Eric Weddle signs with Ravens over Steelers, Cowboys, Raiders

Patience comes to those who wait.

The Baltimore Ravens were not big players the first week in free agency, which is typical for them, and yet they were able to land major help for an ailing area of their team.

According to the San Diego Union-Tribune’s Kevin Acee and other reports, safety Eric Weddle will become a Raven and instantly help out a secondary that had a mere six interceptions all season.

Reports suggest the deal is for four years and $29 million, with $13 million guaranteed and $9 million in 2016. Not a bargain by any means, but a move that really could help an area of need.

Although Weddle, 31, had zero picks a year ago, he has 19 over his nine-year career with the San Diego Chargers in which he has missed a grand total of seven games. Three of those games came last season in which it was clear his days in San Diego were done.

Weddle had sat back and gathered his offers, vowing over the weekend to make a decision Monday. He had narrowed the list down to four teams: Dallas Cowboys, Pittsburgh Steelers, Oakland Raiders and Ravens. Reports suggested Weddle of course was weighing the financial packages carefully but that family was a factor in the move, too.

But one more factor was that Weddle reportedly wanted to be with a contender. The Ravens fell to 5-11 a season ago but had finished .500 or better in each of John Harbaugh’s previous seven seasons and made the plaoyffs in six of them.

Many think the Ravens can be a contender in 2016, and the addition of Weddle certainly could help that.

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Eric Edholm is a writer for Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Eric_Edholm