Eric Weddle

Latest On Ravens’ Eric Weddle

January 24th, 2019 at 10:39am CST by Zachary Links

Recently, Eric Weddle indicated that it’s Ravens-or-bust for him in 2019. Now, he says that’s not necessarily the case.

“I want to finish out [my contract],” Weddle told the Ravens’ team website (Twitter link). “But obviously, decisions have to be made for the future of the team, the organization. They got to do what’s best for them, and I respect that. … [We’ll] see if there’s something to be worked out. If not, then I’ve had an unbelievable experience here and loved every second. So if it does happen, we both move on and then … we’ll see if I’ll play somewhere else or hang ’em up.”

For now, Weddle is set to return at a cap figure of $9.25MM, which puts his Baltimore future in flux. Should the Ravens release him, they’ll save $7.5MM versus just $1.75MM in dead money.

Weddle earned a fifth-career Pro Bowl selection this season, but his age (34) will work against him. There’s also the depressed market for free agent safeties to consider. Last year, safeties with starting experience such as Eric Reid, Kenny Vaccaro, and Tre Boston wound up as afterthoughts. Standout Tyrann Mathieu found a home with the Texans in March, but even he had to settle for a one-year, $7MM deal.

Weddle’s willingness to play elsewhere may help his leverage with the Ravens, but it’s still far from certain that he’ll be retained at his current rate or anything close to it. No matter what, Weddle says he’s excited to return for yet another season.

“Who knows what the future holds?” he said. “But I live it up each day and whatever is going to happen is going to be meant to happen for myself and my family, and I’m excited for the future, for sure.”

Eric Weddle To Retire If Not Back With Ravens

January 7th, 2019 at 10:27am CST by Zachary Links

Safety Eric Weddle is hoping to finish out the last year of his contract with the Ravens in 2019. But, if the Ravens won’t have him back, he says he’ll just retire and “ride off into sunset,” (Twitter link via Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun).

Weddle, 34, came to the Ravens in 2016 after he parted ways with the Chargers. His identity was largely intertwined with the Bolts, but he quickly found a fit in Baltimore and, apparently, can’t envision himself playing anywhere else.

Weddle earned his sixth career Pro Bowl nod this year and his age hasn’t slowed him down much, so it would only make sense for the Ravens to want him back. The vet finished out with 68 total tackles, three passes defensed, and graded out at Pro Football Focus’ No. 17 ranked safety in the entire NFL.

For now, Weddle is set to return at a cap figure of $9.25MM. Should the Ravens release him, they’ll save $7.5MM versus just $1.75MM in dead money.

Notable 2019 Pro Bowl Incentives/Escalators

December 19th, 2018 at 8:42pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The NFL announced the 2018 Pro Bowl rosters earlier on Wednesday, and aside from determining which players will spend a week in Orlando early next year, the rosters also dictate several important bonuses and/or contract escalators for individual players. Former NFL agent and current CBSSports.com contributor Joel Corry has rounded up the notable incentives earned, and we’ll pass those along below. As Corry notes (Twitter link), only first ballot Pro Bowlers who actually participate in the game (unless injured or playing in the Super Bowl) are in bonuses, which are typically paid out by the end of March.

Here are the notable Pro Bowl bonuses and escalators that were netted last evening (all links to Corry’s Twitter):

Bonuses

Ravens S Eric Weddle, $1MM; requires Baltimore in playoffs (link): For the second consecutive season, Weddle’s bonus will ride on the ability of the Ravens to earn a postseason berth. Baltimore is one of several teams in the mix for the AFC’s No. 6 seed, but FiveThirtyEight gives the club only a 41% chance of actually making the playoffs. Weddle, who will be entering his age-34 campaign in 2019, could potentially retire or be released before next season starts.
Chargers C Mike Pouncey, $500K (link): Pouncey somewhat surprisingly earned a Pro Bowl nod alongside his brother, Steelers center Maurkice Pouncey. Mike Pouncey hasn’t been a terrible player by any means, but Raiders center Rodney Hudson has undoubtedly been better. Signed to a two-year contract this offeason, Pouncey is due a $6MM base salary and a $1.5MM roster bonus in 2019.
Vikings WR Adam Thielen, $500K (link): Thielen, notably, signed arguably the most team-friendly contract in the NFL in March 2017, a three-year deal that’s worth less than $20MM. By picking up a half-million dollar Pro Bowl bonus, Thielen will collect a bit more cash, but he’s still vastly underpaid. Second in the league in receptions, Thielen will count just $11.5MM total on the Vikings’ salary cap over the next two years.
Eagles TE Zach Ertz, $100K (link): Ertz will also see his base salaries increase by $250K in each of the 2019, 2020, and 2021 campaigns. He’s already surpassed career-highs in both receptions and yardage, and could top his career-high of eight touchdowns with a strong showing down the stretch.

Escalators

Chiefs T Eric Fisher, $500K base salary increase in 2019 (link): While Fisher hasn’t necessarily lived up to his status as a former No. 1 overall pick, he has played nearly every offensive snap for the Chiefs over the past six years while offering respectable play. He’s signed through 2021 as part of a four-year, $48MM extension he inked in 2016. Kansas City’s best tackle — Mitchell Schwartz, who mans the right side — has somehow been named second-team All-Pro for three consecutive years without ever being given a Pro Bowl nod.
Lions CB Darius Slay, $550K base salary increase in 2019 (link): Slay needed to reach two of three thresholds in order to earn his escalator. While he hasn’t yet met a five interception requirement, he was named to the Pro Bowl and has played on at least 80% of the Lions’ defensive snaps.
Packers WR Davante Adams, $250K base salary increase in 2019 (link): While he’s not quite at Thielen-level in terms of selling himself short, Adams arguably signed his extension with the Packers well before he needed to. Adams took a four-year, $58MM deal in December 2017, just months before he was scheduled to hit the open market. He’s vaunted to true No. 1 wideout status this year, but he’s just the NFL’s ninth-highest-paid wideout in terms of annual average.
Eagles G Brandon Brooks, $250K base salary increase in 2019-2020 (link): Brooks, 29, is quietly one of the best offensive linemen in the NFL, and Pro Football Focus currently grades him as the No. 5 guard in the league. He’s signed through the 2020 season, although his contract does contain two void years in 2021-22 that are in place only for salary cap purposes.

Notable 2018 Pro Bowl Incentives/Escalators

December 19th, 2017 at 9:56pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The NFL announced the 2018 Pro Bowl rosters earlier tonight, and aside from determining which players will spend a week in Orlando early next year, the rosters also dictate several important bonuses and/or contract escalators for individual players. Former NFL agent and current CBSSports.com contributor Joel Corry has rounded up the notable incentives earned tonight, and we’ll pass those along below. As Corry notes (Twitter link), only first ballot Pro Bowlers who actually participate in the game (unless injured or playing in the Super Bowl) are in bonuses, which are typically paid out by the end of March.

Here are the notable Pro Bowl bonuses and escalators that were preliminarily netted this evening (all links to Corry’s Twitter):

Bonuses

Ravens S Eric Weddle, $1MM; requires Baltimore in playoffs (link): Still playing like one of the league’s best coverage safeties at the age of 32, Weddle needs the Ravens to land one of the AFC Wild Card slots in order to earn his incentive. Baltimore appears to on course to do just that, as FiveThirtyEight gives the club an 87% of earning a postseason berth. That playoff appearance will be largely due to the Ravens’ defense, which ranks second only to Jacksonville in DVOA.
Bills S Micah Hyde, $400K (link): Sean McDermott can coach defensive backs. After spending years finding gems at safety for the Eagles and Panthers, the Bills head coach has helped Hyde transform into a top-notch DB. Hyde, who inked a five-year, $30.5MM contract with Buffalo in the spring, ranked a respectable 53rd in Pro Football Focus‘ safety grades a year ago. This season? He’s ninth.
Raiders G Kelechi Osemele, $300K (link): Under general manager Reggie McKenzie, the Raiders have employed what is often referred to as an “all cash” salary cap management system, wherein prorated signing bonuses are rarely used while base salary guarantees, roster bonuses, and — as evidenced by the number of Oakland players on this list — incentive clauses are heavily employed. Osemele, the league’s highest-paid interior offensive lineman, is signed through 2020 with cap charges north of $10MM in each season.
Rams K Greg Zuerlein, $250K (link): While the Los Angeles offense garners the most headlines, the club’s special teams unit has maintained its dominance under coordinator John Fassel, who briefly took over as the Rams’ interim head coach in 2016. Fassel, Zuerlein, & Co. have managed a No. 2 ranking in special teams DVOA, while Zuerlein himself has been worth 15.1 points of field position (second in the NFL).
Raiders T Donald Penn, $200K (link): Penn’s summer holdout lead to extra guarantees in the future, but didn’t end with a change to his 2017 salary, meaning this bonus part of his original deal. The 34-year-old Penn is currently on injured reserve, and will miss his first game since 2007 on Sunday. Still, his renegotiated contract now contains a $3MM guarantee for 2018, meaning he’s likely part of the Raiders’ plans.
Patriots ST Matthew Slater, $150K (link): Slater has now earned a Pro Bowl berth in every season since 2011. At some point, it’s fair to wonder if Slater is skating by on reputation, as he played only a quarter of the Patriots’ special teams snaps this year. Slater missed more special teams tackles than he made prior to his 2016 berth, tweets Mike Renner of Pro Football Focus.
Raiders C Rodney Hudson, $100K (link): For all of Oakland’s problems this season, the Raiders have continued to boast some of the NFL’s best pass-blocking offensive lineman. Hudson is the best pass-blocking center in the league by a wide margin, meaning he’s eminently affordable at $8.9MM annually.

Escalators

Lions CB Darius Slay, $550K base salary increase in 2018 (link): As Corry reports, Slay had three ways to earn this heft escalator — post five or more interceptions (he sits at seven), play on 80% or more of Detroit’s defensive snaps (he’s at 97.6%), or earn a Pro Bowl berth. Slay managed all three in what has become the best season of an increasingly impressive five-year career.
Eagles T Lane Johnson, $250K base salary increase each season from 2018-21 (link): Depending on Jason Peters‘ health and the Eagles’ plans, Johnson could very well be playing left tackle as soon as 2018. Even with his base salary set to increase, Johnson won’t have a cap charge north of $13.5MM over the life of his contract.
Eagles G Brandon Brooks, $250K base salary increase each season from 2018-20 (link): General manager Howie Roseman zeroed in on Brooks at the outset of the 2016 free agent period, and the 28-year-old has quickly proved to be one of the best free agent signings in recent memory. Brooks will earn an $8.5MM base salary — the largest during his five-year deal — in 2018.
Eagles TE Zach Ertz, $250K base salary increase from 2019-21 (link): Per Corry, Ertz also picked up a $100K bonus for 2017. Ertz has already set a career-high in touchdowns (eight) and has a shot to set new marks in receptions and yards even though he missed two games with injury. A former second-round pick, Ertz ranks among the top-five tight ends in catches, yards, and scores.

North Notes: Cutler, Bell, Lions, Ravens

July 4th, 2016 at 10:53am CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Bears spent the offseason making notable upgrades to their defense – adding edge rusher Leonard Floyd in the first round of the draft and, before that, free agents Danny Trevathan, Jerrell Freeman and Akiem Hicks – but it’s quarterback Jay Cutler who will determine how far the club goes this season, opines Eric Prisbell of USA Today.

With Adam Gase having left Chicago over the winter to become Miami’s head coach, Cutler will now work with his sixth different offensive coordinator since 2009. There’s familiarity in place, though, as successor Dowell Loggains was the Bears’ quarterbacks coach last season. Under Gase and Loggains, Cutler posted a career-best passer rating (92.2) in 2015 and threw seven fewer interceptions (11) than he did in 2014. He’s in position to succeed again with the healthy receiver duo of Alshon Jeffery and last year’s first-round pick, seventh overall selection Kevin White. Jeffrey sat out seven games with various ailments in 2015, and White lost the entire season because of a stress fracture in his left ankle. On the other hand, it remains to be seen how well second-year running back Jeremy Langford will replace dual-threat Matt Forte, who will no longer serve as Cutler’s security blanket after signing with the Jets in free agency.

Notes on three other clubs from the North divisions:

Interestingly, contract-year Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell revealed in his new rap song, “Focus,” that he wants $15MM per annum on his next deal, relays FOX Sports’ Rob Perez. The 24-year-old superstar is highly unlikely to receive that much, however, per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. The Steelers will have a chance to quash Bell’s $15MM dream next offseason by giving him the franchise tag, which is worth $11.789MM for running backs this year. Bell could otherwise sign a contract that averages $15MM annually – but only artificially, notes Florio, who points out that the front end of the pact wouldn’t reach that total. For now, Bell is on track to play out 2016 on a sub-$1MM salary.
Given that second-year man Ameer Abdullah isn’t a traditional workhorse running back, the Lions will need someone to separate himself from the pack this summer and ultimately serve as a complement to Abdullah in 2016, writes Justin Rogers of MLive.com. Free agent pickup Stevan Ridley – a 1,200-yard rusher in 2012 – and NFL sophomore Zach Zenner are strong candidates, but Michigan native George Winn also has a chance to win the role, Rogers contends. The 210-pounder has spent time with six organizations since going undrafted out of Cincinnati in 2013, logging 19 appearances and 23 carries – all with the Lions. Detroit also has Theo Riddick as a backfield option, of course, but he’s a far bigger threat as a pass catcher than as a rusher.
Newly acquired Ravens safety Eric Weddle wore the headset in his helmet as a Charger and relayed each defensive play call to his teammates, but that won’t be the case in Baltimore, according to Garrett Downing of the club’s website. For the third straight year, the Ravens will stick with middle linebacker C.J. Mosley in that role. Weddle, for his part, is content deferring to Mosley. “It’s best to have it as the [middle linebacker], because they are in the front seven most of the time,” he told Downing.

AFC North Notes: Ravens, Steelers, Weddle

June 14th, 2016 at 5:57pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Safety Eric Weddle spurned other teams’ offers to sign a four-year, $26MM with the Ravens during the winter. One of the clubs that had interest in Weddle was the hated AFC North rival Steelers, and the three-time Pro Bowl defender revealed today that he and Ben Roethlisberger talked throughout the free agent process (via Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com). “Hopefully I get a lot of wins and interceptions against him,” said Weddle. “And maybe sprinkle in a few touchdowns.”

North Notes: Ravens, Lions, Browns, Vikings

June 1st, 2016 at 8:57pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Ravens are relishing the presence of three-time Pro Bowl safety Eric Weddle, whom they signed to a four-year, $26MM deal in March, as Clifton Brown of CSNMidAtlantic.com writes. “If he has anything to tell me I’m always listening,” said fellow safety Lardarius Webb. “He’s going to be big for this defense – for this team.” Webb added that Weddle is “being himself and were loving it,” also referring to the acquisition of the longtime Charger as a “great move.” Head coach John Harbaugh agrees, stating, “He fits in with how we do things around here perfectly. I give (general manager) Ozzie (Newsome) all the credit in the world. That was a great signing.”

More from the NFL’s two North divisions:

Still-unsigned linebacker Mike Neal visited the Lions in March, but they no longer have interest in the 28-year-old, reports Justin Rogers of MLive.com. As Rogers points out, the Lions picked up Wallace Gilberry in free agency and addressed both defensive end and outside linebacker via the draft, thereby lessening the need for Neal. The Lions are of course quite familiar with Neal, who has so far spent his entire career (2010-15) with the division-rival Packers. PFR’s Dallas Robinson rates Neal as the sixth-best defensive free agent remaining on the market.
Browns coach Hue Jackson says he’s not ready to name a starting quarterback coming out of OTAs, Mary Kay Cabot of The Plain Dealer tweets. Signs are pointing toward Robert Griffin III, though, per Tony Grossi of ESPN.com. Whether veteran Josh McCown makes the team will depend on how Griffin and third-round rookie Cody Kessler fare in the coming months, Grossi opines.
The Vikings haven’t ruled out adding another punter to compete with incumbent Jeff Locke, special teams coach Mike Priefer said Wednesday (link via Matt Vensel of the Minneapolis Star Tribune). Minnesota tried out a pair of rookie punters last month, and neither signed with the Vikings or any other team. That could change, however, according to Priefer. “We had two good, young rookie punters at minicamp who performed very, very well so we know those guys are out there if we need to go that route,” commented Priefer. As for Locke, 26, he’s entering a contract year after ranking dead last in yards per punt (41.6) and third from the bottom in net yardage (37.8) in 2015.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

NFC East Notes: Robinson, Weddle, Giants

March 20th, 2016 at 7:12pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here’s the latest from the NFC East as Week 2 of free agency concludes.

Patrick Robinson and Alfred Morris are scheduled to meet with Cowboys position coaches tonight and Monday after arriving in Dallas today. The former Chargers cornerback and Washington running back, however, spent time on the phone with Jason Garrett before he left for the NFL Owners’ Meetings in South Florida, Cowboys executive VP Stephen Jones told media, including David Moore of the Dallas Morning News. “Jason’s spent some good time on the phone with them,” Jones said. “So have we. Obviously, we tried to get them in there before we left but in their particular cases it didn’t work out that way.”
Jones told media, including Moore, Eric Weddle was interested in joining the Cowboys, but the team wasn’t ready to go where the Ravens were financially to secure the 31-year-old safety’s services. Interested in coming to Dallas partially due to special teams coach Rich Bisaccia having been on the Chargers’ staff in 2011-12, Weddle ended up landing in Baltimore for four years and $26MM. Both Bisaccia and Garrett contacted Weddle during free agency, however, Moore reports.
John Mara and his top front office assistants thought the Giants had a realistic shot of signing two of the three high-priced players on Big Blue’s list of durable, in-their-prime free agents, Jordan Raanan of NJ.com reports. The cap-rich Giants instead landed their preferred defensive trio of Olivier Vernon, Damon Harrison and Janoris Jenkins in hopes of fixing their last-ranked defense. Mara did concede that troika proved to be pricier than anticipated. “The three guys were a little more expensive than I thought they were going to be, but they are all young, they are all healthy and they fulfill needs,” Mara told media, including Raanan. Jenkins has missed four games in four seasons, while Vernon suited up for every Dolphins contest since 2012. Harrison played and started in each Jets contest since 2013. The Giants were the most injured team in the NFL in each of the past three seasons, per Raanan.
After allocating more money to this year’s class of free agents than they did in the previous four seasons combined, the Giants expect to dial it back significantly next spring, Mara told media, including Raanan (Twitter link). “I certainly don’t see us being this aggressive next year,” Mara said.

Free Agent Rumors: Upshaw, Pats, CJ2K

March 17th, 2016 at 1:57pm CST by Zachary Links

Linebacker Courtney Upshaw remains on the open market here in mid-March, but his field of suitors could soon grow a little bit larger. A league source tells Mike Florio of PFT that the 49ers and Patriots could jump into the mix for the Ravens free agent linebacker. The former second-round pick, who is visiting with the Jets today,was an honorable mention on PFR’s Top 50 Free Agents list.

Here are the latest free agent rumors from around the league:

The Dolphins announced that Chris Johnson has wrapped up his free agent visit. That announcement infers that there is no deal – at least, not yet – between CJ2K and Miami. Johnson is said to be deciding between the Dolphins and the incumbent Cardinals.
Before putting pen-to-paper with the Ravens, the Cowboys stood as the other finalist for Eric Weddle, Dan Pompei of Bleacher Report writes. The safety had a multitude of offers and before he was down to two clubs, Weddle weeded out proposals from teams that were not positioned to in 2016. One of those teams, according to agent David Canter, made Weddle the most lucrative offer of any suitor.
Former Ravens linebacker Daryl Smith is visiting the Buccaneers, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The Ravens cut Smith earlier this month in order to save roughly $2.6MM against the 2016 cap. Smith, who joined the Ravens for the 2013 season after spending nine years in Jacksonville, hasn’t missed a game in his three years in Baltimore, starting the last 48 regular-season games for the club. In 2015, he racked up 121 tackles to go along with three sacks and an interception.

Ravens Sign Eric Weddle

March 16th, 2016 at 11:54am CST by Luke Adams

WEDNESDAY, 11:54am: The Ravens have officially signed Weddle, according to the team’s Twitter account. Full details on the safety’s deal with the team can be found right here.

MONDAY, 12:32pm: Free agent safety Eric Weddle has made his decision, according to Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune, who reports that Weddle will be signing with the Ravens. The veteran defensive back had reportedly received offers from four teams.

“I couldn’t be more excited and pumped to be apart of a championship organization who wanted me from day one,” Weddle told Acee via text message.

According to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link), Weddle’s new deal with Baltimore is worth $26MM over four years. Acee adds (via Twitter) that the deal includes $13MM in guarantees, and $9MM in year one. He also pegs the total value at $29MM, though that figure may include incentives.

Weddle, 31, spent the first nine years of his NFL career with the Chargers, who selected him in the second round of the 2007 draft. The ex-Utah standout appeared in 137 of a possible 144 regular-season games in San Diego, making 122 starts, piling up three Pro Bowl nods, five All-Pro bids, and 19 interceptions.

Weddle’s tenure with the Chargers was capped off by what was perhaps his most unusual year since entering the league. After being told by the team that his contract wouldn’t be extended prior to the season, the three-time Pro Bowler reported to camp and played well during the season, logging 76 tackles and six passes defended in 13 games.

While the contract situation was one point of contention between the two sides, the year ended on an even more acrimonious note, with the Chargers reportedly informing Weddle late in the season that he was being fined $10K for remaining on the field during halftime of a game to watch his daughter perform in a dance ceremony. Weddle and agent David Canter initially declined to go public about the fine, but the agent opened up after the Chargers placed the safety on IR in Week 17, a move that was made 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.

With Weddle and the Chargers set to part ways, the Raiders, Steelers, and Cowboys had been among the other teams to express interest in the safety. But he’ll take his talents to Baltimore, where he figures to start alongside Will Hill at safety.

It’s not yet clear what this means for Lardarius Webb — the veteran cornerback had been prepared to make a full-time change to safety this year, but there may not be a starting spot available for him. Webb could return to cornerback, or act as a depth piece at safety, but his $9.5MM cap hit would make him an expensive backup. The futures of players like Kendrick Lewis and Matt Elam are also somewhat uncertain, with Weddle now in the mix.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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