There is plenty of angst within the Dallas Cowboys fanbase when it comes to the franchise’s lack of action on one of the positions that has become the most difficult for the team to fill year after year: middle linebacker. As things stand, the team has Shemar James at a position that was mostly manned by Kenneth Murray and Logan Wilson last season—one that badly needs an upgrade yet again.
But the message from the Cowboys themselves to the concerned fan base seems to be consistent: Chill out. We’ve got this.
Coach Brian Schottenheimer said on Monday, “We’ve got a good plan,” at linebacker. Said owner Jerry Jones on Tuesday: “We want to get better there with personnel. We’ve been trying very much to make some trades. They haven’t worked out for us there, but that won’t deter us from getting better there.”
It’s likely that the Cowboys will draft a linebacker in the draft later this month, but they need a veteran there, too. And there’s no veteran on the market with a better resume than Bobby Wagner—and Schottenheimer might have tipped the Cowboys’ hand on their potential interest in him.
Wagner is 35, but he 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.
And he has a fan in Schottenheimer, who was the offensive coordinator in Seattle when Wagner, with the Commanders last year, was at the peak of his powers. Speaking on the “Up and Adams” show with Kay Adams, Schotty made clear that he’d welcome Wagner in Dallas.
As he said: “I will say this: No. 1, we have made some really strong runs at inside linebackers. It hasn’t worked out. You’re looking at one of the biggest Bobby Wagner fans in the world. Being in Seattle with him for three years, and watching him compete, and talk trash in a good way, I love that guy. And he’s still playing at a high level. So, we’ll see how everything works out, it’s an exciting time of year. But Bobby Wagner, total stud.”
As Schottenheimer references, the Cowboys made runs at three of the biggest names on the linebacker market in free agency this winter, with Devin Lloyd winding up in Carolina and both Quay Walker and Nakobe Dean going to the Las Vegas Raiders. Those guys were Plans A, B and C, and Plan D has been to explore the trade market for linebackers. That hasn’t worked out, either.
Maybe, then, Wagner and a draft pick are a solid Plan E. He would be just the kind of veteran presence the Cowboys need, and Spotrac projects his value at $7.7 million on a one-year contract. The Cowboys can pay that, and could even get a reduced price given how late it is in free agency.
Back in the wake of the NFL combine in Indianapolis, before free agency kicked off, Pro Football Focus wrote that Wagner would be the best fit for the Cowboys’ linebacker job, and not much has changed since then.
Wrote PFF: “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.”
In an offseason defined by big swings that haven’t yet connected, the Cowboys’ pursuit of Wagner feels different. It’s not just about adding production; it’s about injecting a proven, high-motor leader who still dominates in the areas that matter most to Dallas right now. With Schottenheimer’s genuine admiration and the front office’s clear urgency to upgrade the position, this late free-agency pursuit has all the makings of a blockbuster move that could finally quiet the angst in Big D—and give the defense the anchor it has been searching for.
