Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner made no effort to hide his feelings that the Seahawks should re-sign linebacker K.J. Wright this offseason and Seattle did just that earlier this month.
Wagner now finds himself in the same position that Wright did at this time last year. Wagner is heading into the final year of his contract and head coach Pete Carroll thinks that the Wright deal “might have been the best thing” the team could have done to kick off negotiations with Wagner.
Carroll said on Tuesday from the league meetings that those negotiations have gotten underway and said that Wagner’s “going to be a Seahawk” when all is said and done. The deals signed by Jets linebacker C.J. Mosley and 49ers linebacker Kwon Alexander this month provide some parameters for a deal, although Carroll noted that Wagner’s decision to represent himself in the talks add another wrinkle to the proceedings.
“It’s more challenging [for players representing themselves] that they can know, because to get through the process, there’s a lot to it,” Carroll said, via ESPN.com. “Bobby’s going to have good support around him; he has asked a lot of questions so that he will be prepared to deal with it, and I know he’ll do a good job and all. But it’s maybe more difficult than I think a guy can imagine going into it the first time. The conversations and issue and stuff to learn and all that, I think he’s looking forward to that, just to see what it’s all about.”
Carroll stressed that he doesn’t “think there will be any problems” because Wagner and the organization have “tremendous respect” for one another, but it appears they are in the early stages of what may be a lengthy process.