It’s been a while since the Dallas Cowboys have had a defense that teams around the NFL truly feared. Despite having stars recently, the Cowboys have been routinely picked apart by offenses, both through the air and on the ground.
They could address some of those issues with one big move for an aging star at the core of their defense. Bobby Wagner is still available on the open market, and even at 35 years old, the linebacker could provide a huge boost to Dallas’ defense.
Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox first linked the Cowboys, as well as the Los Angeles Rams, as a good fit for the six-time All-Pro. Wagner is a tackling machine, recording at least 100 tackles in each of his first 14 seasons in the NFL. Last season with the Washington Commanders, Wagner led the team with 162 tackles. He also made two interceptions and had 4.5 sacks.
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Wagner is a former Super Bowl champion with the Seattle Seahawks and has led the league in tackles three times. He rarely misses games due to injury and would be a perfect fit to run the Dallas defense. It might be beneficial for the Cowboys to pair Wagner with a young linebacker to teach him the ropes as the veteran’s career winds down.
Wagner is preparing to play in his 15th season in the league, according to NFL insider Jordan Schultz, so the Cowboys should be motivated to get a deal done with the future Hall of Fame linebacker.
The Cowboys don’t have a ton of depth at the position, but Wagner truly makes other players around him better. He has amassed 2,000 tackles in his career.
Knox also floated the idea of the Cowboys signing free agent defensive tackle D.J. Reader after the team traded Osa Odighizuwa to the 49ers earlier this offseason.
Bottom line, the Cowboys need to find a way to make their defense tougher in the middle, and adding Wagner or Reader would be a huge step in the right direction.
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