Wagner happy to stick around with Seahawks

RENTON, Wash. – Bobby Wagner thought his first visit to the Seahawks’ training facility, prior to the 2012 NFL draft, might also be his last. Linebackers coach Ken Norton Jr. grilled him in a manner that caught him off-guard, showing him a video of 40 of his plays from his Utah State career, 35 of which, Wagner recalled, “were the worst plays I ever had. … He just killed me every single play.’’ The Seahawks also spent the visit doing extensive tests on Wagner’s kidneys, which Wagner revealed Sunday, “don’t function as well as they should.’’ Wagner recalled all of this a few hours after signing a four-year contract extension worth $43 million that will keep him with Seattle through 2019. It’s a contract that serves as financial acknowledgment of something that has been obvious for several years – that Wagner is one of the most critical pieces to the team’s success now and for seasons to come. It also allows him to now make a permanent home of a city he once thought he might never see again. “I thought that (being picked by Seattle) was the last thing (that would happen),’’ Wagner said. “To be in this position right now, it’s truly a blessing.’’ The contract came a day after the team signed quarterback Russell Wilson to a four-year extension worth $87.6 million, the Seahawks taking until deep in the summer to accomplish in about 36 hours what were their two main offseason goals. “It took a long time,’’ said coach Pete Carroll. “It took a little bit longer than we wanted. We wanted to get it done before we started (training camp). But fortunately, Russell was at the 12th hour, or 11th hour, whatever you say 11 o’clock, and to get Bobby done is just a great statement I think again about the consistency of what our messaging is. We have said that we want to keep this core of players together.’’ As he readied to sign his contract late Saturday night, Wagner said he reminded Seahawks general manager John Schneider of his pre-draft visit. “I just told him I didn’t expect to be here because Seattle was probably the worst (pre-draft) trip that I had,’’ Wagner said. “I’m thinking between Coach Norton and them finding out about my kidneys, I thought that they weren’t going to pick me.’’ Later, he said he found out Norton “was trying to see how tough I was.’’ And Wagner has proved the kidneys are not an issue he can’t play through – last year he was named to his first Pro Bowl and to the NFL All-Pro team, overcoming the doubts of those who wondered if the Seahawks had taken a reach on him in the second round. He recalled Sunday how one analyst gave the Seahawks an “F” for a draft that also included Wilson a round later. Now, the two rank as among the highest-paid players at their positions. Wagner’s contract makes him, for the moment, the highest-paid middle linebacker in the NFL at an average of $10.75 million per season from 2016-2019. The contract fulfilled a high school goal of Wagner’s, who also recalled Sunday how, during his senior year, he wrote down that he someday wanted to be the highest-paid player in the NFL at his position. “The best and highest-paid,’’ he said of what he wrote in a notebook that he still has. His play last year proved to him he can be the best in NFL. He had to be more patient about the salary. While the Seahawks never wavered in their commitment to Wagner, the NFL salary cap requires a delicate dance that Seattle had to maneuver through during the offseason. Specifically, the Seahawks wanted to get the deal done first with Wilson, due to its complexity. Wagner said the serious talks to get his deal done began almost the minute practice ended on Friday. “After (he met the media Friday) I got back to my phone and they said they were on it and trying to get it done,’’ he said. “They are men of their word.’’ Said Carroll: “We’ve set our sights on this all along. … It’s always nice when you hit it like you want to and we got it done.” While Wagner understood the process, his anxiousness to get something done was evident when he had said on Friday that his deadline for a new deal was “now.’’ He didn’t know then just how quickly “now” would arrive. “If I had to wait any longer, I probably wouldn’t have been as patient,’’ Wagner said Sunday. “It’s a crazy process and I’m glad it’s over.’’