Weddle won't divulge Ravens' secrets to Rams - 3 minutes read
THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- The Los Angeles Rams' Monday Night Football matchup with the Baltimore Ravens is a critical game for the 6-4 Rams, who desperately need a win to remain in the playoff hunt one season after appearing in Super Bowl LIII.
But don't expect the circumstances to compromise the ethics of Rams safety Eric Weddle, who played the previous three seasons with the Ravens.
Weddle said Wednesday that he won't be sharing any inside secrets about his former team.
"I could tell them a lot of stuff, but that's just not who I am," said Weddle, who signed a two-year, $10.5 million contract with the Rams after the Ravens released him in March. "So we're going to play it on the field, and the best team is going to win."
Rams coach Sean McVay, who calls offensive plays, often acknowledges Weddle's intelligence and has said the 13-year NFL veteran has provided him with football insights and perspective since his arrival.
However, McVay said Wednesday that he had not spoken to Weddle about the nuances of the Ravens' defense, which is limiting opponents to 19.6 points per game (sixth in the league).
"I think he's got a lot of loyalty to those guys, even if he's not there anymore," McVay said.
It's uncertain whether Ravens cornerback Marcus Peters, whom Los Angeles dealt to Baltimore in a mid-October trade, will share any specific insights about the Rams' operation with his new team.
Asked if it could be considered unfair to share inside information about a former team, McVay said, "It's totally at each person's individual approach."
It would seem the Rams -- who have a 19% chance of making the playoffs, according to ESPN's Football Power Index -- could use any information available to help slow down the 8-2 Ravens. Baltimore is averaging an NFL-best 34.1 points per game behind quarterback Lamar Jackson -- the front-runner to win the MVP award.
Still, Weddle won't budge.
"I have a lot of respect for that place, not only how it helped my career and rejuvenated my career, how they treated myself and my family," Weddle said. "But it's a very tight-knit group, and what would I be -- what kind of man would I be if I just turned my back on all of them?"
The Ravens signed Weddle to a four-year, $26-million contract in 2016, after he had a falling out with the Chargers, with whom he spent the first nine seasons of his career.