37	145	7
2020	Blake Martinez	NYG	151	3.0	86	65	151	6
2021	De'Vondre Campbell	GNB	146	2.0	102	44	146	6
2018	Blake Martinez	GNB	144	5.0	91	53	144	6
2017	Joe Schobert	CLE	144	3.0	87	57	144	6
2020	Joe Schobert	JAX	141	2.5	84	57	141	6
2020	Roquan Smith	CHI	139	4.0	98	41	139	6
2017	Christian Kirksey	CLE	138	3.5	86	52	138	6
2019	Luke Kuechly	CAR	144	0.0	81	63	144	5
2021	Eric Kendricks	MIN	143	5.0	81	62	143	5
2019	Cory Littleton	LAR	134	3.5	78	56	134	5
2017	C.J. Mosley	BAL	132	1.0	96	36	132	5
2018	Luke Kuechly	CAR	130	2.0	93	37	130	5
2019	Eric Reid	CAR	130	4.0	97	33	130	5
2020	Zach Cunningham	HOU	164	3.0	106	58	164	4
2021	Roquan Smith	CHI	163	3.0	95	68	163	4
2019	Bobby Wagner	SEA	159	3.0	86	73	159	4
2020	Jaylon Smith	DAL	154	1.5	89	65	154	4
2021	Kyzir White	LAC	144	1.0	90	54	144	4
2021	Deion Jones	ATL	137	2.0	87	50	137	4
2020	Neville Hewitt	NYJ	134	2.0	91	43	134	4
2019	Joe Schobert	CLE	133	2.0	89	44	133	4
2021	Jordyn Brooks	SEA	184	1.0	109	75	184	3
2021	Bobby Wagner	SEA	170	1.0	93	77	170	3
2021	C.J. Mosley	NYJ	168	2.0	103	65	168	3
2019	Blake Martinez	GNB	155	3.0	97	58	155	3
2021	Denzel Perryman	LVR	154	0.0	102	52	154	3
2019	Zach Cunningham	HOU	142	2.0	99	43	142	3
2019	Jaylon Smith	DAL	142	2.5	83	59	142	3
2016	Preston Brown	BUF	139	1.0	79	60	139	3
2021	Fred Warner	SFO	137	0.5	79	58	137	3
2016	Alec Ogletree	LAR	136	0.0	98	38	136	3
2018	Telvin Smith	JAX	134	1.0	100	34	134	3
2016	Paul Posluszny	JAX	132	3.0	86	46	132	3
2019	Budda Baker	ARI	147	0.5	104	43	147	2
2016	Sean Lee	DAL	145	0.0	93	52	145	2
2017	Preston Brown	BUF	144	0.0	84	60	144	2
2017	Blake Martinez	GNB	144	1.0	96	48	144	2
2021	Cole Holcomb	WAS	142	1.0	83	59	142	2
2021	Alex Singleton	PHI	137	0.0	81	56	137	2
2018	Anthony Hitchens	KAN	135	0.0	81	54	135	2
2021	Bobby Okereke	IND	132	1.0	89	43	132	2
2021	T.J. Edwards	PHI	130	1.0	64	66	130	2
2018	Leighton Vander Esch	DAL	140	0.0	102	38	140	1
2019	Todd Davis	DEN	134	0.0	78	56	134	1
2016	Zach Orr	BAL	133	0.0	92	41	133	1
2019	K.J. Wright	SEA	132	0.0	67	65	132	1
2018	Mason Foster	WAS	131	1.0	81	50	131	1
2021	Tae Crowder	NYG	130	0.0	64	66	130	1
2017	Deion Jones	ATL	138	1.0	91	47	138	0
2016	Tahir Whitehead	DET	132	0.0	99	33	132	0

--Andy Richardson

Bobby Wagner individual defensive players

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