3 players the Cowboys will regret not signing in free agency
2. Bobby Wagner, LB, Los Angeles Rams
Was Bobby Wagner the most affordable option for linebackers? No. But when the former Seahawks linebacker openly admitted that there was mutual interest between him and Dallas and that he wanted to play for the team, it made the front office’s inability to open their wallets even more frustrating. Wagner also admitted that he loves Dan Quinn and would’ve liked to go back to playing for him. But Dallas wouldn’t pay.
Why couldn’t Dallas use the money saved on Amari Cooper and Randy Gregory to work out a deal with Wagner? The now Ram would bring an immense boost to this roster. The Cowboys have many young defenders who could learn from a veteran who is a Super Bowl champion and has made the Pro Bowl for the last eight years in a row.
For those complaining about his age, the 31-year-old doesn’t seem to be struggling. He started in 16 games last season and collected 170 tackles (three for loss) and three QB hits. If you didn’t want to pay the guy big bucks, fine. But the contract details show that the Rams aren’t paying as much as you may think. Not in 2022 at least.
With Bobby Wagner’s contract official, a look at the numbers:
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 4, 2022
— Functionally, it’s a 2-year deal worth $17.5M base with a chance to make $23.5M with incentives.
— He gets $6.5M in Year 1 — but $10M fully guaranteed, working with the #Rams while they work on Aaron Donald, etc. https://t.co/c3PAjOyU2F
To think the Cowboys couldn’t pay $6.5 million for an elite linebacker who would allow Micah Parsons to help with edge rushing and give the defensive squad a huge boost is absurd. This was a huge hit and miss.