PaCkFan_n_MD
05-12-2010, 11:56 AM
nfl.com
Chicago, Dallas, Minnesota or some other team in need of safety help could soon get it in the form of O.J. Atogwe. The Rams' restricted free-agent is caught in an interesting time capsule that could end up with St. Louis losing a player it franchised last season with no compensation.
Although St. Louis placed nothing more than the low right-of-first-refusal tender on Atogwe at the outset of free agency, teams were scared off from extending an offer sheet because they felt any deal they negotiated with Atogwe would be matched by the Rams. Atogwe never signed his restricted free-agent tender -- an offer that would have dropped his $6.3 million 2009 salary to about $5 million -- and from now until June 1, the Rams have exclusive negotiating rights with Atogwe.
If a deal can't be worked out between now and then, Atogwe is free to walk and the Rams won't get anything in return. The Rams could trade him but he has to sign his tender and the only way he will sign a tender is if a new deal can be worked out before him being moved. That doesn't seem likely at this point, but there is time. As of now, there has been little communication between Rams management and Atogwe regarding a new contract.
That's likely to change over the next three weeks.
Clearly, one of the reasons St. Louis didn't franchise Atogwe again, offer him a raise over last season's deal or even place a first-round compensation tender on him is it doesn't want to pay him the type of money he earned last season. So any discussions of a long-term deal will probably average less, maybe a lot less, than the salary he earned in '09.
Atogwe doesn't have to accept any offer the Rams make because there could be more for him on the open market. Then again, there might not be. A lot of teams have spent what they're going to spend, and suitors -- who haven't surfaced yet -- might be limited. That could leave Atogwe in the position of taking what the Rams offer or leaving regardless because he's not pleased with how things transpired.
Atogwe is coming off a torn labrum in his shoulder, but he should be fully healthy by the start of next season, so medical concerns aren't believed to be a big issue.
The guess here is that St. Louis and Atogwe will try to get something done over the next few weeks. Atogwe is one of the few good players (19 picks and 317 tackles in five seasons) on the roster, especially on defense, and this is a franchise that can't let starting players leave for nothing.
I would be happy if we got this guy. I know we drafted Morgan, but this guy would be a big upgrade over Bibgy and would allow our new draft pick to develop.
Chicago, Dallas, Minnesota or some other team in need of safety help could soon get it in the form of O.J. Atogwe. The Rams' restricted free-agent is caught in an interesting time capsule that could end up with St. Louis losing a player it franchised last season with no compensation.
Although St. Louis placed nothing more than the low right-of-first-refusal tender on Atogwe at the outset of free agency, teams were scared off from extending an offer sheet because they felt any deal they negotiated with Atogwe would be matched by the Rams. Atogwe never signed his restricted free-agent tender -- an offer that would have dropped his $6.3 million 2009 salary to about $5 million -- and from now until June 1, the Rams have exclusive negotiating rights with Atogwe.
If a deal can't be worked out between now and then, Atogwe is free to walk and the Rams won't get anything in return. The Rams could trade him but he has to sign his tender and the only way he will sign a tender is if a new deal can be worked out before him being moved. That doesn't seem likely at this point, but there is time. As of now, there has been little communication between Rams management and Atogwe regarding a new contract.
That's likely to change over the next three weeks.
Clearly, one of the reasons St. Louis didn't franchise Atogwe again, offer him a raise over last season's deal or even place a first-round compensation tender on him is it doesn't want to pay him the type of money he earned last season. So any discussions of a long-term deal will probably average less, maybe a lot less, than the salary he earned in '09.
Atogwe doesn't have to accept any offer the Rams make because there could be more for him on the open market. Then again, there might not be. A lot of teams have spent what they're going to spend, and suitors -- who haven't surfaced yet -- might be limited. That could leave Atogwe in the position of taking what the Rams offer or leaving regardless because he's not pleased with how things transpired.
Atogwe is coming off a torn labrum in his shoulder, but he should be fully healthy by the start of next season, so medical concerns aren't believed to be a big issue.
The guess here is that St. Louis and Atogwe will try to get something done over the next few weeks. Atogwe is one of the few good players (19 picks and 317 tackles in five seasons) on the roster, especially on defense, and this is a franchise that can't let starting players leave for nothing.
I would be happy if we got this guy. I know we drafted Morgan, but this guy would be a big upgrade over Bibgy and would allow our new draft pick to develop.