Oakland Raiders: Are They In The Mix For Eric Weddle Or Aren’t They?

The Oakland Raiders are in need of a safety and are believed to be pursuing veteran Eric Weddle – who is taking his time in deciding on his next stop.

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Tom Petty once sang, “the waiting is the hardest part… ” And if you’re an Oakland Raiders fan, that lyric might not be more apt right about now. With the retirement of the legendary Charles Woodson, the Raiders have a gaping hole in the middle of their defensive backfield – a hole many believed and/or hoped would be filled by veteran Eric Weddle. But it’s not yet clear if GM Reggie McKenzie is all in on Weddle or not, so the waiting – you know, the hardest part – continues.

Ever since the moment he hit the open market after his acrimonious divorce from the San Diego Chargers, Weddle has been a highly sought after commodity for a number of teams with a need for safety help. And for his part, Weddle has been content to sit back, take his time, and weigh all of his options – a luxury he’s obviously earned.

But as the hours and days tick by, fans in a number of cities are growing anxious and restless, nobody knowing what Weddle is planning on doing or if their city is even in the mix for his services. Oakland is one of those cities. Though it seems like a good match on paper – and Weddle has said Oakland would be a good landing spot – there is no telling whether McKenzie has reciprocated those feelings.

According to CBSSports.com, Weddle has four offers on the table. Which makes it clear that despite the fact that he’s 31 years old, there is still plenty of interest in him around the league. It’s understandable given his high level of play as well as his durability – he’s missed just seven games due to injury over his nine season career.

The big mystery right now is which teams have actually made Weddle an offer. According to CBSSports NFL Insider Jason La Canfora, three of Weddle’s suitors are Dallas, Baltimore, and Pittsburgh – with a fourth mystery team in the running.

And if you believe San Diego Union Tribune writer Kevin Acee, the Raiders are that fourth team.

But wait – there’s more. Adding a little more mystery and intrigue to the mix, San Francisco Chronicle writer Vic Tafur says that Oakland isn’t necessarily pursuing Weddle very hard and that he is on the team’s “back burner.”

But then, nobody saw the Bruce Irvin signing coming either — McKenzie has a track record of making under the radar moves that nobody sees coming until the deal is done.

Either way, a resolution to the situation will be coming soon. Ian Rapaport is reporting that in a twist that sounds more like an episode of the Bachelor than pro football, Weddle will wittle the list of his four suitors down on Monday – giving a rose to just two of them. After that, Weddle and his camp will begin negotiations with his chosen teams and see how things shake out from there.

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But there is more in play here for Weddle than just a paycheck. He is also taking his family situation into account and is also evaluating whether or not the team he chooses will be in the hunt for a Lombardi Trophy any time soon.

Of the four teams on the speculative list, it can be argued that the two teams with the best shot of immediate success might just be the Steelers and the Raiders. And of those two teams, only one would allow Weddle to avoid uprooting his entire family and his life – Oakland. Rather than having to move his family way back east, Weddle can leave his family in place on the West Coast. Which could be a big factor in his decision.

But this is all pure speculation given the fact that we don’t know what McKenzie is thinking. We all know the Raiders have a big need at safety. We all know that Weddle is a veteran still playing at a high level. We know that the Raiders likely have the ability to offer more money than Pittsburgh. And we all know that in a lot of ways, this would be a good fit. It seems a logical connecting of the dots.

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But that doesn’t mean it’s going to happen.

If they aren’t all in on Weddle, the Raiders do have some options at safety. Travis Carrie played some at the position last season with some measure of success. And given the signing of Sean Smith to play opposite David Amerson, moving Carrie to safety full time makes sense. A full offseason of work at one position would likely yield positive results.

Another option would be moving Keith McGill to the safety spot – a position he played some in college and had some success at. Assuming they’re still on the roster when the season begins, that would leave D.J. Hayden and Neiko Thorpe to split reps in the slot rather than having Carrie play there.

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The point is, if they’re not gunning for Weddle, the Raiders have some options. But having an established veteran who brings Weddle’s experience and can play at a high level would be a really good get for the team. It would fortify a defensive backfield and help turn it from the horrible liability it was last season into a source of strength on a defense that is beginning to look pretty vicious.

But until Weddle makes his decision and hands his roses out to two teams on Monday, we’re all left twisting in the winding and waiting – which is of course, the hardest part.