CLEVELAND — NFL free agency saw another big name hit the market over the weekend, with the Los Angeles Rams and star linebacker Bobby Wagner reportedly agreeing to part ways.
That puts the 32-year-old back on the market after just one year with the Rams, a year where he racked up 140 tackles and a career-high six sacks in 17 games. Wagner walks away from the final four years of his contract, which would have paid him $7.5 million in 2023.
A player like Wagner, who made eight straight Pro Bowls prior to last season, doesn't become available all that often, and there is little doubt many teams will vie for his services this spring - including the Cleveland Browns.
The middle of Cleveland's defense was a disaster last season, with injuries impacting Anthony Walker, Jacob Phillips, and Sione Takitaki throughout the year. Adding Wagner would no doubt help with this team's porous run defense - and while Locked on Browns podcast host Garrett Bush has reservations about his age and price point he likes the idea of shoring up a key area of need.
"This is a guy for me, if you can put him in the middle of [defensive coordinator] Jim Schwartz's defense, in the right place at the right cost, I wouldn't be opposed to it," Bush said. "I would have to see what's going on with the quad [injury] to Anthony Walker."
Schwartz will likely prioritize adding to Cleveland's front four over adding a linebacker, especially if they think Walker is healthy, but adding Wagner would no doubt help shore up a significant area of need for a Browns team that couldn't stop the run at all last season.
Wagner will have no shortage of suitors, including his former team in Seattle, but a move to Cleveland makes a lot of sense for both sides if they can make the financials work.