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June 1 getting closer. Any chance we look at Atogwe?

G

gtexan02

Working?
There was some talk about the Texans looking toward Sharper as a free agent, but it didn't pan out.

Atogwe has yet to sign his tender with the rams, meaning that if June 1st rolls around, he becomes a free agent.

He's only 28 and has only been in the league for 6 years. He has 19 career INTs.

I think he's coming off an injury, but I dont have the details.


Any guesses as to what he would mean to the team if we did go after him?
 
Why would June 1 matter this year? It is significant only in that you can remove some of the cap hit from this year and delay it to next year. This year is uncapped so there is no reason to do so. Players will be cut at any time this off-season.
 
Did you get the memo? Yeeeaaahhh, evidently, you didn't get the memo. Smithiak is comfortable with the situation at the safety position. I'll have a copy of that memo sent over.
 
infantrycak said:
Why would June 1 matter this year? It is significant only in that you can remove some of the cap hit from this year and delay it to next year. This year is uncapped so there is no reason to do so. Players will be cut at any time this off-season.
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Because if the Rams do not reach an agreement with him by June 1, they will have to pay him 110% of last years salary, which was at the franchise level.

He is not going to sign him the tender because it was so low, and they are not going to pay him what 9mil?
 
infantrycak said:
Why would June 1 matter this year? It is significant only in that you can remove some of the cap hit from this year and delay it to next year. This year is uncapped so there is no reason to do so. Players will be cut at any time this off-season.
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Just to recap, the St. Louis Rams have until June 1 to reach an agreement with the safety; if they don't, they'll either have to pay him a one-year salary at 110 percent of his 2009 wages or he'll become an unrestricted free agent.
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http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/features/rumors

The Rams would owe him over 7 million if he waits until June 1. The onl ytendered him at 1.3 million

http://blogs.nfl.com/2010/05/10/wyche-atogwe-wont-sign-tender-with-rams/

NFL.com senior writer Steve Wyche told “NFL Total Access” on Monday that Atogwe will not sign his tender. That decision increases the likelihood that Atogwe will be someone else’s starting strong safety next season.

The key date in the whole scenario is June 1. The Rams continue to hold exclusive negotiating rights with Atogwe and can try to sign him to a long-term deal. On June 1, because the Rams tendered Atogwe at $1.226 million (significantly less than his 2009 salary), they hold the option of extending an offer at 110 percent of his salary (nearly $7 million) to retain his rights or releasing him to become an unrestricted free agent.
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He's a strong safety, and we need a free safety. There is no chance they will sign him to be a 6-8 million backup to Pollard.


Edit: I bet he ends up in Dallas.
 
Dutchrudder said:
He's a strong safety, and we need a free safety. There is no chance they will sign him to be a 6-8 million backup to Pollard.


Edit: I bet he ends up in Dallas.
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We dont really play free safety strong safety like some teams in the NFL.

I dont see why he wouldn't be an excellent complement to Pollard. He's got excellent coverage skills, at least according to his stats (19 INTs and 33 passes defended in 6 years).

At 5-11, 205, he's not built too large to be a FS.
He ran a 4.55 at the combine in the 40, so hes fast enough.
And he played FS in college
 
Troy Polamalu is a Strong Safety... I'd plug him in our secondary even with Pollard. Just sayin'

Dom Barber doesn't seem like a Free Safety in the sense of what we all want, a free ranging ball hawk. I think Atogwe and Pollard could be a nice safety duo. Because of the Price O.J. will command, it really depends on what the Staff thinks of Eugene Wilson's recovery and Barber's progress as a starter. There's a huge $ difference in Barber to Atogwe and if they don't see a corresponding increase in performance then I doubt the do it. Personally, I hope we're at least considering it.

Honestly, I havn't watched him much (he plays for the Rams) so I'm not too familiar with his style of play. It seems he has the instincts and ball skills which are key. Playing SS you assume he's proficient in tackling. Tackling and Instincts/Intellect are key to Secondary personnel for our team.
 
Otogwe is capable of playing FS. I don't think we sign him though because that is the M.O. this year.
 
OK, forgot the tender factor. Still not seeing the likelihood of him being released if it is under $7 mil to keep him.
 
gtexan02 said:
We dont really play free safety strong safety like some teams in the NFL.

I dont see why he wouldn't be an excellent complement to Pollard. He's got excellent coverage skills, at least according to his stats (19 INTs and 33 passes defended in 6 years).

At 5-11, 205, he's not built too large to be a FS.
He ran a 4.55 at the combine in the 40, so hes fast enough.
And he played FS in college
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I think the FS=SS thing isn't so anymore. There was a time when we played like that but it sure seemed like that most of last season had us playing a strong and a free respectively.
 
No more FA's will be signed this offseason.

You heard it here 1st. LOL

Unless they come off of the scrap heap.
 
He is a safety capable of starting at either spot

but he would want a new lucrative contract so that pretty much rules that out
he would improve the team though
no doubt so i support any move that improves the team
 
NitroHonda said:
I think the FS=SS thing isn't so anymore. There was a time when we played like that but it sure seemed like that most of last season had us playing a strong and a free respectively.
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With the numbers gtexan showed, it sounds as though the Rams didn't play with a true SS/FS.. that both safeties were expected to perform the same type of role.


Kubiak wants a safety that can do that. Pollard fits the bill, and plays the run better than any safety we've had yet.

If Atogwe is that same kind of athlete, strong against the run, and better than average against the pass (which his numbers show)... maybe the Texans would be interested, Atogwe/Pollard may be exactly what they are looking for.

I liked both CC Brown, and Glen Earl. They were, IMO, versatile, and could play either position. Neither played either position particularly well. Pollard plays the run like nobody's business, and he's not too shabby in coverage. If Atogwe is the Bizarro-Pollard, exceptional in space, and not too shabby in run defense...

I can see it happening.

Second Honeymoon said:
but he would want a new lucrative contract so that pretty much rules that out
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Agreed. Fugetaboudit
 
eriadoc said:
Did you get the memo? Yeeeaaahhh, evidently, you didn't get the memo. Smithiak is comfortable with the situation at the safety position. I'll have a copy of that memo sent over.
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tpsreports.jpg


Got it...
 
UPDATE

Otogwe officially became a free agent at 11pm last night.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=5241584
The St. Louis Rams did not re-tender safety O.J. Atogwe at $6.976 million as they needed to do to assure them of his services this season. As a result, Atogwe is now an unrestricted free agent.

Atogwe, the Rams' franchise player last offseason, is now one of the top free agents, if not the top free agent available.

The Rams still would like to re-sign him, just at a lower salary than the nearly $7 million they would have been obliged to pay this season.

Atogwe is coming off an injury-shortened 2009 season. A shoulder injury landed him on injured reserve. He also underwent hernia surgery.

Despite playing a shortened season, Atogwe still recorded 74 tackles, three forced fumbles, two interceptions and a sack in 12 games. Atogwe, who will turn 29 this month, has 19 interceptions in his five-year NFL career.

The two sides are expected to continue talking. But the Miami Dolphins, Dallas Cowboys and Minnesota Vikings all might have some level of interest in Atogwe as well.
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29 off a couple injuries....

Hard to argue with the production though. I can honestly say I'd rather see him than Barber too. Well, I'd rather see him than anyone not named Pollard.
 
b0ng said:
Judging by how many reports have linked us to him, I'd say the chances are slim?
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Unless he's willing to come down on asking price and can pass a physical I say the chances aren't even slim but, by a very small margin over 0. The past two years the staff has had opportunities to address the spot with a good FA, they still seem content to walk out with the same holes at safety. Only difference this year is their sign someone during the season to work out at at free safety worked out well in netting us Pollard.
 
NitroHonda said:
Have we ever even signed anybody that was rumored to be an interest of ours?

Just sayin'...
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Ever? Anybody?

Based on rumors and reports after the 2008 season, not many were caught off guard by the Antonio Smith FA signing.

Also, there was much speculation about Pollard prior to bringing him on board.
 
ChampionTexan said:
Ever? Anybody?

Based on rumors and reports after the 2008 season, not many were caught off guard by the Antonio Smith FA signing.

Also, there was much speculation about Pollard prior to bringing him on board.
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I was caught off-guard because we signed him!

:lol:

We're just not very good at the FA market.
 
Rams remain the favorites for Atogwe

With teams lining up to say they're not interested in free-agent safety O.J. Atogwe with the kind of zeal that makes us wonder whether they've confused him with O.J. Simpson, it's looking like Atogwe may return to the team with which he has spent his entire career.

Dan Graziano of AOL's FanHouse.com reports that the Rams remain the favorites to retain Atogwe's services, even though the Dolphins are making a "strong push."

"I love O.J.," coach Steve Spagnuolo said Wednesday in comments circulated by the team. "The process took us to this point, but it's ongoing. I mean, we're still working at it and very hopeful, and we'll just have to see what happens these next couple of days."

Still, Spagnuolo appears to be braced for the possibility that Atogwe will sign elsewhere. "He's a good football player and I don't like to lose good football players, but we move on," Spagnuolo said. "It would be no different than if somebody got hurt, and it happened last year when O.J. had the shoulder injury and we move on. So you try not to skip a beat. You miss the person because of who he is, but we just move on.

"We've got some good football players out here."

Apparently, Spagnuolo was a big fan of "Where's Waldo?"
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Not skip a beat?.............that's impressive, Spagnuolo...............for a 29th ranked defense.
 
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CloakNNNdagger said:
With teams lining up to say they're not interested in free-agent safety O.J. Atogwe with the kind of zeal that makes us wonder whether they've confused him with O.J. Simpson, it's looking like Atogwe may return to the team with which he has spent his entire career.
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31 other cheap owners?
 
TimeKiller said:
29 off a couple injuries....

Hard to argue with the production though. I can honestly say I'd rather see him than Barber too. Well, I'd rather see him than anyone not named Pollard.
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Picking that dude up and paying him 6.3 million to play FS is a good way to piss off Pollard and Dre and OD. I say take care of the guys that are already here first. We don't need a guy coming off injury and won't be here for the next 4 years.
 
NitroHonda said:
JB said:
eriadoc said:
CloakNNNdagger said:
With teams lining up to say they're not interested in free-agent safety O.J. Atogwe with the kind of zeal that makes us wonder whether they've confused him with O.J. Simpson, it's looking like Atogwe may return to the team with which he has spent his entire career.
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31 other cheap owners?
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32. Because the Rams could have franchised him again but were too cheap.
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:spit:
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ok.. Nitro, are you laughing because JB mis-understood that eriadoc was already counting the Rams as one of 31 teams other than the Texans????? or because of the sarcastic remark about the Rams being cheap??
 
thunderkyss said:
ok.. Nitro, are you laughing because JB mis-understood that eriadoc was already counting the Rams as one of 31 teams other than the Texans????? or because of the sarcastic remark about the Rams being cheap??
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If he was counting the Rams as one of the 31 teams, then who is the one team not too cheap?

edit: sorry, missed the "other" in eriadocs post.
 
thunderkyss said:
ok.. Nitro, are you laughing because JB mis-understood that eriadoc was already counting the Rams as one of 31 teams other than the Texans????? or because of the sarcastic remark about the Rams being cheap??
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uh?

No. I think I understood it perfectly. I believe the Texans are also too cheap to seek out Atogwe.
 
b0ng said:
Judging by how many reports have linked us to him, I'd say the chances are slim?
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To be fair, any team expressing interest in OJ before June 1 would have been considered tampering. All the reports linking him to various places was 100% speculation based on sports city writers. And we all know McClain isn't going to put forward something like that
 
Lions taking a "hard look" at Atogwe

The Detroit Lions, who could use a strong complement to promising second-year safety Louis Delmas, have emerged as a potential suitor for free-agent safety O.J. Atogwe.

According to Tom Kowalski of Mlive.com, the Lions are taking a "hard look" at Atogwe, the Rams' franchise player in 2009 who secured his freedom as of June 2 after the Rams opted not to re-issue his restricted free agency tender. Doing so would have bumped his salary from $1.226 million to nearly $7 million, due to an esoteric CBA rule with which we've sufficiently bored you in the past.

Kowalski reports that Atogwe's salary demands are "extremely high," which helps explain the absence of a quick deal. So either his expectations will drop or he'll wait for someone to overpay.

The Rams remain the team most likely to land Atogwe, but the Dolphins are in the mix, too.
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If Atogwe's goal is trying to be part of a winning organization..............tough choice............Rams?...........Lions?..........Rams?...........Lions?............Dang, that's awfully tough............Let's look for a tie-breaker.................MONEY!:hurrah:
 
LOL

True, but most players look at $ first and foremost. I cant say that I blame them.
 
Detroit?

Why would they be interested in Atogwe?

Didn't they just sign CC Brown?
 
ubecool454 said:
Picking that dude up and paying him 6.3 million to play FS is a good way to piss off Pollard and Dre and OD. I say take care of the guys that are already here first. We don't need a guy coming off injury and won't be here for the next 4 years.
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A very good way to piss them off.
 
b0ng said:
Dallas, Minnesota, Miami
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Won't be Dallas

http://sports.espn.go.com/dallas/nfl/news/story?id=5243515&campaign=rss&source=NFLHeadlines

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Dallas Cowboys owner/general manager Jerry Jones said Wednesday that he doesn't intend to pursue a safety in free agency.

Jones declined to comment specifically about O.J. Atogwe, who became an unrestricted free agent at midnight when the St. Louis Rams declined to re-tender him at $6.976 million. The Cowboys, who released starting free safety Ken Hamlin earlier this offseason, were among the teams speculated as a potential destination for Atogwe.

"I'm ready to go into our season with the safeties that we have," Jones said during an organized team activity workout in front of a crowd of 2,000 at Cowboys Stadium. "That might answer your question."

The Cowboys are confident that converted cornerback Alan Ball is a suitable replacement for Hamlin. Ball filled in as the starter for four games that Hamlin missed with a high ankle sprain last season. The Cowboys' front office and coaching staff did not believe that there was a dropoff
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For the first time in this saga, ESPN has listed us as an interested team. Not sure where their info is coming from, but it could just be because he's a safety and we have a need at safety.

Rams alive in O.J. hunt
9:10

Oshiomogho Atogwe | Rams | Interested: Buccaneers?, Rams?, Jaguars?, Texans?, Dolphins?, Lions?, Bengals?

The Oshiomogho Atogwe sweepstakes is set to enter Week No. 2, and thus far, it seems like more teams are saying, "Thanks, but no thanks" than expressing any interest. (For a look back at more of the Atogwe story, click here).

There's always been the possibility that the St. Louis Rams could bring him back, but one idea that gained a little steam over recent weeks was that Atogwe was a bit peeved at the team for offering him such a low RFA tender -- the lowest, actually. However, this idea was downplayed by Rams GM Billy Devaney in comments to the St. Louis Globe-Democrat. "I don't think that's the case. He was probably disappointed, but he understood the business part of it."

As for Atogwe's return to St. Louis? "O.J. knows how we feel about him. We are a better team with him here. Our hope is that after he tests the market, he will come back to us. We're trying to get to a happy medium." Translation: Just like with other teams out there, the Rams want him at a discount. Could be a little while before a deal is sealed.
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http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/features/rumors
 
Update:

The third week of Oshiomogho Atogwe's free agency began with a limp. As the days wear on, more and more teams are being taken out of the pool of interested suitors, and a return to the St. Louis Rams -- at a discounted rate -- seems more likely.

In truth, it's going to come down to which team is willing to offer slightly more than the rest, as the Rams may already have a certain figure in mind for what they're willing to offer; obviously, if they've given that info to Atogwe's representation, it was not deemed acceptable. Past speculation has indicated that the Detroit Lions, Oakland Raiders and Houston Texans figured to be logical fits for the 28-year-old; however, none of these have been confirmed by internal or external sources. Thus, the waiting continues.

Bill Coats of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch opined on Tuesday that Atogwe will wind up back in St. Louis eventually. The timeline for that return is the question.
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