Eric Weddle had a messy ending to his time with the San Diego Chargers, so it's no surprise the free-agent star opted to head elsewhere for the next phase of his career.
Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune reported Monday that Weddle will reportedly join the Baltimore Ravens after spending his first nine NFL seasons in San Diego. ESPN's Field Yates confirmed the news.
Weddle took to Twitter to confirm the decision:
ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Weddle's contract is a four-year, $26 million deal with $13 million due in the first two years. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported Weddle will make $9 million in the first year of his contract.
However, Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports reported the deal is for four years and $29 million.
Once the 2015 regular season concluded, Weddle said he "probably won't ever speak to [the Chargers] again," per the San Diego Union-Tribune's Michael Gehlken.
The writing was essentially on the wall that Weddle would leave San Diego after the team placed him on injured reserve against his wishes and fined him for watching his daughter perform at halftime of the Chargers' home finale.
Since Weddle fled San Diego, look for the Chargers to bolster their secondary at some point in the draft. They could well choose someone like Florida State's Jalen Ramsey or Florida cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III with the third overall pick, or they could address the defensive backfield in the later rounds.
But the Chargers may opt to focus on the front seven considering they finished 27th in defending the run this past year and already have Jason Verrett as a versatile lockdown cornerback.
Losing Weddle leaves Verrett and the rest of San Diego's defensive backs more susceptible in coverage, though.
Baltimore is bound to treat the 31-year-old better, as he presents tremendous value to its defense. Weddle is among the elite free safeties in the game, has seldom missed any action and brings leadership intangibles to the Ravens secondary in addition to his steady gridiron production.
Ever since the legendary Ed Reed left Baltimore, the team hasn't found a viable solution at his position. That's precisely what Weddle represents, and it has to give him comfort that he's joining a first-class organization by many accounts.
Read more Baltimore Ravens news on BleacherReport.com
from Bleacher Report - Baltimore Ravens http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2605642-eric-weddle-to-sign-with-ravens-latest-contract-details-comments-and-reaction
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