{"id":182084,"date":"2026-05-01T15:20:31","date_gmt":"2026-05-01T15:20:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=182084"},"modified":"2026-05-01T15:20:31","modified_gmt":"2026-05-01T15:20:31","slug":"this-is-criminal-a-10-time-pro-bowler-with-162-reasons-from-2025-is-still-unemployed-the-cowboys-are-letting-the-ultimate-difference-maker-slip-away","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=182084","title":{"rendered":"\u201cThis Is Criminal: A 10-Time Pro Bowler With 162 Reasons From 2025 Is Still Unemployed \u2014 The Cowboys Are Letting the Ultimate Difference-Maker Slip Away\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"
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It is an odd thing that we can be here heading into the workout portion of the\u00a0NFL\u00a0offseason, with the\u00a0Cowboys\u00a0sizing up a defensive roster that has improved dramatically and yet still feels flimsy at the one spot it appeared Dallas was determined to strengthen\u2013inside linebacker. Making it even more odd is the fact that it appears a simple and affordable answer is still just sitting on the free-agent market, and yet the two sides have not come together to solve their common problem. The Cowboys need a solid backstop of a linebacker.\u00a0Bobby Wagner\u00a0needs a job.<\/p>\n

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Why has this not happened? It would appear the Cowboys still have a need and Wagner still has ability. You\u2019d have to figure that the Cowboys could ask Wagner to play any type of role they could come up with for him, and he\u2019d do so willingly, especially if it helped firm up this defense. After all, Wagner is not only a good locker room guy\u2013he was the 2025 Walter Payton Man of the Year.<\/p>\n

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To ice it all, Wagner, who was was with the\u00a0Commanders\u00a0last year, played in Seattle while Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer was the offensive coordinator there, and Schottenheimer speaks glowingly of Wagner.<\/p>\n

Cowboys and Bobby Wagner Appear to be a \u2018Perfect Match\u2019<\/h2>\n

This was a valid point brought up by Brandon Loree of the Cowboys site Blogging the Boys. Wrote Loree\u00a0on Twitter\/X, \u201cI don\u2019t know why, but I can\u2019t get how Brian Schottenheimer talks about Bobby Wagner out of my head. It\u2019s a couple months later, but Dallas + Wagner remain a perfect match for both sides.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Indeed, Schottenheimer spoke about Wagner at the owners\u2019 meetings in Arizona last month, with Kay Adams of the \u201cUp and Adams\u201d podcast.<\/p>\n

As he said: \u201cI will say this: No. 1, we have made some really strong runs at inside linebackers. It hasn\u2019t worked out. You\u2019re 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\u2019s still playing at a high level. So, we\u2019ll see how everything works out, it\u2019s an exciting time of year. But Bobby Wagner, total stud.\u201d<\/p>\n

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 <\/p>\n

Cowboys Have Been Aggressive in LB Pursuit<\/h2>\n

Give the Cowboys some credit, they have tried to fill the spot left open by the departure of last year\u2019s dreadful acquisitions,\u00a0Kenneth Murray\u00a0and\u00a0Logan Wilson. Dallas made credible free-agent offers to Devin Lloyd, Quay Walker and Nakobe Dean, the three biggest linebacker names on the market. But they missed out.<\/p>\n

They also sought trades for Patrick Queen of the Steelers, Jordyn Brooks of the\u00a0Dolphins\u00a0and Azeez Al-Shaiir of the Texans. Those all missed, too. Finally, during the draft, they were on Option G (or thereabouts), and secured a trade for\u00a0Dee Winters.<\/p>\n

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Bobby Wagner A Good Insurance Policy<\/h2>\n

On Thursday, Winters met with Cowboys beat reporters and was asked whether he had ever been a \u201cgreen dot\u201d linebacker\u2013that is, the guy who calls the plays from the sideline and ensures everyone is properly lined up. Winters conceded he has never had that role.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Bobby Wagner, though, is a 10-time Pro Bowler and six-time All-Pro whose spot in Canton is awaiting him when he retires. He turns 36 in June, but can still play. His 162 tackles ranked fifth among all defenders in 2025. And even if the Cowboys want to go with Winters as the starting and primary option, it would still be useful to have Wagner on board as a mentor and insurance policy.<\/p>\n

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It does, indeed, appear to be a perfect match. If only it could be executed.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It is an odd thing that we can be here heading into the workout portion of the\u00a0NFL\u00a0offseason, with the\u00a0Cowboys\u00a0sizing up a defensive roster that has improved dramatically… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":182091,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-182084","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nfl"],"yoast_head":"\n\u201cThis Is Criminal: A 10-Time Pro Bowler With 162 Reasons From 2025 Is Still Unemployed \u2014 The Cowboys Are Letting the Ultimate Difference-Maker Slip Away\u201d - NEWS USA<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=182084\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"\u201cThis Is Criminal: A 10-Time Pro Bowler With 162 Reasons From 2025 Is Still Unemployed \u2014 The Cowboys Are Letting the Ultimate Difference-Maker Slip Away\u201d - 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