OJ Atogwe Could be a Free Agent as of June 1
by MidWayMonster54 on Mar 11, 2010 1:56 PM CST
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Could this be what we're waiting for ? As of June 1 Atogwe will be part of the free agent market , as will any other restricted free agent that was tendered as right of first refusal that is not signed . But the Rams do have a few options with OJ so lets jump right into it !
First the Rams can always just sign Atogwe to a long term contract . This seem very unlikely due to the fact he feels like the right of first refusal tender was a slap in the face ( to steal some words from Big Vince ) . So I think this one is just not going to happen .
Second the Rams could simpley trade his rights to the highest bidder . This could be a smart move on their part . At least this way they would get something in return . But the question is how much would the Rams want in return for a player they no longer want ? And who's interested in trading for him ? Well the answer to interested parties consist of the Bears and the Dallas Cowboys . Brad Biggs reports via Twitter that Atogwe is on their radar . This could produce a bidding war we cannot win . Heres another link that explains it a little further .
Third they can give him a one year salary worth 7 million . Thats just not going to happen .
And last , but certainly not least they could choose to do nothing and let the man walk . This seems unlikely but considering they don't want to pay the man , he has zero restricted tenders as of right now and no trade offers it could happen . This would be my prefered route in obtaining his services .
The interested teams have until April 15 to sign a restricted free agent offer sheet . If not , and if the Rams decide not do to any of the above options , he becomes a free agent . In my humble opinion Atogwe will not get tendered by us or any other interested party . So Bears Nation what should we do ?
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I saw we just try and sign him to a tender
If we get into a trade bidding war with the cowboys, we will assuredly use because we only have precious few. PLUS at that point we would still have to sign him to a longer term contract to maintain his services.
There is no way
he remains a RFA until june 1st…
None whatsoever
he is the best safety FA out there right now
Do or do not there is not try-Master Yoda
Sign the offer sheet for a contract that we know the Rams won't match
Offer him a 3-4 yr front loaded deal in which the guaranteed money comes in the first year or two.
With Urlacher back, a HUGE upgrade with Peppers, and Atogwe, the defense would be one of the best we’ve had since the ’85 season…barring any major injuries of course.
Unreasonable people make life difficult...
Posion pill time baby!!!!
Yeah that Defense will be fierce and allow us to draft a new o-line in this years draft.
Wade 2010!!!!!
Don't care how but...
get it done. If it takes Olsen in trade, I’d at least consider it, though if Olsen is traded I would rather it be for a WR to replace his loss as a pass catcher.
IT'S NOT TOO LATE TO FIRE LOVIE!
agree, gotta get it done with Atogwe
We don’t need DJ Moore or the hope that Lovie “Frankenstein” Smith can somehow cobble together a legit safety out of spare body parts.
"I am not an animal!" - Merrick
by Maelvampyre on Mar 12, 2010 1:12 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs
Lovie "Frankenstein" Smith!!!!
LMAO and rec’d!
in•san•i•ty \in-ˈsa-nə-tē\ noun
1 : The act of doing the same thing over and over again while expecting different results.
by Timothy Hockemeyer on Mar 15, 2010 3:13 PM CDT up reply actions
We need to get a contract and offer it to him
After that either one of 2 things are gonna happen…The rams match it or they let him go…It’s better to do that now than wait and another team beats us to the punch, which would leave us with limited options
Kobe isnt good....He's just better than your favorite player
Get him
Lifelong Arizona Cardinals/Chicago Bears fan.
I can't stand fair-weather/bandwagon fans, stick with your team, throughout the good and the bad.
So Dallas could offer him a stock pile...
of money as well to intrigue him signing a restricted tender with them. Its a bidding war with us and Dallas either way. If either of those scenario’s is the case, I can see Dallas getting him. I can almost guarantee he will not last until June 1st. I know that the Rams have until then to match an offer, I just don’t see it going that long, no way.
Walter Payton lives on!!!
Unless the Rams don't want a trade...
then the only way I see him coming to us is if he simply wants to, not money from Dallas.
Walter Payton lives on!!!
by monsterman34 on Mar 11, 2010 5:32 PM CST up reply actions
Is there any way
we can poison pill both St. Louis AND Dallas at the same time? Like, we say if he plays X games in Missouri and Texas, his contract is guaranteed in full? I know it’s considered a ‘low’ move, but if we can grab a free safety of Atogwe’s ability, we need to make it happen.
by DieHardBearsCubs on Mar 11, 2010 7:42 PM CST reply actions
No.
Basically we both offer contracts, and Atogwe picks one, and then says match it or let me go.
Associate Writer - WindyCityGridiron.com
There is a rumor on
ESPN right now entitled “What will Bears offer Atogwe.” It’s just a rumor but maybe the Bears really are interested. I don’t subscribe so I can’t read it.
Nothing really...
the ESPN rumor things are mostly “can it happen?” type pieces that have a quote or 2 from a news paper mentioning the rumor….
By now, we know that the Bears’ next step in free agency could be finding a safety. It’s a pretty big hole on the roster as it currently stands. One possibility is Oshiomogho Atogwe, who was tendered at the lowest level by the St. Louis Rams, giving them the ability to match any offers, but no compensation if he moves on. Dan Pompei of the Chicago Tribune argued in favor of making a move for Atogwe in a column from this past weekend, and the Dallas Morning News officially reported that the Bears are interested on Thursday.
The Morning News’ Todd Davis also says that Atogwe on the Cowboys’ radar as a replacement for Ken Hamlin. Davis notes that there is no visit yet scheduled, but that one could come soon.
For whoever doesn’t land Atogwe (and he could stay in St. Louis), Sean Jones — who visited with the Bucs — could be an option.
Atogwe was designated as the franchise player in 2009, and his salary was $6.3 million; that took a nosedive with his restricted tender this offseason, which will pay him just $1.226 million. ESPN NFC West blogger Mike Sando notes that this has changed his attitude towards the offseason workout program:
“Atogwe has nothing to gain from showing up and risking potential injury after the team has dramatically downgraded its commitment to him. He’ll now wait until June, when rules require the Rams to increase their offer into the $7 million range or let him become a free agent.”
Incidently according to Zaidman the Bears are interested but are worried about his shoulder injury that he had towards the end of the season….Pompei and McClure mentioned on CTL that the IF the Bears are interested in Atgowe they would wait until around/after June 1 to see what the rams do before taking any action….
"In an infinite universe where reality is interpreted through our continuously fluctuating perception, providing absolute definitive proof of anything becomes a little more than speculation based on random data....."
- Jerry Angelo on how he prepares for the NFL draft
by CloudyFuture on Mar 12, 2010 1:53 PM CST up reply actions
I say make an offer for Atogwe
safety is a need for our team. It seems that he is the best safety available so why wait and risk another team getting him before June 1st. If there is any way to get the guy without giving away any players then it’s imperative we at least try.
we cant afford him
with everyone saying the he is the best in the league right now, and considering how much Rolle got paid, OJ is going to want comparable money. we still need to save a couple of bucks to sign our draft picks and anyone else that gets cut as we lead up into training camp.
Wait the Rams out
If it comes down to June 1st the Rams may just let him walk – $7 mill for that franchise right now is a lot, but we’ve got to do something to improve. Lovie’s made such a big deal this offseason about the safety position, it’ll look bad (in the press and on the field) if it was just pandering to fan complaints. Make a run at him before its too late.
Joe the Boss
That will never happen...
If he doesn’t receive an offer by April 15th, he and the RAMS will absolutely settle on something. There is no way the Rams ever had any intention of letting him walk and if on the street in June, his value will be significantly diminished and he knows that.
True...
The Rams letting him walk wouldn’t make much sense for them, but whats the market for him? It seems like he’s barely a thought at this point with other teams, so what’s the realistic return they could get for him if its expected that they won’t pay him a long term deal and are (obviously) hesitant about giving him another bigtime one-year deal?
If its free, take two.
I don't see this a true...
I think that there’s plenty of interest, but why get into a situation where you have to deal with the player and the team when you can wait for June 1st and just deal with the player. The rams are just looking for another team to make a cheaper offer, so they can save some cash and match the offer. So why would a team negotiate a deal before June 1st, giving something to the Rams, then renegotiating Atogwe’s contract anyways?
The Rams don’t want to cough up 7 mil, and I doubt seriously that Atogwe is feeling loved by the Rams right now, given the way they treated this who debacle. I doubt seriously that Atogwe will be a Ram.
in•san•i•ty \in-ˈsa-nə-tē\ noun
1 : The act of doing the same thing over and over again while expecting different results.
by Timothy Hockemeyer on Mar 15, 2010 3:21 PM CDT up reply actions
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