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Chargers Deny Shopping Eric Weddle

NFL News
November 2, 2015

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 among four NFL teams to express interest in Weddle, Jason Cole of Nerdy Football 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).

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