Perhaps one of the biggest free agents during the NFL's 2016 offseason is former San Diego Charger Eric Weddle. The veteran safety is looking for a new home after being unceremoniously released from the Chargers after a 10-year stint with the franchise.
Weddle now has to choose a new team to end his career, and he is looking to sign with a team that has a Super Bowl in their future. Currently Weddle has received offers from the Carolina Panthers, Oakland Raiders, Baltimore Ravens, Pittsburgh Steelers and Dallas Cowboys.
The Panthers have stated that they will not get into a bidding war for the All Pro safety, so this leaves him with four choices. Weddle may want to spurn his former team by signing with a divisional foe in the Raiders, but they may not be the best place to look for a Super Bowl title.
The Baltimore Ravens have been perennial playoff contenders, but in the past two seasons, they have taken a step back from their glory days as Super Bowl champs. In 2015, the Ravens had quite possibly the worst string of injuries to hit an NFL team in quite some time.
Both star wide receiver Steve Smith and franchise quarterback Joe Flacco were sidelined by season ending injuries. If that wasn't bad enough, this top notch defense lost some of their biggest players to career shortening injuries, and without pressure from the defensive line, the secondary struggled.
Within the same division, one of the more dominant teams in recent memory, the Pittsburgh Steelers, will be a solid option for Weddle, as he could fill a gaping void in their defensive backfield, which would strengthen this defensive unit in the long run.
The Steelers do have star quality players, including Antonio Brown and Ben Roethlisberger, and have won a Super Bowl title recently. With a stable coaching staff in place and veterans at both sides of the ball, the Steelers may be one of Weddle's top options.
Lastly, the Dallas Cowboys could provide Weddle with the biggest stage to showcase his skills. The Cowboys secondary has struggled in recent years, and in 2015, the addition of their first round selection Byron Jones made this unit rather respectable. This, however, could not translate to the offensive side of the ball, as both Tony Romo and Dez Bryant were sidelined with injuries for most of the season.
The Cowboys will look to bounce back in 2016, as Romo and Bryant should be healthy, and a new crop of draft picks should bolster the defensive unit. Winning a Super Bowl with the Dallas Cowboys would cement Weddle's status as NFL royalty. Weddle will look to cut his list of potential suitors in half by Monday at the earliest. He will do this by rejecting two team's offers without a counter.
