Latest On Eric Weddle, Chargers
When we noted earlier today that the Chargers were placing Eric Weddle on injured reserve – a move the team has since confirmed – I wrote that the veteran safety may have played his last game with the team. That now looks like a near certainty, with agent David Canter opening up about the fractured relationship between his client and the Chargers.
As Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune writes, the club informed Weddle last Tuesday that he was being fined $10K for remaining on the field during halftime to watch his daughter perform during a dance ceremony. While Weddle and Canter declined to go public with the fine at the time, the agent confirmed it today after the Chargers placed the safety on IR against his wishes. Per Canter, the team also informed Weddle that there would be no room for him to travel on the team plane to the regular season finale in Denver.
According to Acee, Weddle previously hadn’t closed the door on the possibility of returning to the Chargers next season. With his contract set to expire, the 30-year-old said earlier this month that he wouldn’t rule out re-signing with the club. However, after this latest sequence of events, it certainly looks like a lock that he’ll be moving on.
For his part, Canter replied to Acee’s story on Twitter, referring to the headline – “Weddle, Chargers relationship not ‘fine'” – as the “understatement of the decade.” So while Weddle may not publicly say he plans to leave San Diego, it sounds like his agent is looking forward to getting him to the open market in March.
Chargers Place Eric Weddle, Others On IR
1:50pm: The Chargers have confirmed that Weddle has officially been placed on IR, one of six moves today affecting the club’s 53-man roster. Here’s the full list:
Placed on IR:
- TE Ladarius Green (ankle)
- DT Sean Lissemore (shoulder)
- S Darrell Stuckey (knee)
- S Eric Weddle (groin)
Signed to 53-man roster:
- S Matt Daniels (from practice squad)
- TE Sean McGrath (from practice squad)
12:59pm: Veteran safety Eric Weddle may have played his last game with the Chargers. After injuring his groin in the team’s Week 16 contest against the Raiders, Weddle is being placed on injured reserve by San Diego, ending his season, per Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune.
Weddle, who will turn 31 next Monday, has been with the Chargers since being selected by the club in the second ronud of the 2007 draft. In his nine seasons with San Diego, he has appeared in 137 total regular season games (122 starts), earning three Pro Bowl berths and two All-Pro nods. The 2015 campaign was his first year without an interception — he has racked up 19 over the course of his career.
With Weddle’s contract set to expire, the Utah product appears likely to continue his NFL career with a team besides the Chargers. While he had some interest in engaging in extension discussions with San Diego earlier in the year, the team didn’t reciprocate that interest, prompting agent David Canter to suggest that his client would look forward to hitting free agency in the offseason. Unless the Chargers decide to use their franchise tag on Weddle, he looks like a good bet to reach the open market.
The Chargers will make a corresponding move to fill Weddle’s spot on the roster, but that transactions hasn’t been reported or announced yet.
Chargers Deny Shopping Eric Weddle
10:27pm: A Chargers spokesman has reached out to Florio to deny that the team is shopping Weddle, suggesting there’s “absolutely no truth” to those rumors. Still, PFT’s original source still insists that San Diego is indeed shopping the safety, and it doesn’t make sense that the club would want to hang onto him at all costs, considering he’s set to test the free agent market this winter.
9:16pm: The Giants are among four NFL teams to express interest in Weddle, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report tweets.
8:09pm: The Chargers are shopping safety Eric Weddle, a league source tells Mike Florio of PFT. Weddle is earning $7.5MM in the final year of his contract.
The three-time Pro Bowler skipped the voluntary portion of the offseason this summer while locked in a contract dispute with the team. Weddle is the fourth-highest paid safety in terms of total compensation in 2015 but he was seeking a new deal with his 31st birthday coming up in January 2016. After the Chargers held their ground, Weddle made it known that he would turn his attention to free agency after the season.
As the Chargers sit at 2-6, it only makes sense that they would explore a deal for Weddle rather than lose him in the offseason. However, the Chargers could also hang on to the veteran and net a compensatory draft pick for him in the spring. For that reason, the Bolts can’t be expected to part with Weddle for cheap.
Weddle has been the Chargers’ starting safety since 2008 and he did not miss a regular season start from 2009 through 2014. In 2014, Weddle racked up 114 total tackles to go along with eight pass deflections and an interception. Pro Football Focus (subscription required) rated the three-time Pro Bowler as the best overall safety in the NFL last season with a +18.9 overall grade.
The safety is nursing a groin injury but it’s only a minor setback and he’s already sprinting again, according to NFL.com’s Rand Getlin (on Twitter).
Trade Rumors: Mack, Weddle, Boldin
Cardinals GM Steve Keim says that while there are always talks going on, there is “nothing imminent” for his team, as Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com writes. When asked specifically about targeting a pass rusher, Keim noted that teams aren’t really offering up anyone that fits the bill unless they are overpaid or dealing with off-the-field issues. Even if the Cardinals aren’t on the precipice of anything, a whole lot can change between now and the deadline. Meanwhile, plenty of other teams are assessing their trade options at the midway point. Here’s the very latest:
- Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (on Twitter) hears that Bears defensive end Willie Young and Eagles defensive end Vinny Curry can be had via trade. Neither player is getting much playing time so far in 2015.
- More from Cole (video link), who hears that the Browns expect Alex Mack to exercise his opt-out clause and go to the highest bidder, therefore making him a prime trade candidate heading into the deadline. The center’s deal features a no-trade clause, but he is allowed to waive it to expedite a move to a contending team.
- Cole adds that pending free agents Eric Weddle (Chargers) and Anquan Boldin (49ers) aren’t really in play since both teams are hoping to net compensatory draft picks for them in the offseason if they head elsewhere. As a result, it would take a significant haul to pry either player loose.
- When asked if a trade for a running back could happen, Texans head coach Bill O’Brien said, “I don’t see that coming,” as John McClain of the Houston Chronicle tweets.
- Falcons head coach Dan Quinn says that trades are not a priority for the team right now, as Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com tweets.
- Browns linebacker Paul Kruger isn’t surprised to hear his name in trade rumors because of “the way [he’s] been used,” Mary Kay Cabot of The Plain Dealer writes.
- Joel Corry of CBSSports.com came up with some creative hypothetical trade ideas, including one that would have the Panthers acquire Calvin Johnson from the Lions.
- Keeping up with the theme of hypothetical deals, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com would like to see Washington send Robert Griffin III to the Chiefs for fellow QB Chase Daniel. Another interesting idea would have the Bears ship Alshon Jeffery to the Falcons in exchange for a second-round choice.
Extra Points: Weddle, Chancellor, Brady
Adam Jones will probably go down as one of those “what-if” history stories in sports and the Bengals cornerback is well aware of that. “If I would have never gotten suspended, I would have $100 million right now,” Jones said, according to Coley Harvey of ESPN.com. Still, Jones says that he tries not to live with regrets and that he hopes to make the most of the remainder of his career. Here’s more from around the NFL..
- Eric Weddle‘s agent David Canter confirmed (via Twitter links) that he would like to see the Chargers safety land with the Dolphins. However, he made it clear that he and Weddle “have never and will never ask for a trade from San Diego.” Teams typically don’t trade their best players, Canter notes, and he says that Bolts fans can rest assured that he won’t be going anywhere, at least in 2015.
- Agent Alvin Keels told ESPN.com’s Josina Anderson (on Twitter) that everything is status quo with his client, Seahawks safety Kam Chancellor. “Nothing has changed. He will not report without his contract being addressed this season. The team and I have been in contact, but we haven’t been able to agree on any compromise,” Keels said.
- Right now, there are no more settlement talks planned between the NFL and NFLPA until the August 31st court appearance, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.
- Brandon Meriweather‘s deal with the Giants is a one-year pact worth $870K and no guaranteed cash, Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets.
- During practice Sunday, Raiders‘ WR Andre Holmes fractured his hand and now is expected to be out 3-4 weeks, sources tell ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter).
- New Jets quarterback Matt Flynn says that there’s no timetable on when he’ll recover from his hamstring issue and added that he is not guaranteed a roster spot with Gang Green, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com tweets.
- Guard-center Josh Samuda, former Dolphin and Viking, worked out today for the Chiefs, according to a source who spoke with Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (on Twitter).
AFC Notes: Brady, Weddle, Lewis, Kromer
A U.S. District Court judge ordered the NFL and NFLPA to try to resolve their differences over Tom Brady‘s suspension without litigation, as ESPN.com writes. Of course, it seems unlikely that the two sides will peacefully resolve the conflict regarding the Patriots quarterback. Here’s more from the AFC..
- Chargers safety Eric Weddle says that he will not hold out from camp but added that he believes this will be his last year with the team, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report tweets. Weddle and the Bolts have been embroiled in a contract dispute all offseason and there has been no sign of the two compromising on an extension.
- Bengals coach Marvin Lewis wants to win a Super Bowl this season and “walk away” afterwards to leave the game on top, Paul Daugherty of The Cincinnati Enquirer writes.
- Bills offensive line coach Aaron Kromer entered a written plea of not guilty in a Florida court, as Mike Rodak of ESPN.com tweets. Kromer is scheduled for a September 2nd pre-trial hearing.
AFC Notes: S. Smith, Weddle, Bengals, Pats
While some players like the idea of going out on top, veteran receiver Steve Smith thinks he might continue playing even if the Ravens win the Super Bowl this season, per Clifton Brown of CSNBaltimore.com.
“You still have the same bills, the same issues, you’re the same person,” Smith said, joking, “You don’t all of a sudden get free cable for life because you’ve won a Super Bowl.”
Here’s more from around the AFC:
- As expected, Chargers safety Eric Weddle doesn’t have a new contract in place as San Diego’s training camp gets underway, so expect him to play out the 2015 season with an eye toward free agency in the winter, says Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune.
- With James Wright done for the year, Coley Harvey of ESPN.com expects the Bengals to add one more receiver via free agency. Harvey ran down some notable names that are still available, including Reggie Wayne, Wes Welker, James Jones, and Dane Sanzenbacher. Greg Little, who will audition with the team this week, earned an honorable mention on his list.
- Cornerback Tarell Brown got a one-year, $1.5MM deal from the Patriots, Ben Volin of The Boston Globe tweets. Brown will receive a $100K bonus if he makes the team in Week 1, to go along with a $400K signing bonus and a $1MM base salary.
- There was some confusion this week when the Dolphins re-signed quarterback Josh Freeman just four days after cutting him. However, as Field Yates of ESPN.com explains (via Twitter), Freeman’s new contract includes a split salary, which would allow the team to save money if the signal-caller gets hurt and lands on injured reserve.
- After meeting with San Diego officials earlier this week to discuss the stadium situation there, NFL executive Eric Grubman was in East Bay today to talk about the Raiders‘ stadium progress, according to Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com (via Twitter).
Luke Adams contributed to this post.
Eric Weddle Addresses Contract Situation
Eric Weddle has never been one to beat around the bush. Now at odds with the Chargers over his contract situation, he’s staying true to form. The safety read a prepared statement to Bolts beat writers and then conducted a 15 minute Q&A, as Kevin Acee of U-T San Diego writes.
“Contrary to what has recently been said by upper management, there has never been any financial numbers discussed and the Chargers have never put an offer on the table for us to consider,” Weddle said as part of the statement. “It is obvious to me I am not part of this organization’s long-term plans. The NFL is a business, and I can accept that. I just wish the organization had been upfront with me from day one.”
The veteran went on to reiterate the position of agent David Canter, explaining that he is prepared play his final season in San Diego. If there is no agreement on a multi-year extension before training camp, Weddle says that his agent will not “speak to the Chargers again.”
Weddle, who skipped all of the Chargers voluntary workouts, is scheduled to make $7.5MM in base salary in the final year of a five-year, $40MM deal, making him the fourth-highest paid safety in terms of total compensation in 2015. In late April, GM Tom Telesco indicated that, while he was focused on the draft at that point, he eventually wanted to discuss Weddle’s contract. Ultimately, that didn’t wind up happening.
Weddle has been the Chargers’ starting safety since 2008 and he has not missed a regular season start since the 2009 season. In 2014, Weddle racked up 114 total tackles to go along with eight pass deflections and an interception. Pro Football Focus (subscription required) rated the three-time Pro Bowler as the best overall safety in the NFL last season with a +18.9 overall grade.
Eric Weddle To Attend Chargers’ Minicamp
After sitting out the team’s OTAs in search of a new contract, veteran safety Eric Weddle will report to the Chargers’ mandatory minicamp this week, reports Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune (via Twitter). Agent David Canter (Twitter link) confirms that his client will be in attendance and will participate in all activities.
Weddle, 30, is scheduled to make $7.5MM in base salary in the final year of a five-year, $40MM deal, making him the fourth-highest paid safety in terms of total compensation in 2015. In late April, GM Tom Telesco indicated that, while he was focused on the draft at that point, he eventually wanted to discuss Weddle’s contract, so it came as a bit of a surprise two weeks ago when a report indicated the Chargers were shutting down talks until after the season.
At the time, Canter called the team’s stance “disappointing,” strongly suggesting that Weddle would opt to hit free agency in 2016 rather than attempting to work something out with San Diego after the season. Still, the Pro Bowler’s agent also indicated that his client would go all-out for the Chargers this season, so it makes sense that Weddle would show up this week.
If Weddle had opted to skip this week’s minicamp, he would’ve been subject to fines for the first time this offseason — OTAs were voluntary, so the veteran’s pay wasn’t docked for missing those. As Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune tweets, Weddle also intends to report to training camp and will be good to go for the season, which may very well be his last with the Chargers.
Chargers GM On Weddle, Rivers, Liuget
Chargers general manager Tom Telesco is a busy man. Having just completed an extension for defensive lineman Corey Liuget, Telesco will now shift his focus to two other key members of the team: safety Eric Weddle and quarterback Philip Rivers.
Weddle skipped the team’s voluntary workouts, and he’s also spoken out against the organization’s handling of negotiations. The 30-year-old is entering the final year of his five-year, $40MM contract. Meanwhile, Rivers is set to be a free agent following the 2015 season, and he’ll be paid $15.75MM in the final year of his contract. The 33-year-old was mentioned in trade rumors throughout the offseason.
Telesco talked with Scott Kaplan and Billy Ray Smith of The Mighty 1090 AM radio late last week, and ESPN.com’s Eric D. Williams transcribed the conversation. We previously passed along some of Telesco’s quotes regarding Weddle, but we’ve compiled some of the other intriguing soundbites below…
On the ongoing negotiations with Weddle, and whether the safety will show up to minicamp next week:
“Each negotiation, each discussion is just different. In his case, he’s up there at the top of the market where he’s paid right now.”
“I expect him to, but we’ll see next week. But I’d expect him to be here. … He’s a pro. He’s a big part of this team. We know everything about him. We’ll know he’ll be ready to go. I’m not worried about that at all.”
On the organization’s discussions with Rivers:
“We still have open lines of communication, but there’s really nothing new to report right now. We’ll continue to hopefully talk and see how it goes.”
“The numbers are pretty big, so the conversations do take some time. But we’ll keep working at it, and we’ll see where it goes.”
On Liuget’s five-year extension:
“It was nice to get him extended. Corey is a very disruptive layer, and he plays a very important position in our defense. The 3-tech defensive tackle makes that whole front go, and he has that type of ability. He turned 25 just a couple months ago. He still has a really high ceiling. There’s still a lot of good football in front of him, and still a lot of skills in front of him. So I don’t even think we’ve seen the finished product yet.”