Chargers lock up safety Weddle on five-year, $40M contract

San Diego Chargers coach Norv Turner believes Eric Weddle is on the verge of becoming an elite safety in the NFL.

The Chargers showed they mean it Wednesday, agreeing to a five-year, $40 million deal with Weddle, NFL Network insider Jason La Canfora reported, citing a league source. Weddle will receive $19 million guaranteed and a $13 million signing bonus.

"I'm on cloud nine," Weddle told The San Diego Union-Tribune. "This is the team I love. I feel we have unfinished business. I want to prove I was worth this deal. When this deal is done, I will be one of the best safeties out there."

Weddle also drew interest from the Jacksonville Jaguars, Houston Texans, Minnesota Vikings, Dallas Cowboys and Cincinnati Bengals, according to his agent, David Canter.

The NFL free agency cycle is in full effect, with teams and players agreeing to terms fast as training camps open. Get the latest on all the news right here.

"There was a very deep market for his services," Canter said.

But after working through counterproposals Wednesday morning, the deal with the Chargers was set.

"It's exciting to think of Eric as being a Charger for his entire career," Turner said.

A starter on AFC West championship teams in 2008 and 2009, Weddle led the secondary in tackles with 72 last season as part of a defense that led the NFL in fewest yards allowed. He has started 48 of the last 51 games.

Weddle has yet to make a Pro Bowl, which Turner believes might be a reflection of his career total of six interceptions.

"He would get a lot more recognition," Turner said, "(but) he probably dropped about six interceptions last year. He's been working on that."

Chargers general manager A.J. Smith moved up 22 spots in the 2007 draft to select Weddle No. 38 overall out of Utah.

The safety became an unrestricted free agent for the first time this offseason.

"I just know with Eric he's on the verge of taking that next step," Turner said. "Lining up next to (safety) Bob Sanders (who joined the Chargers in March) will help him and bring out some of his strengths also.

"He's a guy that's gotten better every year," Turner said. "He's got great leadership skills. He's got great understanding not only of our defense but of what people are doing. He's got great range. We need to get him to where he catches the ball better."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Giants safety Jones fights for another chance after car crash

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Buyer beware: Sapp warns teams about free-agent safety Huff

Michael Huff will become an unrestricted free agent once the NFL lockout is lifted, but former Oakland Raiders teammate Warren Sapp believes interested teams should think long and hard before signing the safety.

Sapp, now an NFL Network analyst, didn't hold back Tuesday when asked on a Dallas radio show if the Cowboys should court Huff, who played high football in the area and at the University of Texas.

"Michael Huff leaves something to be desired," Sapp said on KESN-FM's "Ben and Skin Show," via The Dallas Morning News. "I watched Huff for two years not pick a pass off in practice. I seen him make a couple plays lately. I'd really be interested to see his tape and watch his last couple of years because his first two make you want to throw up watching him practice.”

Huff was the seventh overall pick in the 2006 NFL Draft, but Sapp painted the picture of an entitled young player who didn't exert the proper effort to reach his full potential.

"I went so far with Michael Huff, and you can ask him this, that my last day in Oakland, I waited in the parking lot for Michael Huff," said Sapp, who played for the Raiders from 2004 to 2007. "I waited in the parking lot because I wanted to talk to the young man because he made me want to throw up watching him practice. I mean, the scout team would complete ball, after ball, after ball. I'm like, 'You're not going to make one play? I mean, you're not even going to put your hand on it and knock it down?' "

Despite his perceived shortcomings, Huff was named to The Associated Press' All-Pro second team last season. He finished with a career-high 94 tackles, two forced fumbles, seven passes defensed and three interceptions. The 28-year-old has never missed a game in his NFL career.

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Steelers' Harrison suggests NFL not serious about player safety

Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison isn't letting up in his criticism of the NFL in the days leading up to the Super Bowl.

One day after sarcastically suggesting that a pillow could be used to soften blows he delivers to opponents, Harrison called the NFL's talk about wanting to protect players "just a show."

Harrison said before Wednesday's practice in Fort Worth, Texas, that the owners' push for an 18-game regular season and the possibility of a lockout prove the NFL is more interested in maximizing revenue than the health of its players.

"It's not about player safety," Harrison said. "It's about money."

The league and the players' union face an early March deadline for trying to negotiate a new labor agreement.

"It's no doubt to me," said Harrison, whose Steelers will play the Green Bay Packers for the NFL championship Sunday. "I believe they're going to lock us out."

Harrison was fined $100,000 by the NFL for illegal hits this season, and he even went briefly so far as to threaten to retire because he said it was too difficult to adjust to the new way rules were being enforced. On Wednesday, though, he acknowledged that any talk of quitting was a result of being "hotheaded."

Asked Wednesday if he's worried about the dangers of concussion from violent hits on the field, he said: "That's my style of play. There's a risk with everything you do. ... Since I was knee-high to a grasshopper, that's how you play the game."

At Tuesday's media day at Cowboys Stadium, Harrison said he feels as if the league was "looking for a poster boy" when it started fining him.

In a deadpan delivery, Harrison said: "I don't want to hurt nobody. I don't want to step on nobody's foot or hurt their toe. I don't want to have no dirt or none of this rubber on this field fly into their eye and make their eye hurt.

"I just want to tackle them softly on the ground and, if y'all can, we'll lay a pillow down where I'm going to tackle them, so they don't hit the ground too hard, Mr. Goodell."

Harrison, who paid more in fines this season for four different hits than the entire Packers team was docked, also was asked if he was bitter about the attention his physical play received from the NFL office this season.

"They took $100,000 out of my pocket," Harrison responded to NFL Network's Kara Henderson. "You think I'm not bitter?"

The Associated Press contributed to this report

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Bills safety Whitner wants new deal, hopes to avoid free agency

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- Buffalo Bills safety Donte Whitner said he's having contract talks with the team in a bid to avoid becoming a free agent after this season.

Whitner said the two sides have been negotiating for more than a month, but no deal has been reached. Whitner hopes a new contract can be reached because he'd prefer remaining in Buffalo (2-10) and help turn around a team that will miss the playoffs for an 11th consecutive season.

The Bills will host the Cleveland Browns (5-7) on Sunday.

Whitner has been a starter since his rookie season in 2006, after being drafted eighth overall out of Ohio State. He's second on the team this season with 111 tackles -- the second season he has had at least 100.

The Bills have a policy to not discuss contract talks.

Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press

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Packers activate safety Bigby, who could play vs. Cowboys

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- The Packers announced Saturday that they have activated safety Atari Bigby from the physically unable to perform list, making him available to play in Sunday night's game against the Dallas Cowboys.

Bigby has been sidelined since having ankle surgery at the beginning of training camp. Cornerback Al Harris remains on the PUP list.

Bigby has played in 42 games with 33 starts in his first five years with the Packers and posted 10 interceptions over the past three seasons.

Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press

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NFLPA head Smith addresses player safety, other issues

In the wake of the NFL's crackdown on illegal hits, NFL Players Association executive director DeMaurice Smith issued the following statement Saturday:

"The issue of player safety is bigger than just hits on Sunday. Players understand the difference between aggressive, split-second actions and dangerous play. In addition to this sudden new emphasis on player safety, players call on the NFL to fulfill its obligation to healthcare in a lockout, end nasty litigation against nearly 300 players' workers compensation cases and stop saying 'no' to the disability benefits of NFL legends.

"While there are a range of punishments available as part of the on-field discipline system, the NFLPA will ensure the NFL strictly adhere to the existing rules and disciplinary process. We will also enforce the return-to-play guidelines and safety protocols and practices that occur out of the public eye. Our mission is to remain aggressive on player safety both on and off the field."

The league swiftly addressed illegal hits following three tackles in last week's games with large fines. The NFL warned players that starting this weekend, even first-time offenders will be subject to suspensions for delivering flagrant hits to the head and neck area of defenseless opponents.

Players say they understand the need for safety, but some suggested this escalation in punishment might ultimately have a detrimental effect on a game that is, after all, predicated on collisions.

Cornelius Bennett, a five-time Pro Bowl linebacker who played from 1987 to 2000 with the Buffalo Bills, Atlanta Falcons and Indianapolis Colts, addressed the issue of player safety with the following statement Saturday.

"This is a former as well as a current player issue. Of course this issue is bigger than just Sunday hits and fines. The overall health, safety and retirement issue is one that every former player should be supporting and challenging the NFL on today. You can slap yourself on the back about fines while you continue to ignore disability claims and sue players over workers compensation."

For more NFL labor news, visit http://NFLLabor.com

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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NFL hits Browns safety Ward with fine for blow on Shipley

BEREA, Ohio -- T.J. Ward's "cheap shot" was costly.

For delivering a nasty blow to an opponent's head, the NFL belted the Cleveland Browns' rookie safety in the wallet.

Ward, who in just four games as a pro has developed a reputation as a ferocious tackler and fearless talker, was fined $15,000 Wednesday for his helmet-to-helmet hit on Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Jordan Shipley during the fourth quarter of the Browns' win on Sunday.

Ward confirmed he was fined, but he wouldn't divulge the amount. However, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press that the league assessed Ward the $15,000 penalty for ramming Shipley, who was knocked out briefly and sustained a concussion.

The league will not announce its discipline on Ward until Friday.

A split-second after Shipley failed to catch a pass from Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer in the end zone, Ward unloaded on the rookie wideout, sending him sprawling to the turf. Ward claims he led with his right shoulder, but television replays clearly show him making contact with Shipley's helmet.

"I just tried to make a play, and unfortunately, he got hurt," Ward said before practice Wednesday. "It's part of the violent game we play. If you play that position, it kind of comes with the territory."

The Bengals weren't pleased, and following the game, both Palmer and wide receiver Terrell Owens accused Ward of a dirty play.

"I just hate to see a guy get hit like that in the head," Owens said. "For him to take a cheap shot like that, that's uncalled for."

Browns coach Eric Mangini defended Ward, saying it was an aggressive play -- nothing more.

Owens countered with a personal shot at Mangini.

"Look who it's coming from," Owens told Bengals teammate Chad Ochocinco in an interview on VERSUS in advance of the premiere of the "The T.Ocho Show." "Probably 90 percent of his players don't like him (Mangini) anyway. "I don't like him. We got to see him again anyway, so we'll see who's going to do some cheap shots next game.

"Hit me like that."

The Browns visit the Bengals on Dec. 19.

Ward insists he didn't intentionally try to injure Shipley. As he came across the end zone, Ward said he saw the ball and Shipley and acted instinctively.

"It wasn't malicious intent to knock him out or get him hurt," Ward said. "It's part of the game. I reacted to what I saw and tried to make a play. I didn't really try to hit him with everything I had, but still it was a pretty violent hit. I wasn't trying to aim for his helmet in any way.

"I just hit what I saw, it all happened so fast."

It might have been a blur, but with the league determined to clean up unnecessary contact to player's head in the wake of new studies on concussions, Ward might need to closely monitor his future on-field conduct. He might not deserve a head hunter's label or to be cast as a dirty player, but it's likely officials will be aware of Ward's actions as the season progresses.

Undersized at 5-foot-10, Ward made Oregon's team as a walk-on. He wound up playing 37 games for the Ducks, catching the eye of pro scouts because of his ability to punish running backs, wide receivers and quarterbacks. He never backed off, and he has no plans to stop playing the only way he knows.

Ward was aware that Mike Pereira, former NFL vice president of officiating, said in an interview with the Cleveland Plain Dealer that the league should fine the 23-year-old a minimum of $25,000 for a hit he described as "one of the worst I've seen in a while."

The Browns haven't had a defensive back who could hit like Ward since safety Eric Turner in the 1990s. Mangini wants his team to be physical, and from experience, he knows that having a safety who can deliver knee-buckling hits can make receivers wary of coming over the middle.

"Legally, you want guys to think, 'OK, if I catch this in cut, there's going to be a price to pay for catching this,'" Mangini said. "If you can establish that, then sometimes guys will get alligator arms or they won't run those angles quite as deep or as tight.

"No one would ever admit, 'Man, I don't really want to go in there.' If you can get an understanding with receivers, it helps."

Not surprisingly, the Browns didn't have any issues with Ward's big hit. If anyone of them had a right to be upset, it's rookie quarterback Colt McCoy. Shipley was McCoy's teammate at Texas and the best man at his wedding. But even he didn't believe Ward's hit was beyond reason.

"It's a violent sport," McCoy said. "We all know that there's gonna be contact. Nobody ever wants to get hurt, and nobody ever wants to hurt anybody. It was a good hit. Jordan knows. He's played receiver his whole life. There's a chance that when you go across the middle, that you're gonna have to take a big shot, a big lick, and he got one."

Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press

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Colts safety Bullitt to miss rest of season after shoulder surgery

The Indianapolis Colts' beleaguered defense took another hit Tuesday.

The team announced that safety Melvin Bullitt, Bob Sanders' replacement, will miss the remainder of the season after he has surgery on his injured right shoulder. It's not what the Colts needed after giving up 31 points and 174 rushing yards during last weekend's loss at Jacksonville, but that's life in the NFL.

"There's obviously a lot of work to do on that side of the ball, and we've got to get that straightened away," Colts president Bill Polian said on his weekly radio show Monday night. "We've got good players there, but they're not playing well right now."

And now the Colts (2-2) will be short-handed, too.

The Colts said Tuesday that Bullitt will be placed on season-ending injured reserve, but they didn't reveal the exact nature of his ailment. However, The Indianapolis Star reported that Bullitt broke a bone in his shoulder.

"Worst possible news," Leonard Roth, Bullitt's agent, said in an e-mail to the newspaper. "He will be operated on in the next two weeks to repair it and get ready to go next year."

Bullitt, a former undrafted free agent, had started 24 of the Colts' past 36 regular-season games, mostly in place of the oft-injured Sanders, and had become one of the team's most consistent tacklers. So when Sanders went down in the season opener with a torn biceps muscle in his right arm, most people figured the Colts wouldn't lose much by putting Bullitt in the lineup.

Bullitt ranks seventh on the team this season with 13 tackles and has one of the Colts' three interceptions. Now, with Bullitt out for the season and Sanders expected to miss at least two more months of playing time, the Colts' already-thin secondary is in dire need of help.

Veteran Jamie Silva, normally the next in line, went down with a season-ending torn anterior cruciate ligament during the preseason, and the Colts started the season with just three safeties on the roster -- Sanders, Bullitt and two-time Pro Bowl pick Antoine Bethea. Now they only have Bethea available.

Bullitt hurt his shoulder twice Sunday, the second time midway through the third quarter. He already had put a hefty brace on the shoulder after being injured in the first half, the same brace he wore most of last season.

When Bullitt left the game, recently signed DaJuan Morgan took his place. Morgan has solid credentials as a third-round draft pick by the Kansas City Chiefs in 2008. This weekend, he likely will have a chance to start against his former team as the NFL's last unbeaten team visits Lucas Oil Stadium to challenge the Colts.

The team also activated undrafted rookie Mike Newton, a safety, from the practice squad Tuesday and re-signed veteran safety Aaron Francisco, who played with the AFC champion Colts last season after spending 2008 with the NFC champion Arizona Cardinals.

The rash of injuries has hit Indianapolis' defense hard.

Besides Sanders and Bullitt, starting linebacker Clint Session missed two games with a hamstring injury before he returned to play against the Jaguars. His backup, Kavell Conner, had surgery to repair a fractured left foot last week and already has been ruled out of this weekend's game against the Chiefs. Another backup linebacker, Ramon Humber, was placed on the waived-injured list after fracturing his right hand two weeks ago, and the Colts lost six defensive backs to season-ending injuries during training camp.

Plus, Indianapolis must fix a defense that has struggled to pressure quarterbacks the past two weeks and is allowing nearly 150 yards per game, 29th in the NFL.

"The way to develop consistency, and I'm going to paraphrase the great John Wooden here, but the best way to help the team is to improve yourself," Polian said. "So everybody on the team has to do the best they can do. If everybody concentrates the best they can do, if everybody goes out and does the best they can every week, things will work out."

There's no need to fret about missing any games. You can watch every contest again with Game Rewind. Get more information here.

But it's not just the defense taking hits.

Wide receiver Anthony Gonzalez is set to miss his fourth consecutive game this weekend, and rookie kick returner Devin Moore will be placed on injured reserve with nerve damage in the neck or shoulder area.

The Colts also released defensive tackle Mitch King from the active roster and wide receiver Alric Arnett from the practice squad, and they signed wide receiver Kenneth Moore.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Niners grant veteran safety Lewis his release

The San Francisco 49ers have parted with Michael Lewis, two days after the veteran safety reportedly requested his release.

Lewis did not travel with the team to Atlanta this weekend, having left the team Friday for what coach Mike Singletary deemed personal reasons.

The team announced Lewis' release Monday in a press release.

"I want to thank Michael for his hard work and leadership as a 49er," Singletary said. "We wish him and his family all the best."

Lewis and the 49ers' divorce began when the safety lost trust in the 49ers organization, according to a report Saturday in The Sacramento Bee. That mistrust may stem from an NFL Network report last Wednesday that Lewis and veteran LB Takeo Spikes were on the verge of being benched. Singletary denied the report, saying there would be no lineup changes vs. the Falcons, and stayed true to his word, starting Spikes.

Rookie S Taylor Mays started in place of Lewis and made his presence felt. He recovered a blocked Falcons punt in the end zone in the first quarter for a touchdown.

Lewis, 30, has started all 50 games in which he has appeared with the 49ers. He took a pay cut to remain with San Francisco for a fourth season. He played his first five seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles.

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