Getty Bobby Wagner tackles Darrell Henderson on October 7, 2021.
The “Rams House” could add another guest, as the Los Angeles Rams made a significant move on the morning of Thursday, March 10 that could change the course of their 2022 offseason.
It involves the attempt to lure in Bobby Wagner — the former pillar of the Seattle Seahawks who became a six-time All-Pro and Super Bowl 48 champ in the Pacific Northwest, while also having his share of past division clashes with the Rams.
Member of Rams’ Super Bowl run Testing Free Agency
Per Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, the Rams have made the decision to not use a franchise tender on inside linebacker Troy Reeder — which allows him to test the free agency market.
The #Rams are not tendering Troy Reeder, source said. He started 10 games at LB last year and had 91 tackles and two sacks.
Reeder was a restricted free agent who had a base salary of $585,000 per Spotrac. The 27-year-old could command a nicer deal, which can still include the Rams, wherever he winds up as he’s coming off a career season.
The former undrafted linebacker out of Delaware (who also began his college career at Penn State) went on to collect 91 tackles and picked off two passes during the Rams’ Super Bowl 56 run. Including playoffs, Reeder completed six games of snatching between 8 to 13 total tackles per Pro Football Reference.
Reeder helped provide some game-changing assists on the field, including this pick six during the wildcard round versus the Arizona Cardinals:
Troy Reeder played a huge role in THE play if the wild card round during the Super Bowl run with the pressure on Murray. The Reeder experience was truly unforgettable – good and bad.
There was also this head’s up play in Week 2 at Indianapolis he delivered:
But his last game, the Super Bowl, saw Reeder take the bulk of his snaps on special teams as rookie Ernest Jones and Travin Howard wound up with the inside ‘backer reps versus the Cincinnati Bengals.
Where Reeder goes from here is this: By testing the market, he has the luxury of speaking with other teams at noon ET on March 14. Then, teams can sign players starting at 4 p.m. ET on March 16.
But Reeder’s move brings Wagner into the picture.
Rams Among 3 Teams Interested in Wagner: Insider
Wagner was officially released on Thursday morning, ending an illustrious run with Seattle that involved the All-Pro nods, eight Pro Bowl appearances and establishing himself as the captain of the Seahawk defense.
Now, the Rams are among the early list of teams that are expected to make a run at the veteran inside linebacker per Rapoport.
Could former #Seahawks LB and new free agent Bobby Wagner end up back in the division?
Not surprising, the Rams will face offseason competition from others should they pursue Wagner. And the competition comes from their own division as the San Francisco 49ers and Arizona Cardinals are anticipated to gravitate toward Wagner as Rapoport mentioned.
Doric Sam of Bleacher Report, however, doesn’t mention Wagner as a possibility for any of those three NFC West teams. Sam doesn’t have Wagner staying out west at all. He lists these three possible suitors for Wagner: The Baltimore Ravens, Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles.
Reeder, again, could still return to the Rams if he doesn’t find a potential future NFL home. However, his prospects of coming back will look murky if the team welcomes back unrestricted free agent Von Miller to the defense and adds Wagner to the mix. Denver could be one possibility for Reeder where he can rejoin fellow Ex-Ram Kenny Young (though Young is a unrestricted free agent) and play for former Rams assistant Ejiro Evero, the Broncos’ new defensive coordinator. Of course, that could change if Miller and Wagner wind up together in Denver with Wagner’s now former Seahawk teammate Russell Wilson.
Either way, the Rams’ decision with Reeder gains added fuel for the team to clear the way for Wagner.