Commanders' Dan Quinn is counting on Bobby Wagner as 'multiplier': 'He's all that I love about football'

Dan Quinn's move from Washington to Dallas brought with it a number of former Cowboys.

It's a blast from further in his past, though, that's he's expecting to help ignite his Commanders defense in Year 1.

By signing Bobby Wagner in free agency, Quinn reunited with a linebacker he coached in 2013 and 2014 at the dawn of a Hall of Fame career -- one that's coming full circle now with Wagner set to lead in Washington.

"He's all that I love about football," Quinn told SiriusXM NFL Radio about Wagner this week. "He's a tackler. He's aggressive, he's tough, he's smart, he takes care of himself. So what I'm hopeful to see, and I'm certain it will happen, is he's a multiplier. Because 'This is how the standard is. This is how I operate. This is the process to go through.' So, if you're a young linebacker being around somebody, this is the exact type of linebacker you'd want to be around.

"Seeing that standard of how we operate, I thought that was really important, so that's why I'm so lit up about getting him here. It's been a long time since I've coached him. I coached against him a lot. I remember circling that number and said, 'Do not let this person ruin this game, you know, with 15 tackles.' It's really good to get a chance to work with him and some of the other guys."

If the rest of Washington's defenders even sniff the standard Wagner set over the course of his career, it will be considered a success.

Heading into his 13th season, Wagner is already a member of the 2010s All-Decade Team, with a Super Bowl, nine Pro Bowls and six first-team All-Pro campaigns on his resume. The consummate leader, somehow still building on past seasons, he set a career high with 183 tackles in 2023 -- more than anyone else in the NFL for a third