Former Seattle Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner signed with the Los Angeles Rams on a five-year, $50 million deal last week, shoring up the team's second line on the defense.
Per his former teammate Richard Sherman, Wagner had a tough choice between the Rams and the Baltimore Ravens, but ultimately, the intrigue of a championship and playing close to home was too much to overcome, hence his selection to play for Los Angeles in 2022.
With Wagner on the Rams, how does it affect the 49ers?
Wagner garnered a career-high 170 tackles in 2021, missing just 6.6% of his tackles en route to a second-team All-Pro selection for the season.
His fit on the Rams is somewhat interesting, given the emergence of rookie linebacker Ernest Jones last season, and their propensity to play minimal linebackers on the field at the same time, but he's still a premier talent, especially against the run, despite being 31 years old.
While the Rams have acquired Wagner and wide receiver Allen Robinson this offseason, they've lost the likes of offensive linemen Andrew Whitworth and Austin Corbett, defensive linemen Von Miller, Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, and Sebastian Joseph-Day, wide receivers Robert Woods and Odell Beckham Jr., cornerback Darious Williams, and punter Johnny Hecker, who all played a valuable role in 2021.
So, although the Rams continue to acquire high-level talent, their overall roster is similar to the 49ers, making the NFC West a tough division to win over once again.
Comments