Could Seahawks Hand Keys to Cody Barton at MIKE Linebacker in 2022?

Logging a season-high 65 snaps filling in for Wagner, Barton racked up seven tackles, finishing third on the team behind Brooks and cornerback D.J. Reed. Impressed by what he saw, Carroll applauded the Salt Lake City native after breaking down the film during his Monday press conference.

“He played really fast, played with confidence, he attacked the line of scrimmage really well, he attacked blockers well on his way to the football, and it was the most confident he’s been," Carroll assessed. "That really is a big factor playing in there because you have to go, if you see stuff you have to go, and he did. He got involved in the pass game, he had a couple of rush opportunities too that he would like to have again, but all in all, he did a really nice job.”

As Carroll attested, Barton made the wrong reads on a few plays in coverage, but his prior safety background and athleticism showed up on several occasions defending the pass on Sunday. He allowed only two receptions on six targets for 16 yards and a 42.4 passer rating while also breaking up a pass after undercutting a hitch route from his hook zone in the third quarter.

In addition, Barton also contributed as a pass rusher, generating a quarterback hit on Tim Boyle on four blitz opportunities. Impacting the game in a myriad of ways, his performance allowed Seattle to get by without its future Hall of Famer.

“He had a couple of really good plays. He misread a couple of things, he might have had a chance to help us out over the middle, but all in all, he was good," Carroll said. "He has always shown us to have really good instincts in the passing game, he is a playmaker, he can steal the football from you, and all of that. It’s a strength of his.”

Prior to Sunday, Barton had flashed his coverage skills and tackling ability in limited playing time on defense, but he had never shown himself to necessarily be a starter-caliber player either. When tasked with playing strongside linebacker in place of Kendricks as a rookie, for example, he struggled to set the edge and didn't possess desired play strength defending the run.

When Barton has had a chance to play one of Seattle's two off-ball linebacker spots, however, he has been productive both against the run and defending the pass. In two starts at weakside linebacker last season, he recorded 17 tackles, including a decisive fourth down stop against the Vikings, and generated a pass deflection that led to an interception for safety Ryan Neal.

Looking towards next season, the Seahawks can't put too much stock in one game against the lowly Lions, who have won just two games all season. With one year remaining on his rookie contract, the jury remains out on whether or not Barton has the goods to be a full-time starter.

With that said, though Wagner broke his own franchise record for tackles and remains a rock solid linebacker, his diminishing athletic traits have started to create schematic issues for the team when he's asked to drop into coverage. He will turn 32 next July and carries a $20-plus million dollar cap hit, which would be a steep price to pay even if he was still in the prime of his career.

While nobody should mistake Barton as the second-coming of Wagner - if anything, Brooks looks like he could become that caliber of player - it couldn't have been more evident on Sunday that he offers Seattle better range as a sideline-to-sideline run defender and dropping into coverage than his veteran counterpart does at this point. He brings those tools to the table at a far cheaper cost as well, as he will carry an affordable $1.86 million cap hit in 2022.

Moving on from a guaranteed Canton-bound talent such as Wagner wouldn't be easy for fans to accept and undoubtedly would be a significant roll of the dice for the Seahawks. But as they have shown in the past moving on other stars such as Richard Sherman, Earl Thomas, and most recently K.J. Wright, general manager John Schneider and company have proven they will make difficult business choices with aging players in favor of a younger option.

Ultimately, in a situation similar to Carroll and Wilson, it's anyone's guess whether or not Wagner will be back in town next season. If he agrees to a restructured contract to lower his cap hit, which is certainly possible, the two sides could work things out for him to return for an 11th season, as he remains highly productive on the field and offers irreplaceable leadership on the locker room.

On the other hand, with Wagner likely out for the season finale due to a sprained knee, Barton has a legitimate opportunity to stake a claim to a starting role next season in Arizona on Sunday. If he can replicate his performance from a week ago and keeps making plays all over the field, the decision could wind up being that much tougher for Schneider and everyone involved.