Why Raiders must look into adding Bobby Wagner

After the departure of former Pro Bowl linebacker Denzel Perryman, the Raiders can't afford to make any misteps on defense. Las Vegas should go all in on free-agent LB Bobby Wagner.

Last season, the Raiders had one of the worst units in the league, ranking 26th in points and 28th in yards allowed. Instead of retaining Perryman, one of the best players from that unit, the Raiders let him go to Houston on a one-year deal.
 
In 2021, Perryman had 154 tackles in 15 games, sixth in the NFL. Last season, he tied for 13th in the NFL tackles for a loss (14 in 12 games).
Wagner, a Super Bowl XLVIII champion with Seattle, has earned eight Pro Bowl nods in 11 seasons. He'd probably be an upgrade from Perryman.

Although Wagner is 32, his performance is not diminishing. In 17 games last season, he had a career-high in sacks (six), tied for the second-most tackles for a loss in his career (10) and finished 13th in the league in tackles (140). Pro Football Focus graded him as its No. 1 linebacker.  

The Raiders are a little tighter on cap space ($17.3M, per Spotrac), but they have enough room for Wagner, whose market value is a three-year deal worth $9.3M annually.

Regardless, cost shouldn't be the Raiders primary concern because their defense has held them back for a decade.
 
Las Vegas has ranked 20th or worse in points allowed since 2007 and have only made the playoffs twice during that span.