Wagner set to return

Seahawks MLB Bobby Wagner (ankle) is probable for Monday night's trip to St. Louis after missing the past 2 games.  He faces a bad fantasy matchup, though, and we can't help but worry about risk of tweaking the ankle.  We've added him to our Week 8 LB rankings, but not very high.  LB K.J. Wright figures to slide back to the weak side after filling in for Wagner in the middle.  OLB Malcolm Smith figures to return to a reserve role, though we'll be curious to see if a terrific Week 7 performance against Arizona shuffles the LB lineup at all.  Bruce Irvin's the strong-side starter after serving a 4-game PED suspension to open the season.

The Seahawks have agreed to a one-year, $7 million deal with LB Bobby Wagner, according to multiple reports. This is a high-upside landing spot for Wagner, who became a cap casualty just a year after signing in free agency with the Rams. He returns to a Seattle LB corps that let starter Cody Barton walk in free agency. Incumbent Jordyn Brooks is coming off a Week 17 ACL tear, which could challenge his readiness for the start of the 2023 NFL season. That all means Wagner could open the year as the Seahawks top fantasy LB, with upside well into the position's top 10. We'll keep an eye on the whole situation through the summer.

The Rams have agreed to a 5-year, $50 million deal with LB Bobby Wagner, according to multiple reports. The pact has a reported max value of $65 million. We'd be surprised if the veteran LB sticks with L.A. for 5 years and the contract gets anywhere close to either of those numbers. But the Rams clearly want Wagner to be their top off-ball LB for at least the next year or 2. This move should keep Wagner well within LB1 range for IDP drafts in 2022.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that the Seahawks have told LB Bobby Wagner that they're releasing him. It's not a shocking move for a couple of reasons. First, it saves Seattle $16.6 million in cap space in 2022. Second, the Seahawks' trade of QB Russell Wilson to Denver signals at least somewhat of a rebuild. This was to be the final year on Wagner's contract. The 32-year-old (in June) remains a productive player and is sure to land another gig -- assuming he wants to continue playing. Cody Barton might be a candidate to replace Wagner, but we'd bet on the team also bringing in more at LB via free agency or the NFL Draft.

Seahawks MLB Bobby Wagner sprained the MCL and PCL in his right knee in Sunday's win over the Lions, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Wagner will miss the regular-season finale, but the injury is not expected to affect him beyond that.

Seahawks MLB Bobby Wagner suffered a knee injury early in Sunday's win over the Lions and did not return. We'll see about his outlook for Week 18, but Seattle has nothing to play for in the finale -- other than potentially damaging Arizona's playoff seed.