The Washington Commanders’ biggest free agent addition of the offseason is without a doubt linebacker Bobby Wagner.
For all the excitement linebacker Frankie Luvu brings, experience tight end Zach Ertz has, and even the potential of running back Austin Ekeler possesses teaming up with Brian Robinson Jr., there isn’t a single Commanders free agent who represents the idea of shifting cultures more than Wagner.
Simply put, Washington hasn’t brought in an instant injection of leadership like this in a long time. Nearly two decades, in fact, all the way back to when this same franchise landed linebacker London Fletcher.
READ MORE: Bobby Wagner Brings ‘Instant Credibility’
Dec 22, 2013; Landover, MD, USA; Washington Redskins inside linebacker London Fletcher (59) is introduced prior to the game against the Dallas Cowboys at FedEx Field. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports / Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
“When London came into the locker room, he brought more than just a football player. He was ‘El Capitan'”
– Fred Smoot on London Fletcher
“When London came into the locker room, he brought more than just a football player. He was ‘El Capitan’, he brought in the leader, somebody to set the tone, somebody to set the pace,” former Washington cornerback Fred Smoot said on a recent episode of the Get Loud podcast.
Fletcher himself credited Wagner for bringing, “instant credibility,” to the Commanders linebacker group helping them climb the preseason unit rankings all the way to No. 1 in some cases.
But it’s Wagner’s resemblance to Fletcher as a leader, just as much as the player, that has Smoot excited about what’s to come.
“I hate the toot London’s horn,” Smoot said jokingly. “But it was similar to the way he came into our locker room, and I can’t say that it happened day one, it’s one of those things that’s a slow progression. OTAs get everything moving, but we knew from the first day he set the huddle, he was there to set the tone and set the pace, plus seeing somebody’s work ethic on and off the field. …The standard is set and it’s very similar to this.”
About the play of Wagner and what it might bring to Washington, Smoot was similarly complimentary.
“He’s what we call a force multiplier,” Smoot said of Wagner. “That means he’s going to make people around him better. It’s not just about what he brings to the table. On any given Sunday, he’s going to get the best out of Jamin Davis. He’s going to get the best out of Frankie Luvu. He’s going to make sure the back end that the strong safety, the free safety to the corners know what they were about to do. And when it’s time to check, he will be the ultimate communicator. So I think he’s going to bring way more than just his physical presence. Everything around the spectrum he’ll bring to this defense.”
Sounds like a home run free agent addition if ever we’ve seen one.
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Publish date : 2024-07-11 16:43:43
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