Seahawks GM John Schneider Takes Blame for Handling of Bobby Wagner's Release

Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider and head coach Pete Carroll accepted joint responsibility for how the team handled the release of Bobby Wagner after the Pro Bowl linebacker expressed frustration last week.

"Yeah, that's on me. I own that," Schneider told reporters Wednesday. "No, it really is [on me]. I wish I could have handled things better in that regard from a communication standpoint. I owe it to him. The organization owes it to him."

Carroll added:

"I'm guilty, too, because I didn't want it to happen. I wanted Bobby to stay with us forever, and so I kept encouraging John, 'Let's see what all the options could possibly be so maybe there's a way out that we don't have to do this.' So each day was crucial as we were drawing closer to it. And then really, it seemed like when Russell [Wilson's trade] news went out, then everything hit the fan kind of thing. We were supposed to meet with Bobby a couple days after that, and the timing just didn't work out right. I regret that we didn't do a better job timing wise."

Wagner was right to expect a more celebrated departure from Seattle.

The 31-year-old Los Angeles native immediately became a key part of the Seahawks' defense after being selected in the second round of the 2012 NFL draft. He spent a decade playing at a high level, earning eight Pro Bowl appearances and six first-team All-Pro selections.

Carroll had also said in early March the franchise would do everything it could to keep the defensive stalwart in place, while stopping short of saying it was a guarantee.

"We'd love to be able to play with him, so we'll work towards that. If we can do that, we'll do it," the longtime head coach told reporters.

It's easy to see why Wagner was so frustrated by getting released without hearing it directly from the organization.

In the team's defense, it's difficult to make a roster move without word getting out ahead of time in the 24/7 world of rumors, speculation and leaked information. Carroll referenced that side of things in his remarks Wednesday.

"I don't know how he heard," Carroll said. "You all were talking about it left and right, and then your articles were all over the internet and everything about [the possibility of Wagner's release], so the suggestions were out."

Yet, there's also a difference between a player on the roster's fringe and a franchise legend who helped the team capture the Super Bowl XLVIII title at the end of the 2013 season.

"Too much respect to have something like that happen," Schneider said. "We did speak with him. We did talk to him together. We walked through things. So it wasn't like we didn't speak with him. It was just the timing."

Ultimately, Wilson's trade to the Denver Broncos marked the beginning of a transition period for the Seahawks. Wagner's release, which saved the team $16.6 million in salary-cap space, felt like a mere formality as it moves toward a new era.

The linebacker shouldn't have much trouble finding a new team, as he's coming off a year in which he posted a career-high 170 total tackles—third in the NFL.