Bobby Wagner 'Really Confident' Seahawks Win NFC West Behind Russell Wilson

The Seattle Seahawks have finished runners-up in the NFC West for three straight seasons, but star linebacker Bobby Wagner believes things will be different in 2020.

Wagner offered his assessment Wednesday on ESPN's First Take (h/t Jelani Scott of NFL.com):

"I feel really confident. Obviously, Russell [Wilson] is an amazing quarterback. The things that he does on the field is just amazing. Like you say, he's one of the greatest quarterbacks in our game. We're confident on that side. I feel like from the defensive standpoint, there's a lot of room for improvement. We have to play a little bit better. I feel like if we make those changes and make those improvements, I still feel like we'll be the team to beat. First, we've got to win the NFC West, which I feel like we're confident that we're gonna do, and then we move on from there."

The Seahawks have been active this offseason but won't have a dramatically different roster in 2020. Aside from the draft, either re-signing defensive end Jadeveon Clowney or signing a replacement remains their biggest piece of outstanding business.

Seattle didn't need to make sweeping changes, though.

The team was inches away from beating the San Francisco 49ers in the final week of the regular season, which would've clinched a division title.

The Seahawks have averaged nearly 11 wins a year since 2012 as well. Only once during that stretch did they miss the playoffs.

Crediting Wilson solely for that success would be unfair to his supporting cast, but the six-time Pro Bowler has been one of the franchise's few constants. He finished 2019 with 4,110 passing yards, 31 touchdowns and five interceptions.

Wilson's $35 million average salary undoubtedly makes navigating the salary cap difficult, but he's worth every penny.

The NFC West will likely be one of the NFL's toughest divisions.

The 49ers largely have the same squad from a year ago, with defensive tackle DeForest Buckner the most notable departure. The Arizona Cardinals acquired wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, and quarterback Kyler Murray should be better with a full season under his belt. And the Los Angeles Rams shouldn't be any worse than the nine wins they collected last season.

Still, Wagner's optimism about Seattle is warranted.