The Las Vegas Raiders simply refuse to add legitimate young linebacker talent to the equation. No matter who has been in charge of the Silver and Black over the years, they have tried to patch the linebacker room together with late-round draft picks and veteran additions, but to no avail.
One has to go back to 2013 to find the last time that the Raiders have selected an off-ball linebacker before Round 5. It was more of the same last offseason, as they drafted Cody Lindenberg in Round 7 and added cheap veterans like Devin White, Elandon Roberts, Germaine Pratt and Jaylon Smith.
Between that and the departure of Robert Spillane, Las Vegas had one of the worst linebacker rooms in the NFL. Luckily, the latter four players are not under contract next season, so the Raiders can hit the reset button. But not if they make the same mistake by adding someone like Bobby Wagner.
Raiders urged to sign to veteran LB Bobby Wagner in free agency
Sports Illustrated's Matt Verderame and Gilberto Manzano listed the 50 best free agents this offseason and provided potential landing spots for each of them. For the Raiders, one of the matches was Wagner, the veteran Washington Commanders linebacker, on a one-year, $9 million deal.
"In his age-35 season, Wagner continued to play at a high level, recording 162 combined tackles, two interceptions and 4.5 sacks. It wouldn’t be a surprise if coach Dan Quinn decides to keep the 10-time Pro Bowler who will be enshrined in Canton when it’s all said and done. Wagner is only one of three players in NFL history with 2,000 career tackles."
Now, Wagner is a legendary player at the position. And yes, at least statistically speaking and against the run, he had another dominant campaign in 2025. But Wagner has turned into a liability against the pass in his later years, which sounds like White and Roberts' plight all over again in Las Vegas.
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Wagner will be 36 years old when the 2026 season rolls around, which is fairly ancient for a linebacker. In a 3-4 base defense, it can be rightfully questioned if Wagner can still cover today's tight ends and running backs while also getting sideline-to-sideline against the run.
Las Vegas will want a veteran presence in the linebacker room, as only Lindenberg and Tommy Eichenberg are under contract. But this April's draft class is loaded with talent, and perhaps the Raiders finally transition to having a young room instead of dragging it down with older signings.
Yes, Wagner can still play. And yes, in the same article, the Silver and Black were named as a fit for Devin Lloyd, a much younger and, at this point, more complete and talented linebacker than Wagner. If the Raiders want someone on the open market to supplement youth, better options certainly exist.
At a projected price tag of $7.7 million, Las Vegas can do better than signing the 36-year-old Wagner. The sky wouldn't fall if they did add him into the fold, but Raider Nation is ready for some serious changes to the linebacker room, and that starts with adding young, versatile talent. Wagner isn't that.