Maybe the Washington Commanders will play smarter, not harder.
Signing free agent Bobby Wagner was first thought to gain a future Pro Football Hall of Famer who knows how to stop offenses. Wagner’s legacy in Washington may not be a highlight reel of knockdowns, but watching game film to stop opponents before kickoff.
The 12-year veteran studies video with the same intensity of his workouts. For all defensive coordinator Joe Witt talks of manhandling opponents, Wagner knows how to prevent long gains.
“Honestly, I think I study film a little bit better,” Wagner said. “I think I'm more productive in my study time. I think that's helped me last. The people that I talk to, a lot of the older guys that last a long time, they said lean on your film study, because that's going to help you keep [going]. . . .
“Just recognizing plays faster. I think too, it helps you help your teammates because you know where the plays are going so you can have them play faster. So, you have yourself playing faster and the guys around you playing fast.”
Tight end Zac Ertz’s 709 catches over 11 years may lead him to Canton, too. Washington signed its old Philadelphia nemesis over the offseason after many backbreaking catches against the Commanders over the years. Like Wagner, Ertz seeks to outwit opponents.
“I think at this point in my career, there's really not a coverage that I haven't seen,” he said. “When I was young, you know, the game is a lot faster than it is now. You feel like the guys are moving a lot faster than they are now. But I'm also able to play almost a step ahead or two steps ahead because I understand what the defense is trying to do.
“So, if they're playing a certain coverage, I want to attack where they're vulnerable and maybe when I was younger, it took me a few steps into the route to really see what they were gonna do on a certain play. But now I can pretty much understand it, what they're trying to do pre-snap. So, I'm almost two steps ahead than when I was younger cause I had to react versus now I can anticipate.”
As a middle linebacker, Wagner knows he’s the hub of the defense. With the Commanders’ diminished pass rush from past years and a young secondary, Wagner needs to pull together the middle unit.
“As far as linebackers, we're the generals,” he said. “You are the ones that everybody's looking at for the play call. We're setting everybody up, we're getting everybody lined up and we have to take pride in that.
“Being leaders, being the voice and being an extension of the coaches. And controlling the middle and making plays, and having fun, and bringing everybody together. I think we are in the middle for a reason and things in the middle keep everything together.”
Often, free agent veterans shy from leadership roles, preferring to settle in with a new team first. Wagner has no problem setting the tone.
“I think it's a blessing,” he said. “I think I was blessed to be around a bunch of great men, great leaders. . . . If you have an older guy that can share their scars, you can expedite your learning. And so that's what would help me in my journey, and so I feel like I just tried to do the same. There were a lot of people that helped me while I was coming up, like I said, linebackers like Ray Lewis [and] London Fletcher were gracious with their time. And so, I try to do the same and give back and try to share my experience and scars with anybody who has a thirst for knowledge.”
Work smarter, not harder may indeed be the path to the postseason.