It's not often a team like the Washington Commanders gets the chance to sign a player of linebacker Bobby Wagner's stature, but thanks to head coach Dan Quinn and linebackers coach Ken Norton Jr. that's exactly what happened this offseason.
Wagner wasn't the only exciting name to join the linebacker group though, as former Carolina Panthers standout Frankie Luvu also chose the Commanders to be his next team.
The duo first connected while Wagner was still playing for the Seattle Seahawks and Luvu was playing for Washington State. Now, they're joining forces again all the way across the country and according to Pro Football Focus will give their new team one of the best linebacker duos in the NFL.
"Wagner is about to turn 34 and has just one season with a PFF coverage grade above 70.0 since 2018, but he remains one of the best run defenders in football," writes PFF's Gordon McGuinness. "He has earned 90.0-plus PFF run-defense grades in three of the past four seasons — and six of the past eight."
In their annual preseason ranking of players within their position groups, Wagner comes in as the No. 20 ranked linebacker in the league. Luvu came in 21st.
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"He has earned 90.0-plus PFF run-defense grades in three of the past four seasons — and six of the past eight."Gordon McGuinness on Bobby Wagner
"While he is somewhat limited in coverage, with his 67.7 PFF coverage grade in 2023 the high mark of his career, Luvu has become one of the better run defenders over the past three seasons and is an effective blitzer," says McGuinness. "He racked up 20 or more pressures in each of the past two seasons."
According to PFF's rankings what really stands out is the amount of linebacker talent isolated to just a fraction of the teams in the league as no fewer than eight teams have at least two players on the list of top 32.
Another thing that stands out is that only the New York Giants have a player on this list from the rest of the NFC East Division as the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys were both shut out of the rankings.
