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The Washington Commanders have reportedly upgraded their defense with a top linebacker.
On Wednesday, former Super Bowl champion and ten-time All-Pro linebacker Bobby Wagner reportedly agreed to a one-year, $8.5-million contract with the NFC East squad. There, he will be reunited with head coach Dan Quinn and linebackers coach Ken Norton Jr., who each served as his defensive coordinator at the Seattle Seahawks.
Commanders fans were pleased with the signing, noting that one of the worst-ranked defenses of 2023-24 was getting some winning pedigree:
Comprehensive list of Washington signings after Bobby Wagner joins Commanders
Signing Bobby Wagner is a major coup for general manager Adam Peters, who has been busy restucturing the roster to fit his and Dan Quinn's vision.
The nine-time Pro Bowler, even at 33, is still one of the league's top linebackers, setting a new career-high 183 tackles (96 solo) in his return to Seattle. But he is not the only top defender to don the burgundy and gold next season.
Sticking to linebacker, the Washington Commanders have also snapped up Frankie Luvu, who alongside Wagner will replenish their depth at the position. Defensive ends Dante Fowler Jr. and Dorance Armstrong have also reunited with Quinn, who coached them at the Dallas Cowboys. They are also joined by Clelin Ferrell, potentially forming a formidable front seven with defensive tackles Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne.
Meanwhile, safety Jeremy Chinn comes over from the Carolina Panthers to provide secondary depth. Another safety in Jeremy Reaves, who mostly plays gunner, represents one-third of a signing spree on special teams alongside kicker Brandon McManus and long snapper Tyler Ott.
Offensively, the Commanders have also made changes. They had previously released tight end Logan Thomas and offensive tackle Charles Leno earlier this month, but the past two days have seen a flurry of additions.
Expected to draft a quarterback with the second overall pick, Peters has in the meantime shored up at the position, signing veteran Marcus Mariota on a variable-value one-year contract to compete with Sam Howell for the backup spot.
Veteran Zach Ertz provides a major upgrade at tight end, but the most consequential additions may be center Tyler Biadasz and guard Nick Allegretti, who are expected to bolster one of the weakest offensive lines in the league at the moment.
