San Diego Chargers cut Matt Wilhelm

by John Gennaro on Jul 24, 2009 12:29 PM PDT in San Diego Chargers News

The San Diego Chargers have released veteran linebacker Matt Wilhelm.

The team announced the move earlier this afternoon.

The six-year veteran, a third-round pick in 2003, started 14 games in 2007. Last year, he appeared in every game and started the first five of the season before being pulled from the starting lineup. He started two games later in the year.

Per NFLPA records, WIlhelm was due to earn a base salary of $2 million in 2009, $2.5 million in 2010, and $3 million in 2011.

Wilhelm is now an unrestricted agent. Since the team knew that Wilhelm was not going to make it through training camp, they did the right thing in cutting him now. I'm sure he'll catch on with another team with a more reasonable contract and the fans will love him for his effort.

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cap impact

looks to me like he had a 5 year deal with a $5M bonus. That means $3M gets accelerated into this year? or $1.5M this year and $1.5M next?

I wonder if this is a preliminary step to signing some draft picks…

by Stephen (shaynes41) on Jul 24, 2009 1:38 PM PDT reply actions

since the Cardinals are short on ILB's I gotta ask.....

can this play at all or is he just a spare? The Cardinals starting ILB’s are solid but the depth behind them is pretty scare and a guy who started 14 games in 2007 and racked up 97 tackles sounds pretty decent for a third ILB or do yo think he’ll get a starting look somewhere?

Be careful....to a hammer, everything looks like a nail.

by Bezekira on Jul 24, 2009 2:03 PM PDT reply actions

i wouldnt expect much

Matt was in over his head last year.

Maybe he could be a solid backup but as a charger fan i couldnt be happier that he was cut.

It just depends on how bad the cards need depth.

by Cameron m on Jul 24, 2009 4:12 PM PDT up reply actions

I'm betting the broncos and the cheifs are going to gun for him.

he’s a good guy, talented and knows the chargers system (inside information) and knows the 3-4. I just hope they bid up for his services so he makes a ton of cash and takes away their money.

by not humble enough on Jul 24, 2009 2:11 PM PDT reply actions

cowboys might be another destination

with the Wade Philips connection.

by Stephen (shaynes41) on Jul 24, 2009 2:13 PM PDT up reply actions

true, the cowboys want him

i’m sticking to my bet because cheifs and broncos suck, and they are going to take any young pillar of a defense they can.

by not humble enough on Jul 24, 2009 2:59 PM PDT up reply actions

I think his 2009 cap hit is just a hair under $4 mil, since his 2009 salary is 250k higher than 2008, and his 2008 cap hit was $3.654 million.

by SJO on Jul 24, 2009 2:54 PM PDT reply actions

I think the $3 million is accelerated to this year.

by SJO on Jul 24, 2009 3:03 PM PDT reply actions

No, that's wrong...

Since it’s after June 1st, it’s split up into two years.

by SJO on Jul 24, 2009 3:07 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs

I think as part of the impending labor issue...

the June 1st deadline didn’t mean anything this year. I’m pretty sure I heard that right around May 30th. I don’t know the actual numbers on Wilhelm, but I believe it’ll all be taken this year.

by Lenny Suckerpunch on Jul 25, 2009 10:41 PM PDT up reply actions

Weird how things work

if he goes to Dallas. Burnett for Wilhelm straight up. But I think he stays in the AFC and starts for someone. Cinncy? New England?

"Dwight Howard couldn't score 40 points in a game if he was going against Yi Jianlian's chair." Bill Simmons chat 5/20

"I don't feel this team can beat us four times," Mo Williams 5/21

by L Magico on Jul 24, 2009 4:27 PM PDT reply actions

New England is the better bet

He doesn’t fit in a 4-3 defense anywhere I don’t think. I think Kansas City and Green Bay are players.

"I did not invent the wheel, I was the crooked spoke adjacent." - Aesop Rock

by John Gennaro on Jul 24, 2009 4:56 PM PDT up reply actions

Wow

I hate to say it because he seemed like a nice guy; but I was tired of watching him get run over last year. Better now than later; I can’t see him landing with New England or Dallas, or Denver even. Chiefs maybe; their LB’s were pretty woeful.

"Football is a physical sport, sometimes you have a disagreement on what's going on, and you have a discussion about it." Kris Dielman

by Brian (DaBolts) on Jul 24, 2009 5:29 PM PDT reply actions

Does his contract get assumed by the team that pick's him up?

I’ve been down on the moneys paid to Matt Wilhelm in past posts. And I stand by those comments. He was not performing at the level of a Shawn Merriman, and yet he was making much more than Merriman. Leaving or renegotiating were really the only two options. And in the NFL, I think its everyman for himself; hold on to as much money as you can they won’t be paying you for very long.

All that said, I also feel some sadness for Matt. In part because I think he is a good player, not the top 5 in the league, but defiantly starter somewhere. They know him here with the Chargers and they like him, maybe he doesn’t get a chance with another team since everyone is looking for the young cheap deal. If the contract must be assumed, I can see that being a deal killer for him.

by Trendsearcher on Jul 24, 2009 5:33 PM PDT reply actions

Nope

His contract basically gets ripped up and forgotten about.

"I did not invent the wheel, I was the crooked spoke adjacent." - Aesop Rock

by John Gennaro on Jul 24, 2009 7:21 PM PDT up reply actions

I wonder

Who gets Wilhelm’s spot on the roster?

by gman87 on Jul 26, 2009 3:19 AM PDT reply actions

Burnett

Wilhelm wasn’t going to make the team anyways

"I did not invent the wheel, I was the crooked spoke adjacent." - Aesop Rock

by John Gennaro on Jul 26, 2009 8:40 AM PDT up reply actions

I don't know if they have actual roster size limits now

but they did bring back one of the UDFA LBs, the guy from Cal, I can’t remember his name. I also didn’t think Whilhelm was going to make the eventual 53 man, but it may open the door wider for Darry Beckwith (LSU) to make the 53 man.

by Stephen (shaynes41) on Jul 27, 2009 9:22 AM PDT up reply actions

The Chargers carried 4 ILBs last year IIRC

Burnett, Cooper and Dobbins are basically guaranteed spots barring injury. I would think Beckwith is basically competing with Siler for the final spot unless they decide to carry an additional ILB this year.

Memo to baseball managers: You manufacture runs by NOT making outs, not by making them on purpose.

by Wonko on Jul 27, 2009 10:34 AM PDT up reply actions