Green Bay Packers: 1 Big Question Facing Each Free Agent Signing

How much of a downgrade will Rick Wagner be at RT?

This question may come off as an insult to Rick Wagner but it’s really not meant to be taken that way. If anything it is more of a compliment to Bryan Bulaga because just about any other tackle that Green Bay brought in was going to be a downgrade.

So I think it’s fair to ask, how much of a downgrade at right tackle is Wagner going to be?

Wagner is coming off a 2019 season where he would play in only 12 games due to an injury and unfortunately, he’s battled injuries for much of his career. Since taking over as a full-time starter in 2014 with Baltimore, Wagner has started all 16 games just one time.

This of course can be worrisome for the Packers given that there is very little tackle experience on the depth chart behind him.

As a pass-blocker, he’s fairly steady and isn’t going to have too many ups and downs, but against the better pass-rushers in the league he is going to struggle. Last year according to Pro Football Focus, Wagner had 467 pass-blocking attempts and gave up three sacks, four hits, and 32 total pressures.

For comparison’s sake, Bulaga in 2019 had 612 pass-blocking snaps and gave up four sacks, four hits, and just 27 total pressures.

While run-blocking wasn’t Bulaga’s strong suit, according to Andy Herman of Packer Report, Wagner is still a downgrade from an overall run-blocking standpoint and at best it’s a wash in terms of athleticism. After watching film of several Wagner games, Andy would have this to say about his run-blocking ability:

"“As a run blocker, Wagner isn’t the most fleet of foot and he’s far from a mauler. He will get in the way and at least minimize penetration into the backfield, but he’s not a mover. He’s also not a player that excels at getting up to the second level and sealing faster linebackers.”"

This is a Green Bay Packers team with a soon to be 37-year-old quarterback that likes to hang on to the football and an outside zone run game that requires the tackles to get outside and seal the edges. And as I already mentioned, there is little experience on the roster at this position.

Wagner’s performance is going to have a huge impact on the overall effectiveness of this offense in 2020. So I ask again, how good can he be?