Top 2023 Seahawks Training Camp Storylines: What Does Bobby Wagner’s Return Mean For the Defense, & When Will Jordyn Brooks Return?

While the move to bring Wagner back is a very popular one with fans and teammates alike, this wasn’t a signing made for sentimental reasons. Wagner played very well in his one season in L.A. earning second-team All-Pro honors, and the Seahawks had a need at inside linebacker with Cody Barton leaving in free agency and with Jordyn Brooks’ status for the start of the season unknown due to an ACL injury that occurred late last season.

The hope is that Brooks will be back for Seattle’s opener against the Rams, but by adding Wagner and Devin Bush, a former first-round pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Seahawks feel good about that position group heading into camp, even if Brooks needs more time to recover.

“I think it’s an exciting room when Jordyn gets back out there with the fellas,” Carroll said. “Devin is an exciting football player. Runs really well, versatile, all over the place—sideline to sideline guy. We got Bobby in the building so that feels good, stature wise, and leadership wise and production. He had a terrific season last year. And our younger guys, getting Jon Rhattigan back. Jon is really back to full speed and bigger than he’s ever been. We’re anxious to see him. And Vi Jones is 10 pounds heavier and he’s ready to go. And he’s much more connected to the position because it was a little bit of a transition for him. It’s a very good group. We’ll get a lot of play out of that and we’ll get a lot of special teams out of that group too.”

As for Brooks’ recovery, reports from Carroll—and Brooks’ Instagram posts—have been positive, but it was still uncertain, as of last month’s offseason workouts whether he’ll be ready for the start of training camp or open camp on the physically unable to perform list.

As Carroll notes, the depth behind Wagner, Brooks and Bush is young and relatively inexperienced—other than fullback/linebacker/special teams captain Nick Bellore—but with Rhattigan back and enjoying a healthy offseason after spending this time last year rehabbing an ACL injury, and with Jones transitioning from outside linebacker to the off-ball inside linebacker spot, and with other newcomers like undrafted rookies Cam Bright and Patrick O’Connell, the Seahawks will have plenty of players to evaluate in camp.

Wagner’s return of course will add a playmaking element to the defense—he had six sacks and 10 tackles for loss last year, and last season was his seventh straight with at least 130 tackles, and he’s never had fewer than the 104 he had in 11 games in 2014. But he will also bring leadership and experience to a defense that is young in a lot of positions, and that is undergoing some significant turnover on the defensive line. Wagner’s experience and football smarts could go a long way towards Seattle making the improvements it is looking to make on defense this year. As defensive coordinator Clint Hurtt put it earlier this offseason, a lack of consistency led to the defense’s two biggest issues last year, explosive plays and, at times, poor run defense. Few players in franchise history, if any, have been more consistent than Wagner, so who better to help lead a turnaround?

As for the outside linebackers who, for the most part will be on the line of scrimmage, that group will be looking to build off a strong showing last season, led by Uchenna Nwosu and Darrell Taylor, who recorded 9.5 sacks each. Those two are back and expected to play a big role, as is 2022 second-round pick Boye Mafe, and rookie Derick Hall, a second-round pick in this year’s draft. Another name to watch in camp is Tyreke Smith, a 2022 fifth-round pick who missed his rookie season with a hip injury, but who is fully healthy now and who made a strong impression on coaches in offseason workouts.