Eric Weddle - Pro Football Rumors

Contract Details: Weddle, Sensabaugh, Hayward

March 15th, 2016 at 5:09pm CST by Luke Adams

Listed below are several of the latest contract details on recently agreed-upon or signed contracts from around the NFL. All links are courtesy of Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle unless other indicated.

AFC:

Eric Weddle, S (Ravens): Four years, $26MM. $13MM guaranteed ($9MM fully guaranteed). $7MM signing bonus. $1MM roster bonus due on April 4. $4MM base salary guaranteed for injury at signing; becomes fully guaranteed if on the roster on the fifth day of the 2017 league year. $1MM annual Pro Bowl incentives from 2017 to 2019 (Twitter links).
Casey Hayward, CB (Chargers): Three years, $15.3MM. $6.8MM guaranteed. $2.5MM signing bonus. $3.3MM roster bonus due on March 18. $1MM roster bonuses due on third day of 2017, 2018 league years (Twitter links).
Chris Hogan, WR (Patriots): Three years, $12MM. $7.5MM guaranteed. $4MM roster bonus paid on March 14. $500K in annual per-game active roster bonuses (Twitter link).
Mackenzy Bernadeau, OL (Jaguars): Two years, $3MM. $250K signing bonus. $250K option bonus to be exercised 22 days before first day of 2017 league year (Twitter links).

NFC:

Coty Sensabaugh, CB (Rams): Three years, up to $19MM. $6.5MM guaranteed. $3.5MM roster bonus due on March 18. $1MM roster bonus due third day of 2017 league year (becomes fully guaranteed this Friday). $1.5MM annually incentives for playing time, fumble recoveries, interceptions, and playoffs (all Twitter links).
J’Marcus Webb, G/T (Seahawks): Two years, $6MM. $2.45MM guaranteed. $1.2MM signing bonus. $500K in annual per-game active roster bonuses (Twitter link).
Zach Miller, TE (Bears): Two years, $5.5MM. $3MM guaranteed. $1MM signing bonus. $500K roster bonus due on March 18. $500K in annual per-game roster bonuses. Up to $1MM in annual incentives for playing time, catches, receiving yards, and touchdowns (Twitter links).
Chris Conte, S (Buccaneers): One year, $3MM. $2.5MM guaranteed. $1.5MM roster bonus due on March 17. Up to $1MM in incentives for playing time, stats, and playoffs (Twitter link).
Josh Robinson, CB (Buccaneers): One year, $2MM. $500K roster bonus due on March 18 (Twitter link).
Sealver Siliga, DT (Seahawks): One year, $1.05MM. $200K signing bonus. $50K Week 1 active roster bonus. Up to $350K in incentives (Twitter link via Tom Pelissero of USA Today).
Bradley Sowell, T (Seahawks): One year, $1MM. $200K signing bonus. Up to $500K in playing-time incentives (Twitter link).
Dan Orlovsky, QB (Lions): One year, minimum salary benefit. $160K guaranteed. $80K signing bonus (Twitter link).
Red Bryant, DL (Cardinals): One year, minimum salary benefit. $55K Week 1 roster bonus. $25K workout bonus (Twitter link via Pelissero).

Free Agency Rumors: D. Davis, Browns, Steelers

March 15th, 2016 at 12:44pm CST by Luke Adams

Free agent linebacker Demario Davis is in Cleveland visiting the Browns, according to Newsday’s Kimberley A. Martin, who tweets that Davis has also drawn interest from other clubs. Davis, 27, has spent the first four years of his NFL career with the Jets, starting every game for the team since the start of the 2013 season.

Here are a few more free agency notes and rumors from around the NFL:

Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link) hears from sources that safety Eric Weddle turned down larger offers from two other teams to join the Ravens. Cole adds that Baltimore assistant general manager Eric DeCosta spoke to Weddle and his representatives for 90 minutes on the phone, addressing questions and issues that the veteran free agent had about Baltimore and the Ravens.
The Steelers like nose tackle Steve McLendon and want to re-sign him, but they’re resistant to paying big money to a player who only sees the field for about 25-30% of the club’s defensive snaps, writes Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com. According to Fowler, Pittsburgh is willing to enhance Dan McCullers‘ role if the team loses McLendon, who recently paid a visit to the Jets.
Before he agreed to a new deal with the Vikings, cornerback Marcus Sherels received an offer from the Jets and was prepared to visit with the Panthers, tweets Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. The Buccaneers also had interest in Sherels.

AFC FA Rumors: Weddle, Holmes, Fitzpatrick

March 14th, 2016 at 3:08pm CST by Luke Adams

The Steelers were among the teams rumored to be in the hunt for safety Eric Weddle, who ultimately agreed to join the division-rival Ravens, but Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter link) hears that Pittsburgh didn’t make a formal contract offer to the safety. According to La Canfora, the Steelers stopped monitoring Weddle’s market over the weekend, shifting their focus to landing an offensive tackle.

Meanwhile, the Patriots were also a team frequently cited as a potential suitor for Weddle, but New England wasn’t one of the finalists for his services, according to Peter Schrager of FOX Sports (Twitter link). Schrager notes that Weddle and his agent spent a few hours this morning “going back and forth with two teams.” One of those clubs was the Ravens, but the identity of the second team remains unclear.

Here’s more from around the AFC:

The Raiders are making a push to bring back wide receiver Andre Holmes, tweets Bill Williamson of Fanrag Sports. Williamson cautions that nothing is done yet, and there’s no guarantee Holmes will return to Oakland, but the two sides appear headed toward a reunion for now.
While there’s a belief that the Jets will eventually increase their offer to quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick and find a middle ground, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk wonders if Fitzpatrick may not give them the opportunity, possibly having been insulted by a lowball offer. Of course, for that to happen, the free agent quarterback will need to find a suitable offer elsewhere.
According to Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald (via Twitter), Patriots head coach Bill Belichick called Akiem Hicks last night in a last-ditch effort to keep him in New England. The defensive tackle ultimately signed with the Bears instead, and Howe suggests that the Pats’ offer was for more years, but at a lower annual salary.
Former Ravens safety and special-teamer Brynden Trawick, who was non-tendered by Baltimore, is paying a visit to the Bengals, tweets Joe Goodberry of CincyJungle.com.
Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald isn’t sure why the Dolphins are interested in veteran defensive end Chris Clemons.

Latest On Eric Weddle

March 14th, 2016 at 10:27am CST by Luke Adams

Negotiations between teams and Eric Weddle‘s camp “went on through the night,” reports Peter Schrager of FOX Sports (via Twitter). According to Schrager, Weddle has narrowed his list of potential destinations to three teams, and will likely reach an agreement with one of those clubs within the next 24 hours.

We heard last week that Weddle was weighing offers from four teams, and while the Raiders, Steelers, Cowboys, and Ravens had been cited as clubs expressing interest in him, it’s not clear whether those were the same four teams that extended contract offers. As Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk wrote on Sunday, the veteran safety – who has talked about wanting to join a contender – has opted to keep the identity of his suitors private.

Weddle is one of the top free agents still on the board, having chosen to take his time and do homework on the teams and cities in play for him, rather than rushing to sign a contract as soon as the new league year opened. There was speculation that he would take a couple visits before deciding on his new team, but if he intends to make a decision within the next 24 hours, it seems that won’t happen, unless he has already made unreported visits.

Weddle, 31, has spent all nine seasons of his NFL career with the Chargers, 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.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

FA Rumors: Okung, Soliai, Weddle, Hayward

March 13th, 2016 at 4:40pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Free agent left tackle Russell Okung has an offer in hand from the Steelers, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com (Twitter link), while Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times reports (Twitter link) that Okung has no other visits planned at this time. Okung is just one of a few offensive tackles whom Pittsburgh has either met with or plans to meet with, including Ryan Harris and Chris Hairston. Kelvin Beachum, the Steelers’ left tackle for the past few seasons, remains unsigned, and is taking visits with other clubs.

Let’s dive into the latest free agent news…

Former Falcons defensive tackle Paul Soliai will visit the division-rival Panthers, tweets Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports. Soliai, 32, was released by Atlanta on the first day of the free agent period after spending two years with the club. Carolina has already released defensive tackle Dwan Edwards, so Soliai could be a nice addition to the Panthers’ interior rotation.
Another free agent defensive tackle — ex-Patriot Sealver Siliga — will take a meeting with the Seahawks, according to Garafolo (Twitter link). Siliga, 26 next month, was not offered a restricted free agent tender by New England despite appearing in 13 games for the club last season.
The Seahawks will also meet with running back Lance Dunbar, reports Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link). The 26-year-old Dunbar was off to a nice start with the Cowboys in 2015, catching 21 passes out of the backfield in just four games before a torn ACL knocked him out for the remainder of the season. Seattle will be the second NFC West visit for Dunbar, who’s also met with the 49ers.
Free agent guard Amini Silatolu will visit the Cardinals today, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). The former-second pick hasn’t been a full-time starter since his rookie season in 2012, but he’s only 26 years old, and could help fill in at guard if Arizona follows through on its proposed move of Jonathan Cooper to center.
Eric Weddle is expected to narrow his choice to two teams soon, per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. The veteran safety is reportedly choosing between the Ravens, Steelers, Cowboys, and Raiders.
Before agreeing to a three-year deal with the Chargers earlier today, cornerback Casey Hayward also drew interest from the Chiefs and 49ers, tweets Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.
Cardinals backup quarterback Drew Stanton said the Colts, Titans, Dolphins, and Cowboys all showed interest in signing him before he agreed to a new deal with Arizona, according to Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

South Notes: Fleener, Weddle, Amukamara

March 12th, 2016 at 9:04pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Colts chose to re-sign Dwayne Allen over fellow tight end Coby Fleener, and the latter went on to sign a five-year, $36MM deal with the Saints. And according to Fleener, it doesn’t sound Indianapolis put up too much of a fight to keep him. “The Colts’ lack of interest and the Saints’ interest made going to New Orleans an easy choice,” Fleener told Mike Wells of ESPN.com.

Here are a few more notes from the South divisions…

Another former Colt, linebacker Jerrell Freeman, says the club never made him a free agent offer, according to Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times (Twitter link). That seems to conflict from a report earlier today that indicated Indianapolis offered Freeman the same contract he ultimately signed with the Bears, but the dispute could stem from the notion that Freeman wasn’t offered a deal during free agency — this afternoon’s report said the Colts gave Freeman their proposal prior to March 9.
The Buccaneers are not among the contenders for free agent safety Eric Weddle, tweets Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times. Weddle is reportedly weighing offers from four teams, thought to be the Ravens, Steelers, Cowboys, and Raiders.
Cornerback Prince Amukamara had other free agent trips planned, but he never got around to taking them after finding that he liked what the Jaguars were offering, Amukamara explained to reporters, including John Oehser of Jaguars.com. Amukamara agreed to a one-year deal with Jacksonville.

Eric Weddle Weighing Four Teams’ Offers

March 11th, 2016 at 7:57pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Free agent safety Eric Weddle is weighing offers from four teams and will respond Monday, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Weddle’s evaluation of each team’s roster, city and schools will factor into his decision, per Rapoport, who adds (on Twitter) that he’ll whittle the four clubs down to two and move forward with negotiations.

Three of the teams chasing Weddle are the Ravens, Cowboys and Steelers, reports Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter link). The other could be the Raiders, who were reportedly “zeroing in on” the 31-year-old as of Thursday.

Weddle has thus far spent his entire 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.

Despite Weddle’s success in San Diego, his tenure there ended negatively last season, with the team reportedly informing Weddle that it was fining him $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 didn’t go public about the fine at first, but the latter opened up after the Chargers placed the safety on IR in Week 17, a move that was made against his wishes. Further, the Bolts notified Weddle that there would be no room for him to travel on the team plane to the regular-season finale in Denver, according to Canter.

Drama aside, Weddle had a productive swan song in San Diego – amassing 76 tackles and six passes defended in 13 games – and he said in February that his motivation was to join a contending team.

“In the next three or four years, are they going to be competitive, are they going to be division winners, are we going to have a chance at the Super Bowl?” Weddle asked hypothetically.

Of the clubs linked to Weddle, the Steelers are the only one coming off a postseason trip and are seemingly the closest to Super Bowl contention. The Cowboys and Ravens are just a season removed from their last playoff appearances, though, and both had terrible luck with injuries during the 2015-16 campaign. The Raiders are stuck in a 13-year playoff drought after going 7-9 last season, but they have an enviable core of young talent and have already added three big-ticket free agents this week in offensive lineman Kelechi Osemele, linebacker Bruce Irvin and cornerback Sean Smith.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Free Agent Rumors: Weddle, Kerley, Broncos

March 10th, 2016 at 9:49pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here’s the latest from some of the free agents yet to sign on Day 2.

Eric Weddle won’t be in a rush to determine his new location, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com reports (on Twitter). Despite the eagerness Weddle displayed to leave San Diego during his acrimonious final days with the Chargers, the 10th-year safety figures to take his time and mull the options that present themselves to the 31-year-old two-time first-team All-Pro, La Canfora notes. Weddle, though, has four teams after him, Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune tweets. One of those is the Raiders, as expected.
Although it will take more than just money to secure the services of Colin Kaepernick given that he’s under contract with the 49ers, the sixth-year quarterback was high among the Broncos‘ plan B options, a source told 9News’ Mike Klis before Brock Osweiler agreed to the four-year, $72MM that sent him to Houston.
Should the Broncos not be able to pry Kaepernick away from the 49ers or sign Ryan Fitzpatrick, one of their options should be a two-pronged approach, Klis writes, involving a trade for either Brian Hoyer or Nick Foles and selecting a quarterback in the first round. While Fitzpatrick wants a salary in line with other franchise QBs at ~$16MM AAV, Foles’ salary for 2016 is $7.75MM and Hoyer set to earn $4.86MM. Klis, who rates this as the No. 1 option the Broncos should consider, lists Connor Cook and Dak Prescott as QBs that will be available at No. 31.
The Chiefs‘ perpetual search for a No. 2 wide receiver will continue when the team hosts Jeremy Kerley on a visit, Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets. Kerley will meet with the Chiefs on Friday, ESPN.com’s Josina Anderson reports (via Twitter). The Jets recently released Kerley despite having signed the slot receiver to an extension in Oct. 2014. Kerley, who will be 28 this year, finished with career-worst numbers after being phased out of Chan Gailey‘s offense as Eric Decker took over primary slot duties. Kerley’s best season came in 2012, when he caught 56 passes for 827 yards and two touchdowns. He hasn’t topped 550 yards since.
Rafael Bush will visit the Lions on Friday, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. A torn pectoral muscle sidelined Bush after one game last season, but he started in 13 combined contests in 2013-14 for the Saints.

Free Agent Rumors: Robinson, Raiders, Weddle

March 10th, 2016 at 2:59pm CST by Zachary Links

Can Nate Robinson go from the pages of Hoops Rumors to Pro Football Rumors? In a YouTube video released this week, the diminutive former NBA guard announced that he is going to make a run at the NFL. The well-produced video features testimonials from Marcedes Lewis and Brendon Ayanbadejo, former NBA teammates Jamal Crawford and Glen Davis, as well as former football coach Rick Neuheisel, all of whom insist that Robinson is perhaps the only athlete who could make the transition from professional basketball to professional football.

Robinson originally went to the University of Washington on a football scholarship and made a name for himself on the gridiron with his electrifying plays, but it has been many years since he tried his hand at football. The 31-year-old (32 in May) did not say which position he would like to play in the NFL, but he spoke about both offense and defense in the video, inferring that he might try to market himself as being able to play on either side of the ball.

Here’s the latest news on some of this week’s more typical NFL free agents:

The Raiders are zeroing in on Eric Weddle, Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle tweets. It’s not immediately clear whether Weddle has a visit scheduled with Oakland. We learned last night that the Steelers are also fond of the veteran.
The plan is for Akiem Hicks to visit the Bears tomorrow, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune tweets.
Safety Rashad Johnson is traveling Friday for a visit with the Titans, a source tells Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
Chargers GM Tom Telesco says he’s ready for the second wave of free agency, as ESPN.com’s Eric D. Williams writes. Telesco also says that he is open to newly signed safety Dwight Lowery serving as a stopgap for Eric Weddle.
Cardinals free agent linebacker Sean Weatherspoon will meet with the Falcons on Friday, per Jay Adams of the Falcons (on Twitter).

Free Agent Rumors: Vikings, Weddle, Steelers

March 9th, 2016 at 6:03pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Vikings are negotiating to bring back tight end Rhett Ellison, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). If Ellison can’t be retained, however, one option to replace him might be free agent James Hanna, formerly of the Cowboys, a source tells Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (Twitter link).

Here’s a look at some of the latest news and rumors on this crazy day of action:

Terence Newman is also a Vikings free agent, and the club will talk to his agent once again later tonight or tomorrow, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN. Wolfson also says that Minnesota did not show interest in guard Jeff Allen, as Alex Boone was their target all along.
The Steelers like veteran safety Eric Weddle, a source tells Aditi Kinkhabwala of NFL.com (Twitter link), but the club thinks he’s too expensive at the moment. Pittsburgh is hoping Weddle’s price falls.
Free agent offensive lineman Ted Larsen will take a visit with the 49ers, tweets Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (Twitter link).
The Bears are not done looking for free agent offensive lineman, even after agreeing to a deal with Bobby Massie, reports Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times (Twitter link).
Texans restricted free agent corner A.J. Bouye is drawing interest from other clubs, but no offer sheet is yet on the table, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). Bouye was tendered at the lowest level, so Houston won’t get any compensation if it fails to match an offer.