POLL: Should the Oakland Raiders trade for Eric Weddle?
Oct 12, 2014; Oakland, CA, USA; San Diego Chargers safety Eric Weddle (32) and Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr (4) during the game at O.co Coliseum. The Chargers defeated the Raiders 31-28. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
The NFL trade deadline is at 4:00PM ET today (Nov. 3) and there aren’t many rumors floating around about the Oakland Raiders.
The potential trade target that’s been most commonly mentioned by fans and bloggers alike is Chargers safety Eric Weddle, who PFT reported could be available for trade.
Chargers are shopping S Eric Weddle, a first-team All Pro in 2014 https://t.co/oBzV8MOhsw
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) November 3, 2015
Weddle is in the final year of a 5-year, $40M contract, so he’ll be an unrestricted free agent at season’s end.
He has been one of, if not the best, safeties in the league the last five seasons. Weddle graded as a top five safety on PFF every season from 2010-2014, including being ranked #1 twice.
Over that stretch, Weddle was named to three Pro-Bowls, two First-Team All-Pro selections and three Second-Team All-Pro selections.
Weddle also has been extremely reliable over the years, as an 86 consecutive games started streak recently came to an end in the game against Oakland.
However, he’ll be 31 in January and even Chargers fans will tell you that Weddle has not been nearly as good this season, and many have even complained about his effort on the field.
So for a team and a player that both seem to be trending down, it could make sense for both parties to go their separate ways.
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From a business standpoint, if both the team and Weddle know this could be their final season together, then trading Weddle and getting at least some compensation for him would be a smart move.
Because this is Weddle’s final year of his contract and since he’s on the wrong side of 30, compensation to get a deal done may not be all that high.
It’s hard to pin what his exact value is, but let’s just say the cost would be a mid-round pick. Should the Raiders make the call?
Oakland finds themselves in a interesting situation at the trade deadline. They currently sit as AFC Wild Card leaders on what looks to be a competitive football team.
Should they put chips on the table and go for it? Trading for Weddle would certainly be doing that.
On the flip side, the “process” that Reggie McKenzie has preached over the years looks like it’s finally paying off. Trading picks for aging players, no matter how good they are, has never been McKenzie’s style. So why start now?
Let us know what you think in the poll below. Should the Raiders trade for Eric Weddle? Be sure to drop a comment with your reasoning either way.