Eric Weddle will stay a Charger

Safety Eric Weddle signed a record deal to stay with the San Diego Chargers. Weddle was San Diego's top free-agent priority and he will receive $40 million over the next five years. Weddle will receive $19 million in guaranteed money. It’s the highest contract ever given to a safety.

It's great to know that Eric Weddle will be back with the Chargers because he is a very good player, but I think they may have overpaid for him. That's just me....what do you think?

Chargers makes some cuts....

The San Diego Union Tribune reported the Chargers cut linebacker Jyles Tucker and receiver Buster Davis and that linebacker Antwan Applewhite will soon join Tucker on the outside. Tucker was given a contract extension three years ago and the Chargers thought he would become a premier pass rusher. But he couldn’t stay healthy. That’s also been the case with Davis, a former first-round pick. It’s been expected that he will be cut. The moves will be made official Thursday.

Busy first day for the Chargers

Source: AP

The Chargers agreed to terms with former San Francisco inside linebacker Takeo Spikes on Tuesday. He reunites with former San Francisco defensive coordinator Greg Manusky, who is now San Diego’s defensive coordinator.

Spikes highlights a busy first day for the Chargers, who clearly are bent on returning to the playoffs after they saw their four-year AFC West championship run end in 2010. In addition to agreeing to terms with Spikes, the Chargers agreed to bring back right tackle Jeromey Clary (four years, $20 million) and tight end Randy McMichael (for one year). They also agreed to terms with free-agent safety Bob Sanders prior to the lockout. 

Spikes, 34, gives San Diego some clarity at inside linebacker. He is a 14-year veteran with 109 tackles for the 49ers last season. Spikes, known for his strikingly large neck, will give the Chargers a needed nasty demeanor. The Chargers were pushed around some on defense the past couple of seasons. Spikes and healthy Sanders should change that. 

Next, the Chargers need to lock up safety Eric Weddle and the free agency will be a strong one. Weddle will get plenty of interest elsewhere, though, but the Chargers need to make him a priority.

There Will Be Football.....

Source: AP

Finally, the NFL and its players association agreed to a settlement to end its 4½-month lockout. The NFLPA executive committee and 32 team reps voted unanimously to approve and signed the terms of the deal. "It's been a long time coming. Football is back and that's great news for everybody," commissioner Roger Goodell said outside the NFLPA's headquarters. And, Smith stepped outside of the group's headquarters earlier to announce that players approved the pact.

As he spoke, Smith was flanked by NFLPA president Kevin Mawae, Saints quarterback Drew Brees, Colts center Jeff Saturday and Ravens defensive back Domonique Foxworth, key members of the players' negotiating team. Brees is one of 10 plaintiffs in the antitrust lawsuit that players filed against the league.

Moments later, Goodell walked into the building, joined by owners Robert Kraft of the New England Patriots, John Mara of the New York Giants and Jerry Richardson of the Carolina Panthers.

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning, one of the 10 named plaintiffs in the players' antitrust lawsuit against the NFL, said in a statement, "I want to get back to work."

According to the timeline for league business to begin, trades can be made beginning Tuesday and free-agent signings can be filed with the league office Friday at 6 p.m. ET.

Teams may begin negotiating with unrestricted free agents beginning Tuesday or even as early as Monday afternoon.

Former Padres' Manager Dick Williams dead at age 82....

Former San Diego Padres manager from 1982-85, Dick Williams died in Henderson, Nevada on Thursday afternoon, due to a ruptured aortic aneurysm. He was 82.

San Diego was one of six managerial stops for Williams, who led the Padres to the first of their two National League pennants in 1984. The Padres lost to Detroit in five games in the World Series.

Williams won two World Series titles with Oakland (1972, 1973), as well as pennants with the Padres and Boston (1967) and also led Montreal to its only playoff experience in the strike-shortened 1981 season.

Williams had an overall record of 1,571-1,451 in 21 seasons as a major league manager, also spending time with the Angels and Seattle Mariners. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2008 after being elected by the Veterans Committee.

His record with the Padres was 337-311 over four seasons. He is the only manager in the history of the Padres not to experience a losing season.

Williams was a tough manager. “They don’t make him like Dick anymore,” said former teammate and former Padres manager Don Zimmer.

Current Giants third base coach and former Padre Tim Flannery remembers being called into Williams’ office in 1982.

“He said, ‘You’re the worst player I ever had,’ ” Flannery said. “ ‘You can’t hit. You can’t run. You can’t throw. Oh, you hustle, but you can’t do nothin’ else. You’re in there tonight, but I’m looking for another second basemen, so don’t screw up.’ ”

But two seasons later, Williams told Flannery he’d be a Padre as long as Williams was managing the club.

Which wasn’t that long. Williams chafed at what he considered outside interference from then-Padres President Ballard Smith and GM Jack McKeon. The breaking point came during the 1985-86 offseason when Williams fought off suggestions he should make changes to his hand-picked coaching staff.

The club that went 175-149 for Williams in 1984-85 went 74-88 for Steve Boros in 1986 after Williams’ left the team.

Williams joined Hall of Famer Bill McKechnie as the only managers ever to take three franchises to the World Series.

The 1972-73 A’s were the first team since the 1961-62 Yankees to repeat as world champions. Williams resigned after the 1973 season because he was upset with the meddling of A’s owner Charlie Finley.

Before coming to Oakland, Williams was part of Boston’s memorable “Impossible Dream” team in 1967 that won the pennant for the first time since 1946 before losing the World Series in seven games to St. Louis.

A former infielder, Williams played 13 years in the majors for the Dodgers, Orioles, Indians, A’s and Red Sox. He had a .260 career average with 70 homers and 331 RBI as mostly a part-time player. He retired after the 1964 season and soon began his career as a manager.

Rest in peace Dick and thank you for the great memories of the '84 season....