Eric Weddle wants to play for a contender, rules out Jaguars?
By Luke Sims
Free safety Eric Weddle is set to hit the open market in 2016 and he wants to play for a contender. Does that rule out the deep pockets of the Jacksonville Jaguars?
The Jacksonville Jaguars are in need of a free safety more than anything else as they hope to heal a defense that has been historically terrible over the last three seasons.
Eric Weddle, a former All-Pro free safety, refuses to return to the San Diego Chargers, where he has played his entire career.
It seems like a match made in heaven, right? Well, not quite.
As it turns out, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune, Weddle wants to play for a contender. He wants to play for a team that is going to be challenging for division championships, playoff appearances, and, maybe, a Super Bowl. The Jaguars certainly haven’t been contenders for almost a decade, so can they lure him away with their exceptionally deep pockets?
Players like Eric Weddle can be tough to read. They want to win (and who wouldn’t after playing for the Chargers all those years?) but they also don’t mind making enough money to support their families for years to come. The stated desires, sending signals to teams like the New England Patriots, are not always the actual deciding factors in picking a team. At 31 years old, there are only many productive seasons left in his career.
Slugging it out with the young, growing Jaguars may not be the most appealing prospect, especially if it doesn’t yield many wins. Then again, it could be quite lucrative.
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What Weddle’s announcement means most for teams like the Jaguars is that they should spend their time focusing on bringing in different players. Weddle is the most proven safety on the market, but that isn’t to say there aren’t other quality talents available that could be excellent fits. The Jags would be wise to look elsewhere.