Bobby Wagner could be an ideal Cowboys target this offseason.
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Bobby Wagner could be an ideal Cowboys target this offseason.
The Dallas Cowboys have already been active here in the 2026 NFL offseason, hiring a new defensive coordinator (Christian Parker) and a new staff of defensive coaches, while also getting Javonte Williams signed and preparing to put the franchise tag on star receiver George Pickens. All that, and the NFL draft combine is just beginning.
The Cowboys will next need to begin bringing in new defensive players, which is a critical part of this offseason, too. They can certainly add through the draft in April and through trades leading up to the draft, but they need to use some resources to bring in quality veteran free agents, which has not been their typical approach in the past. But there are just too many holes to fill to rely on the draft or to count on their ability to patch together weak positions with bargain-basement signings.
The Cowboys need to add significant pieces in free agency, and at Pro Football Focus, a very prominent NFL name is being connected with Dallas: Commanders linebacker Bobby Wagner, a likely future Hall of Famer who is 35 but still very much a productive player.
Bobby Wagner Would Warrant a $7.7 Million Contract
Wagner’s resume is impressive, and the Cowboys could use a polished veteran in the middle of that defense. The last two attempts to land a bargain at linebacker–Kenneth Murray and Eric Kendricks–can be written off as disasters. Neither worked out. The Cowboys will need to get the middle of the defense right, and with the relatively depressed salary structure for linebackers, they should be able to do so in free agency without overspending.
Wagner has five All-Pro selections, 10 Pro Bowls and a Super Bowl ring. He has not missed a game since 2018, and last year, despite his advanced age, he was fifth in the NFL with 162 tackles. He would be just the kind of veteran presence the Cowboys need.
Spotrac projects his value at $7.7 million on a one-year contract.
PFF Tabs Cowboys as Best Fit for Bobby Wagner
At Pro Football Focus, in looking at the top linebackers on the free-agent market (any of which, frankly, would likely be on the Cowboys’ radar), the site links Wagner with Dallas.
The site notes of Wagner: “Although Wagner, at nearly 36 years old, isn’t near the player in coverage he once was, he still excels as a run defender and a blitzer. This season, he stood as the only linebacker to produce 90.0-plus PFF grades in run defense (90.3), pass rushing (92.4) and tackling (90.5).
“Difficulties stopping the run this past season led to the trade that sent Quinnen Williams to the Cowboys. … Adding Wagner — who has earned a 90.0-plus PFF run-defense grade in each of his past four seasons — to the middle of this defense would go a long way toward amplifying the entire unit.”
Cowboys New DC Christian Parker Would Benefit
The question about any player the Cowboys approach in free agency will be whether they fit with Parker and his system. But Wagner carries two benefits in that regard. One, he has played in multiple different schemes, with seven different defensive coordinators in 14 years. Two, Parker has made clear that while he will play a “multiple” defense, he is going to craft his approach around the players he has on hand.
With Wagner’s talent and lengthy experience around the NFL–he is a 2010s Hall of Fame All-Decade team member–Parker would have no issues working him into his D.