UPDATE (3:18 P.M. ET): Bobby Wagner reportedly is signing with the Los Angeles Rams.
ORIGINAL STORY: Did Matthew Judon finally land a New England Patriots recruit? Or is he just messing with us?
The Patriots edge rusher, who’s been sending out near-daily pitches to high-profile NFL free agents on social media, tweeted Thursday that All-Pro linebacker Bobby Wagner is signing with New England.
“Y’all see (Wagner) signed with the patriots?” Judon tweeted, followed by a series of emojis.
Richard Sherman, Wagner’s longtime teammate with the Seattle Seahawks, did announce Wednesday that the linebacker’s free agent decision was “coming soon.”
But so far, Judon’s (potentially facetious) tweet is the only report linking Wagner to the Patriots, who currently have a strong need at inside linebacker. And a report from independent NFL reporter Dov Kleiman indicated Wagner is not coming to New England.
Wagner is among the top veterans still available on the free agent market, as he’s yet to land with a new team since the Seahawks cut him earlier this month. Though he no longer has youth on his side — he’ll be 32 in June — Wagner is one of the best linebackers of his era, making each of the last eight Pro Bowls and six of the last eight All-Pro first teams. His 170 tackles this past season ranked third in the NFL.
The Patriots have begun to construct their 2022 linebacking corps by re-signing Ja’Whaun Bentley and trading for Mack Wilson, but that group still is in need of upgrades after displaying a lack of speed and playmaking ability down the stretch in 2021.
