The Los Angeles Rams were able to secure a notable upgrade in the secondary this offseason when they signed veteran safety Eric Weddle to a two-year, $10.5 million contract.
Although the 34-year-old is in the back nine of his career, he is coming off his third straight Pro Bowl to bring his career total to six. He was also the first player mentioned on the NFL’s Top 100 Players of 2019.
As a result, there was certainly no shortage of interest from teams in a player of his caliber. It seems Weddle was willing to sacrifice in order to find the right fit.
According to ESPN’s Lindsey Thiry, he feels felt the Rams provided him with the best opportunity of any other team:
“I had tons of opportunities to go other places for a lot more money,” says Weddle. “But it’s just not a reality at this point of my career. It’s a great opportunity to come to an amazing organization, an established team with an amazing coach, go out and put my stamp on things and try to help lead this team to a championship.”
Weddle added that the family culture in Los Angeles has been one of the biggest perks of his arrival this offseason:
“It’s kind of surreal,” Weddle says. “I asked [McVay] out of respect, and he was like, ‘Yeah, you can bring your son anywhere.’ It’s just special. I don’t know how many more years I’ve got left, and he’s old enough — all my kids are old enough — to understand and appreciate what Dad does, and then to have him around and all the guys are so nice to him and he just fits right in.”
Weddle’s comments are certainly understandable considering all the challenges that come with joining a new team. Furthermore, many players are often tasked with getting their families acquainted as well. It seems the emphasis head coach Sean McVay has put in establishing a strong family culture has made the transition much easier for some of the new faces.
This sort of team chemistry will undoubtedly go a long way for the Rams. Despite being in his first year with the team, Weddle is already being viewed as an extension of defensive coordinator Wade Phillips on the field and his constant chats with quarterback Jared Goff have given the young gunslinger an in-depth perspective on how to read the defense.
While it is encouraging to see Weddle thrive in his new home, it is safe to say that his primary reason for coming to Los Angeles was because he felt this was the best chance he had at acquiring that elusive Super Bowl ring.
