Commanders Sign Wagner to 'Set The Tone' for Quinn's Defense

Coming off of his tenth straight All-Pro selection, Wagner is the type of player that head coach Dan Quinn will welcome to his defense as he looks to flip the fortunes of his new defense.

Bringing Wagner onto the Commanders represents a reunion between him and Quinn, who previously coached with the Seattle Seahawks as the team's defensive coordinator during 2013 and 2014, as the combination helped the Legion of Boom take the franchise to consecutive Super Bowl appearances.

Wagner agreed to a one-year contract with Washington worth a max value of $8.5 million and a guaranteed $6 million. Adding Wagner to the defense brings one of the most knowledgeable veterans in the entire league to a Commanders team that will be trying to grow up and show up on Sundays in a much more mature fashion than a year ago when it was the second-worst in the NFL. 

Commanders cornerback Emmanuel Forbes Jr. is one player who could greatly benefit from Wagner's veteran presence on the field. Fellow draft classmate Devon Witherspoon credited the 12-year veteran with helping welcome him to the NFL and setting an example for him as a rookie en route to him making the Pro Bowl alongside him in year one. 

At 33 years old, Wagner remains one of the game's premier inside linebackers. He just finished last season with a new single-season high in total tackles at 183 (led the NFL); he also added 11 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks.

Washington is expected to draft the future face of its franchise with the No. 2 overall pick in this year's NFL Draft, but now, thanks to Peters' brilliant veteran addition, whoever the team selects will have Wagner to provide an abundance of leadership and help set the tone for the Quinn era of the Commanders.