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Bobby Wagner is already thinking about a holiday gift.
The one that involves the Los Angeles Rams and the Denver Broncos getting together at SoFi Stadium on Christmas Day for a special prime time game.
And this kind of gift Wagner shared to Inside the Rams with Cameron Irwin and D’Marco Farr following the Monday, August 1, 2022 training camp practice at UC Irvine’s Crawford Field involves a different kind of wrapping…a sack wrapping.
Wagner Sends Out Early Warning to Former All-Pro Teammate
Irwin asked the question to the newest member of the Rams: Which one are you looking forward to the most in terms of match up? Is it going to be Week 16 versus Russ [Wagner’s longtime Seattle Seahawk teammate Russell Wilson] or is it going to be Week 18 heading back to Lumen Field (Seattle’s home stadium and Wagner’s first official game back in his old NFL digs)?
Wagner revealed his Xmas plans.
“I would probably say Russ because it’s coming first and it’s Christmas, and who doesn’t want to sack Russell on Christmas? You know what I mean? Send him home to his kids not happy,” Wagner said, slowly revealing a smile.
It’s certainly not the first time Wagner has made it clear what his intentions are for Wilson when both teams meet.
Back on June 6, 2022, he told J.B Long and Maurice Jones-Drew that he has a desire to come after Wilson — even revealing that both “Russ” and he used to have trash talk with one another during Seahawk practices.
“I’m definitely gonna try to hit him, you know what I mean?” Wagner said with a smile at the Rams’ Thousand Oaks facility. “We’ve had a lot of trash talk over the years of what would happen if we ever collided or things of that nature. But obviously, he’s always had the red jersey, so you know, you touch him, you get cut. Now, we ain’t gotta worry about getting cut no more.”
That holiday game will be the first time Wagner and Wilson will be on different teams. Seattle ended up severing ties with the two pillars of its Super Bowl runs of the 2013 and 2014 seasons, winning the franchise’s first Vince Lombardi Trophy together in Super Bowl 48 over Wilson’s newest team. Wilson was traded before the league’s free agency signing period. Wagner was also informed he would be released by the ‘Hawks before the signing session began.
The Longtime Seahawk Already Impressing & Leading the Rams at Camp
How has Wagner adjusted to his new surroundings? Especially after going from the Virginia Mason Athletic Center in Renton, Washington to Orange County and the UCI soccer field?
Wagner has delivered some impressive moments on the field. Per The Athletic’s Rams insider Jourdan Rodrigue, Wagner snatched an interception and took it back to the end zone during team drills on the Monday, August 1 practice session (note: The Rams do not allow media to film team periods).
Also, from the observation of Heavy on Rams during our camp trips to UCI on July 29 and 30, Wagner was seen spending quality time with second-year linebacker Ernest Jones. The star rookie from last season has called working with the eight-time Pro Bowler and six-time All-Pro “the highlight of my career so far.”
“Just being around him, learning from him, seeing about how he goes about his business each and every day. Just trying to take something away from that day and just add it to my game just to be the better version of myself,” Jones said when speaking to the L.A. media following the “Back Together Saturday” practice.
Wagner is not only mentoring Jones and providing a lead-by-example attitude in his first appearance in front of the “Rams House,” but his newest head coach Sean McVay likes how he’s got an early feel of the Rams defense.
“He’s very active. He’s got great command and communication,” McVay said, adding how Wagner will wear the green dot to relay the defensive plays over to the Rams huddle this season. “I think when you have the green dot, it’s really important for you to have just a nice, steady poise about yourself with the amount of different things that can take place.”
McVay added “He’s got a great presence out here and really enjoyed working with him so far.”
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