Tag: Bobby Wagner

2 potential rule changes will be tested in 2020 NFL Pro Bowl

The NFL will be testing two potential rule changes during the 2020 Pro Bowl in Orlando.

The NFL Pro Bowl is more than an opportunity for the league’s top talent to showcase their skills, it’s also a chance for potential rule changes to be tested in a game-day atmosphere.

Two potential rule changes will be tested at this year’s NFL Pro Bowl in Orlando, per NFL Operations.

The first involves two options after a successful field goal or try attempt in lieu of a kickoff. The second relates to negating false starts on a flinch by a flexed receiver.

Here’s a look at the language of the two new proposed rule changes. More in-depth explanations and notes can be found at the Football Operations website.

The 2020 NFL Pro Bowl is set to kick off Sunday, Jan. 26 from Camping World Stadium in Orlando.

Three Seahawks have been named to the NFC squad – quarterback Russell Wilson, linebacker Bobby Wagner and alternate cornerback Shaquill Griffin as a replacement player.

Pete Carroll and the Seahawks staff will be coaching the NFC roster.

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Demario Davis named a finalist for NFLPA’s Alan Page Community Award

New Orleans Saints linebacker Demario Davis was named one of five finalists for the NFLPA Alan Page Community Award, along with Bobby Wagner

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New Orleans Saints linebacker Demario Davis was named a first-team All-Pro, and now he could add another honor to his trophy case. Davis was named one of five finalists for the NFL Players Association’s Alan Page Community Award for his efforts off the field, embracing the New Orleans community and working to enact positive change with his neighbors. The award’s winner will receive a $100,000 donation to a charity of their choosing.

Davis rose to prominence in the wake of a controversial NFL uniform violation fine. The league initially fined him for wearing a headband labeled “Man of God” during an early-season game, which he overturned in appeals. Davis then sold similar headbands in a fund-raiser for a Mississippi hospital, reporting more than $120,000 in donations. He also met with students and faculty at a New Orleans-area elementary school who had supported him during the appeals process.

The winner of this NFLPA award will be named during Super Bowl LIV. Here all five finalists:

  • Geno Atkins, Cincinnati Bengals
  • Brandon Carr, Baltimore Ravens
  • Brandon Copeland, New York Jets
  • Demario Davis, New Orleans Saints
  • Bobby Wagner, Seattle Seahawks

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Bobby Wagner reacts to linebacker Luke Kuechly’s early retirement

Seattle Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner posted a heartfelt tweet to Carolina’s Luke Kuechly, who announced his retirement on Twitter.

Since joining the league together in 2012, linebackers Bobby Wagner and Luke Kuechly have been compared to each other – and it’s not hard to see why.

Kuechly joined the Panthers as the ninth overall pick and immediately went to work as an elite middle linebacker, ultimately making seven Pro Bowls and five All-Pro nods in his illustrious career, which came to an end on Tuesday when he announced in an emotional Twitter video that he was retiring.

Kuechly was widely considered among the top two linebackers in the NFL during his career, often alongside Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner, who has made six Pro Bowl appearances and is a five-time All-Pro, beginning his career the same season after getting selected by Seattle 38 picks later in the 2012 NFL Draft.

Wagner delivered a heartfelt message on Twitter to Kuechly, saying “The game is losing a great one.”

While fans may be happy no more Kuechly vs. Wagner debates can rage on in future seasons, the league is losing one of it’s finest middle linebackers, and it’s another reminder how much of a physical, and mental, toll this game takes on these players.

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Seahawks: Bobby Wagner may sit out Pro Bowl due to injury

Seattle Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner may opt out of the Pro Bowl this year after an injury cropped up near the end of the season.

Seahawks middle linebacker Bobby Wagner was selected to his sixth consecutive Pro Bowl, coming off another excellent season in the middle for Seattle.

However, Wagner did not commit to playing in the game this year, which will take place in Orlando on January 26.

Wagner revealed he has a health issue that he didn’t even know about, and he wants to focus on his health as priority number one now that the season is over.

““I’ll be taking care of my body,” Wagner said on Monday. “There’s a lot of stuff going on that I didn’t know about. Taking care of myself health-wise, having fun, doing the whole family thing.”

Coach Pete Carroll confirmed Wagner had a little test done, but was not sure if it would require surgery. Neither Wagner or Carroll confirmed what specifically the test was, or where Wagner is hurting.

“He found out today that there was something that he didn’t know about, we didn’t even know it was there,” Carroll said. “He had a little test done, I don’t think it is going to require surgery or anything like that. He didn’t even know he was hurt. Sometimes that happens.”

Wagner finished the 2019 season with a league-leading 159 tackles, six passes defended, three sacks and a forced fumble. He remains the best middle linebacker in the NFL, and it’s no surprise he wants to focus on his health over playing in an ultimately meaningless All-Star game.

Wagner doesn’t seem concerned about the injury, and is quite happy he gets to spend this offseason worry free after dealing with his contract extension last summer.

“That’ll be cool,” Wagner smiled. “It’s a different offseason than last year. Last year, we had to worry about the contract and things of that nature. A little bit more of a free offseason.”

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Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner named to 2019 PFWA All-NFL Team

For the fourth consecutive season, Seattle Seahawks middle linebacker Bobby Wagner has been named to the Pro Football Writers’ All-NFL Team.

The Professional Football Writers of America (PFWA) have announced the selections for the 2019 PFWA All-NFL Team.

For the fourth consecutive season, Seattle Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner has made the cut for his work in the middle.

Here’s a look at the offensive, defensive and special teams selections for the 2019 PFWA All-NFL Team.

Offense

QB – Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens

RB – Derrick Henry, Tennessee Titans; Christian McCaffery, Carolina Panthers

WR –Julio Jones, Atlanta Falcons; Michael Thomas, New Orleans Saints

TE – George Kittle, San Francisco 49ers

C – Jason Kelce, Philadelphia Eagles

G –Quenton Nelson, Indianapolis Colts; Marshal Yanda, Baltimore Ravens

T – Ryan Ramczyk, New Orleans Saints; Ronnie Stanley, Baltimore Ravens

Defense

DE – Danielle Hunter, Minnesota Vikings; Cameron Jordan, New Orleans Saints

DT –Aaron Donald, Los Angeles Rams; Cameron Heyward, Pittsburgh Steelers

OLB – Chandler Jones, Arizona Cardinals; T.J. Watt, Pittsburgh Steelers

MLB – Bobby Wagner, Seattle Seahawks 

CB –Stephon Gilmore, New England Patriots; Tre’Davious White, Buffalo Bills

S – Jamal Adams, New York Jets; Minkah Fitzpatrick, Pittsburgh Steelers

Special Teams

PK – Justin Tucker, Baltimore Ravens

P – Brett Kern, Tennessee Titans

KR – Cordarrelle Patterson, Chicago Bears

PR – Deonte Harris, New Orleans Saints

ST – Matthew Slater, New England Patriots

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Jimmy Graham will test Seahawks defense from tight end spot

The Seattle Seahawks have struggled to defend tight ends this season, and Packers tight end Jimmy Graham will provide another big test.

Perhaps the biggest area of weakness for this Seattle Seahawks defense is their coverage of tight ends. Their commitment to the 4-3 base defense often leaves either an outside linebacker, or strong safety Bradley McDougald, in pass coverage, which creates mismatches opposing teams have learned to exploit.

It is part of the reason Seattle’s pass rush did not materialize as anticipated this year, since opposing quarterbacks could get the ball out quickly and find open tight ends in short yardage situations, thanks to Seattle’s below average coverage.

The Packers are almost certainly going to attempt to exploit that weakness on Sunday, and they have a familiar face to do the exploiting – former Seahawks tight end Jimmy Graham, who just finished his second year in Green Bay.

“There’s a lot of good things he’s done this year for us,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur said to Seattle media members on Wednesday. “His numbers don’t always reflect how important he is to us in terms of how we’ve been spreading the ball around, but he is a big part of what we do.”

Graham finished the regular season with 38 receptions for 447 yards and three touchdowns, numbers that are considerably down from his first season in Green Bay and his last season in Seattle. In fact, his 60 targets were the lowest total since his rookie season, back in 2010 with New Orleans.

Still, the Seahawks know first hand what Graham is capable of, and they are not planning to take him lightly.

“He’s such a monster of a player and an athlete that you know he can just make things happen,” coach Pete Carroll said. “We’ll give him a lot of respect.”

Graham’s size and athleticism make him a tough matchup for Seattle, and Aaron Rodgers’ elite skill set could make the tandem a tough one for the Seahawks on Sunday afternoon.

However, that doesn’t mean the Seahawks are scared – quite the opposite.

“I’m going to try to hit him,” linebacker Bobby Wagner said of defending Graham. “100%. I’m going to try to hit him a lot. If he tries to box me out, he thinks he’s good at basketball. He knows I’ll beat him.”

The Seahawks will get their chance to take on Graham, Rodgers and the rest of the Packers on Sunday afternoon starting at 3:40 p.m. PT.

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Pete Carroll: Bobby Wagner is on his way to the Hall of Fame

Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll believes Bobby Wagner is on his way to the Pro Football Hall of Fame after his fifth All-Pro nomination.

Seattle Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner was recognized as an All-Pro first teamer for the fifth time in his illustrious career – the most in franchise history, passing left tackle Walter Jones.

Wagner’s only NFL coach, Pete Carroll, recognizes the greatness he has seen out of his star linebacker, and believes his career will end with him alongside Jones, Steve Largent and other Seahawks greats with a bust in Canton, Ohio at the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

“That’s an amazing stat,” Carroll said on Monday. “That’s recognition in a really broad sense that you’re the best of the best. What a great recognition for him. He’s been such a fantastic player for us. So consistent and so rock solid at everything. Every aspect. I mean, he’s just everything. He’s on his way. He’s on his way to going to the Hall of Fame someday and this is the stuff that you do that puts you in line for that stuff. It’s a joy to coach a guy like that.”

Wagner is Seattle’s all-time leader in tackles, having broke the record back in Week 8 against the Falcons.

Wagner’s contributions on the field for the last eight years have been immense, but Carroll recognizes the person he is beyond that as well.

“All I can tell you is he does everything,” Carroll continued. “He does it by living a great example. Living great. Family guy. Takes care of his daughter in a great fashion. Just exemplifies what you want. In the community, he’s extraordinary. Everybody loves him. He’s true blue and straight forward. You know what you’re getting, and you know who you’re dealing with. He’s an extraordinary man and that carries over to all his football as well. He does everything in exemplary fashion. We’re just lucky we got him.”

Wagner is Seattle’s Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee for his numerous charitable endeavors, which include paying for groceries at a local Safeway and starting a charity for stroke victims called Walk for Wagner.

Whether Wagner’s career finishes with him elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, which it should, he will no doubt be a Ring of Honor member and one of the most well-remembered Seahawks in franchise history when all is said and done.

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Bobby Wagner and Russell Wilson each receive All-Pro honors

Seattle Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner and quarterback Russell Wilson were named All-Pro first and second team, respectively.

Seattle Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner was honored on the All-Pro first team for the fourth year in a row and the fifth season of his career, making him the first Seattle player to earn that honor five times.

Quarterback Russell Wilson was named to the second team, earning three first place votes and finishing behind Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson.

It was the first time in his eight year career he has been named to either All-Pro team.

Wagner broke Walter Jones’ franchise record for first team All-Pro honors, and becomes just the 11th linebacker to earn that honor five times. Seven of them are Hall of Famers and the other three, Zach Thomas, Patrick Willis and Kuechly, are on their way.

Wagner finished the 2019 regular season with a league-leading 157 combined tackles, six passes defended, one forced fumble and three sacks.

Wilson finally earned All-Pro recognition for what was perhaps the finest season of his career. The 30-year-old threw for 4,110 yards with an excellent 31-to-5 touchdown-to-interception ratio and a 66.1 completion percentage, the second highest mark of his career.

Wagner and Wilson were the only two Seahawks to receive All-Pro votes this season, and will need to be on their game if they want to help Seattle advance past Philadelphia in the playoffs this year.

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K.J. Wright’s resurgence one of Seahawks’ best stories of 2019

The return of K.J. Wright, who had a career-best season despite only playing five games in 2018, is one of the best stories of the year.

When the 2018 regular season concluded, veteran linebacker K.J. Wright had played just five games, and his future with the Seattle Seahawks was in serious jeopardy.

However, an extremely strong performance in Seattle’s wild card loss to the Cowboys helped build some of his confidence back, and after re-signing for two years and $14 million dollars, Wright had a resurgent 2019 season with the Seahawks.

The veteran linebacker appeared in all 16 games for Seattle, recording a career-high 132 combined tackles – his fifth season of 100 plus tackles.

“It’s been amazing watching him play, especially after last year,” teammate Bobby Wagner commented on Wednesday. “He had a lot of struggles last year injury-wise. But he came back. You could see towards the end of the game, I’ve mentioned before, against Dallas. That kind of transitioned into the next season.”

Wright not only rebounded from an injury-riddled campaign, he also had to adjust to a new defensive scheme that saw him out in pass coverage far more often than in year’s past. Wright managed to excel in that new role, with 11 pass breakups and three interceptions – both career highs.

“K.J. is just one of a kind,” defensive coordinator Ken Norton, Jr. said on Wednesday. “Extremely unique. He’s a really heady, smart, instinctive guy. He spends a lot of time studying, watching film, talking ball. He’s just a gym rat. He loves ball. He knows how to carry it over to action on the football field. He’s been doing it for a long time. He’s, no question, one of the best.”

Wright is one of the most prolific tacklers in Seahawks franchise history, and his resurgence after many felt his career was circling the drain is a remarkable story that went overlooked this season.

“It’s really fun to watch him be successful,” Wagner continued. “The man he is, the person he is. The way he prepares. I wasn’t surprised by it. I was very, very happy for him.”

Wright and Wagner will look to lead this team to victory in the wild card matchup in Philadelphia against the Eagles, which is slated to kick off at 1:40 p.m. PT on Sunday, January 5.

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Russell Wilson reunites with best friend in Robert Turbin

The Seattle Seahawks brought back Russell Wilson’s best friend, Robert Turbin, who originally joined the team in the 2012 draft class.

The Seattle Seahawks brought back a pair of familiar faces this week, signing former running backs Marshawn Lynch and Robert Turbin to replace Chris Carson and C.J. Prosise.

While Lynch’s return has garnered the most attention, understandably, Turbin’s reputation as a strong blocker and receiver out of the backfield will make him an appealing replacement for Prosise as the team’s no. 3 back.

More than that, Turbin is a strong locker room presence as a six-year NFL veteran, and his return is a chance to reunite quarterback Russell Wilson with his best friend.

“He was in my wedding,” Wilson said on Thursday. “A guy that I’ve been super close to ever since day one.”

Turbin and Wilson both came to Seattle in their incredible 2012 NFL Draft class, joined by Bobby Wagner, Bruce Irvin and J.R. Sweezy.

Wilson went in the third round, with Turbin following a round later and joining Wagner as picks out of Utah State. However, despite the relationship with Wagner, Turbin and Wilson took to each other right away.

“I’ll never forget when we had the rookie symposium,” Wilson continued. “It was the first time all of us Seahawks being together and everything. I walked into my hotel room and there was Robert Turbin. He was my roommate. I remember us sitting there listening to oldies and just jamming out and having fun. Talking life, getting to know each other and everything else. Fast forward, we went to the event and everything those couple days or whatever it was. I remember us going to Canton, being in Canton and going to the Hall of Fame and walking around and talking about where we wanted to go and how we wanted to get there. Every day, we’ve always supported each other.”

The two remained teammates from 2012-2014, before Turbin was claimed off waivers by the Browns in September of 2015.

Turbin bounced around in 2015 before spending three years with Indianapolis, where he last played in October of 2018.

While Turbin’s career has not gone quite according to plan, his relationship with Wilson was no doubt a key in his return to the Seahawks, and should help him contribute on game day.

“Our roads have been slightly different, but they’ve been the same,” Wilson said. “We’ve always supported each other and always been together, even when we’re apart. He’s one of my best friends in the world. A guy who works extremely hard. A guy who’s ready to play, excited to play. He’s a guy who’s tough as nails.”

Turbin may not be called upon to do much on Sunday, but his presence should have a positive impact on Wilson’s morale heading into the biggest (and final) game of the regular season.

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