The Green Bay Packers made their second move of free agency, signing veteran offensive tackle Rick Wagner to a two-year deal on Monday.
Wagner, who had stints in Baltimore and Detroit, will replace Bryan Bulaga at right tackle.
Here’s a full breakdown of the Packers adding Wagner, including a film breakdown and an assessment of his fit in Green Bay:
What he can do
– At times struggles to land the punch; Joey Bosa and Preston Smith (among others) were able to press the pocket by winning the hand battle
– Pretty quick out of his stance and gets depth in a hurry
– Timing up pass sets can sometimes impact his ability to anchor. Doesn’t get overwhelmed immediately but pocket does collapse
– May struggle with top-end speed-to-power rushers
– Appears under control against stunts
– Although he may give ground, he tends to settle in and recover; the process isn’t pretty but the results work
– Should be able to handle non-elite pass rushers competently in one-on-one situations
– Pretty quick off the ball but sometimes plays too high out of his stance
– Lacks consistency in get-off; if urgency isn’t there, he easily gets blown off his spot
– Possesses a veteran’s poise, keeps head on a swivel and looks for work
– Gimpy knee in ’19 appeared to affect get-off and aiming points
– Khalil Mack found success pushing Wagner vertical on his drop and countering inside. Wagner struggled to maintain leverage
How he fits
By signing Wagner, the Packers have tacitly admitted they’d rather pay a modest sum for what they perceive will be average tackle play versus a king’s ransom for Bulaga’s skillset. Without No. 75 on the team, the Packers will insert Wagner into the starting lineup to give the offensive line some short-term stability. They could have floated an offer to Jared Veldheer, who turned in an acceptable performance against the Seahawks in the NFC Divisional Round of the playoffs. Having surveyed the free-agent market – and seeing how the Lions let go of Wagner – Brian Gutekunst must’ve liked a slightly-younger Wagner. Hailing from West Allis, WI, and playing his college football at the University of Wisconsin, Wagner might’ve given the Packers a hometown discount. Assuming his production doesn’t continue to slide like it did from 2018 to 2019, then the Packers are getting good value by adding the former Raven and Lion to a two-year, $11 million deal.
Impact of adding him
As it grew closer to the legal tampering period, it became clear Bulaga’s market was going to far surpass what would have been fiscally responsible for the Packers to match. As a result, it’s a fiscally prudent move to sign Wagner.
Purely from a football standpoint, the Packers are not nearly as stout along the offensive line as they were a year ago. What matters most is that the Packers have an answer at right tackle in the interim while they find a long-term solution in the draft. In an ideal world, the Packers would have already moved on from Bulaga based on how they structured his contract and how they moved up to draft Jason Spriggs in 2016. Alas, Spriggs didn’t work out, so it was back to the drawing board. The Packers need a new “tackle of the future.”
With Wagner now locked up for the next two seasons, the Packers are giving themselves the time to adequately develop the next Bulaga. Wagner’s contract looks like great value for a starting-quality tackle.
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