The Los Angeles Rams bolstered their linebacker group earlier this offseason by signing Bobby Wagner to a five-year contract. The eight-time Pro Bowler became a free agent after he was unexpectedly released by the Seattle Seahawks.
While joining a new team can come with a learning curve, Wagner will be staying in the NFC West, where he played the first 10 seasons of his career. The 31-year-old also was born and raised in L.A., so he is already familiar with the city.
In terms of adjustments, Wagner cited learning the Rams’ defensive scheme and the L.A. traffic he will have to regularly deal with on his commute, per Stu Jackson of TheRams.com:
“I think the biggest adjustment is just learning the plays and things like that,” Wagner said during a video conference with reporters Wednesday. “And then biggest thing is getting used to the traffic again, because my commute (in Seattle) was at most, two to three minutes tops. Traffic out here, I’m probably traveling like 45 minutes on a good day.”
Once Wagner becomes more comfortable in the locker room, he is forward to bonding with his new teammates through basketball and rap music:
“I think everybody bonds over basketball, whether you have a good a good team or you think you’re a good basketball player. So we’re gonna see who’s who’s the best on the team at some point,” Wagner said. “So that’s definitely one, and music is definitely another because, I’m from California, so Kendrick (Lamar) is naturally my favorite, and we have guys that think otherwise. So we have very strong opinions on you know, who’s running the (rap) game right now.”
While Wager is well-regarded for his preparation and ability to diagnose plays, he also looks poised to become a leader in the Rams locker room — a role he embraced with the Seahawks as well.
