The Seattle Seahawks continue to reshape the future of their franchise. Just hours after executing one of the biggest trades in NFL history that sent Super Bowl-winning quarterback Russell Wilson to the Denver Broncos, Seahawks general manager John Schneider and head coach Pete Carroll further embraced their impending rebuild by releasing eight-time Pro Bowl linebacker Bobby Wagner. Wagner has served as a cornerstone leader for the Seahawks, and his departure will be felt by a fan base that has been left shell-shocked over the past 24 hours.

Wagner has been one of the best performing linebackers in the league since joining the Seahawks as a second-round selection out of Utah State in the 2012 NFL Draft. Wagner was ironically a part of the same draft class as Wilson, and he now departs the franchise on the same day as Wilson. Releasing Wagner saves the Seahawks a healthy $16.6 million against the salary cap. A six-time first-team All-Pro, Wagner remains in excellent form at 31 years old, and his services are expected to be well sought after on the open market.

Because Wagner was released from his contract, he’s eligible to sign with his next team immediately. Wagner does not need to wait for next week’s signing period before making a decision. We’ve swiftly identified three excellent fits for Wagner in free agency.

DENVER BRONCOS

Wagner and Wilson have spent their entire professional careers together and we can’t possibly rule out the continuation of their union. General manager George Paton signaled his aggressive intentions by parting with five draft picks and three quality players in exchange for Wilson, and you should expect Paton to continue buying into Denver’s Super Bowl window.

The Broncos possess a pair of unrestricted free agents at the linebacker position in Josey Jewell and Alexander Johnson. Both players served as starters for Denver’s defense in 2021, and neither defender has been re-signed at the time of this posting. With next week’s free agency signing period beginning to loom especially large, the Broncos may be forced to revamp and retool their linebacker room.

Paton could seek out the services of a veteran leader at the position as the Broncos prepare to attempt to contend for the AFC West division title along with the likes of Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Chargers, and Las Vegas Raiders, who all qualified for the postseason a year ago. If Wilson has any impact on Denver’s strategy in free agency, he’ll almost certainly stand on the table for the potential addition of Wagner. We’d love to see this come to fruition.

DALLAS COWBOYS

The Cowboys are in the midst of an incredibly unpredictable and possibly tumultuous offseason. The Cowboys slapped tight end Dalton Schultz with the franchise tag on Tuesday afternoon, and rumors continue to swirl that it could impact the futures of Demarcus Lawrence and Amari Cooper. The Jones family has several issues to work out in regards to their roster, and the Cowboys could lose several key players in free agency, including Leighton Vander Esch, Randy Gregory, and Michael Gallup, among others.

The potential departure of Vander Esch could force the Cowboys to enter the linebacker market. Vander Esch’s career has been littered with highs and lows throughout his tenure as a Cowboy, and the former Boise State standout could embrace the opportunity to create a fresh start for himself elsewhere. Defensive coordinator Dan Quinn would surely embrace the opportunity to reunite with Wagner. Quinn spent two seasons as Wagner’s defensive coordinator in 2013 and 2014, and the pair won Super Bowl XLVIII together. Those Quinn-Wagner defenses were historically productive, and few coaches understand how to get more out of Wagner than Quinn does. The Cowboys continue to work through some cap-related issues, but creating the financial breathing room necessary to add Wagner would be a wise move.

LOS ANGELES RAMS

Expect general manager Les Snead to remain his natural aggressive self as he begins to put together a 2022 Rams roster that’s fully capable of capturing their second consecutive Super Bowl title. Snead will largely focus his attention on retaining the services of Von Miller and Odell Beckham Jr., but the Rams will also look to make an outside addition or two. The Rams could certainly use some upgrades at the linebacker position.

Wagner is a native of Los Angeles, California and he attended Colony High School in nearby Ontario. Wagner could have the Rams high on his list of potential destinations. The Rams possessed an interest in drafting Wagner back in 2012 and just missed out on landing his all-pro talents.

General manager Snead has now been awarded a golden opportunity to right one of his previous wrongs. Plucking him away from their division rival Seahawks would be the cherry on top, as Seattle fans would despite the thought of witnessing Wagner don a Rams jersey in 2022.