Wesson44 Posted March 4, 2010 Report Share Posted March 4, 2010 Rams | May give Atogwe lowest tender Comment (0) Wed, 03 Mar 2010 21:37:33 -0800 Jim Thomas, of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, reports the St. Louis Rams are considering tendering impending restricted free-agent FS Oshiomogho Atogwe at the lowest level work $1.226 million. The Rams would have the right of first refusal, but they would not receive compensation if they decided not to match.. Read more: http://www.kffl.com/hotw/NFL?page=0#ixzz0hCI7gAZM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest TerraTor Posted March 4, 2010 Report Share Posted March 4, 2010 Cheaper and less worth getting id say. Unless Rolle is just rediculous with the money Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest TerraTor Posted March 4, 2010 Report Share Posted March 4, 2010 Cheaper and less worth getting id say. Unless Rolle is just rediculous with the money I take it back, he may be a very good option Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
defiantgiant Posted March 4, 2010 Report Share Posted March 4, 2010 I take it back, he may be a very good option Atogwe would almost certainly be a better fit in Lovie's defense than Rolle, and I think they're probably on the same level as players. Atogwe's been a real bright spot on an awful Rams defense. That's not to say he's perfect: from what I've seen, Atogwe isn't a stellar tackler, and he's certainly not a thumper against the run, but he's very good in pass coverage. Yes, he's 28 and he's been a little dinged up, but if it's not going to cost a draft pick, he'd be worth an investment. I have no idea why the Rams would do something stupid like use the lowest tender on him, but if they do, the Bears need to open the checkbook immediately. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
defiantgiant Posted March 4, 2010 Report Share Posted March 4, 2010 Umm, I guess I was a little hasty saying that it would be stupid for the Rams to use the lowest tender on Atogwe. According to Rotoworld, they just did: The Rams have assigned the lowest possible restricted free agent tender, known as "right of first refusal," to FS O.J. Atogwe. The team announced the move was made "with intent to sign...a long term contract." Atogwe has until June 1 to find an offer sheet elsewhere. If he doesn't, the Rams have to cut him or pay him nearly $7 million at that point. While Atogwe's play was down some, he remained St. Louis' top defensive back. The 29-year-old is sure to generate interest and a trade can't be ruled out. I guess the first-and-third tender would mean that they'd have to pay him 10% more than he earned last year. Since he was on the franchise tag last year and made $6.3 million, they'd have to pay him $6.9 million to give him the highest tender. If I were Chicago, I'd be drawing up a poison pill offer sheet right this instant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madlithuanian Posted March 4, 2010 Report Share Posted March 4, 2010 Yay! More former Rams! (although this one actually looks decent...) I just worry... Atogwe would almost certainly be a better fit in Lovie's defense than Rolle, and I think they're probably on the same level as players. Atogwe's been a real bright spot on an awful Rams defense. That's not to say he's perfect: from what I've seen, Atogwe isn't a stellar tackler, and he's certainly not a thumper against the run, but he's very good in pass coverage. Yes, he's 28 and he's been a little dinged up, but if it's not going to cost a draft pick, he'd be worth an investment. I have no idea why the Rams would do something stupid like use the lowest tender on him, but if they do, the Bears need to open the checkbook immediately. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
defiantgiant Posted March 4, 2010 Report Share Posted March 4, 2010 Yay! More former Rams! (although this one actually looks decent...) I just worry... I know...I'd like to see the Rams-to-Bears pipeline pan out for once. Maybe Atogwe can make that happen. He certainly looks like he'd be a good player in our scheme, and all we have to do is draw up an offer sheet with something ridiculous like "$50 million in guaranteed money if he plays on the same team as Steven Jackson" and we're set. I know the league frowns on poison pill offers, but as far as I know, there's no actual sanction for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nitetrain8601 Posted March 5, 2010 Report Share Posted March 5, 2010 I didn't know he was a FA. He would be an overall better fit than Rolle for the Cover 2. Rolle is an overall better player though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dawhizz Posted March 5, 2010 Report Share Posted March 5, 2010 For the people saying Rolle is a bad fit for the Cover 2 or that Otogwe is a better fit in the cover 2, can you explain why? I really just want to know. Of course, at this rate, by the time you reply, it might be moot... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nitetrain8601 Posted March 5, 2010 Report Share Posted March 5, 2010 For the people saying Rolle is a bad fit for the Cover 2 or that Otogwe is a better fit in the cover 2, can you explain why? I really just want to know. Of course, at this rate, by the time you reply, it might be moot... Atogwe covers more ground. He's the type of player who will do good dependent of the people you put around him. He's better at picking off QB's which is the biggest component to Lovie's defense - takeaways. His weakness is tackling though. Some people say it's a result of him trying to make the guy fumble, but other Rams' fans have told me he just tries to go for a big hit instead of simply wrapping the guy up. He's more athletic. Rolle on the other hand depends on others around him. Have no pass rush and bad corners and eventually he'll start getting lit up like the rest of the defense. He also isn't the ballhawk that Atogwe is, but he's much more sound defensively and he's probably better at creating fumbles as well. He doesn't let too many guys pass him in the open field. He's a harder hitter than Atogwe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bradjock Posted March 5, 2010 Report Share Posted March 5, 2010 Umm, I guess I was a little hasty saying that it would be stupid for the Rams to use the lowest tender on Atogwe. According to Rotoworld, they just did: The Rams have assigned the lowest possible restricted free agent tender, known as "right of first refusal," to FS O.J. Atogwe. The team announced the move was made "with intent to sign...a long term contract." Atogwe has until June 1 to find an offer sheet elsewhere. If he doesn't, the Rams have to cut him or pay him nearly $7 million at that point. While Atogwe's play was down some, he remained St. Louis' top defensive back. The 29-year-old is sure to generate interest and a trade can't be ruled out. I guess the first-and-third tender would mean that they'd have to pay him 10% more than he earned last year. Since he was on the franchise tag last year and made $6.3 million, they'd have to pay him $6.9 million to give him the highest tender. If I were Chicago, I'd be drawing up a poison pill offer sheet right this instant. Living closer to St. Louis then Chicago I know that Rams tickets are readily available for every game. St. Louis is a smaller market. This could be exhibit A of teams dumping players to save money. I'm just speculating, but I really don't want to see the NFL end up like MLB and the NBA where you have bad teams like the Pirates and Clippers that lose year after year but still see a profit. That ain't right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LT2_3 Posted March 5, 2010 Report Share Posted March 5, 2010 I know...I'd like to see the Rams-to-Bears pipeline pan out for once. Maybe Atogwe can make that happen. He certainly looks like he'd be a good player in our scheme, and all we have to do is draw up an offer sheet with something ridiculous like "$50 million in guaranteed money if he plays on the same team as Steven Jackson" and we're set. I know the league frowns on poison pill offers, but as far as I know, there's no actual sanction for it. A few points: 1. A "poison pill" can not alter the principal terms of the contract. The type of poison pill that can be used is like Hutchinson's where it guaranteed the same dollar amounts. So while it's still possible to do, it's not quite as poisonous as some might think 2. Even with a poison pill, the Rams have the right to match the contract - which they might decide to do anyway. 3. There is no way to force the player to sign the offer sheet. This isn't a "get it done quickly" type scenario. The player might sit on the offer and even if he signs it, the Rams can sit on it for a week before they match or decline. I have no problem with Atogwe as a player. I just see him as a fall back possibility if Rolle and Sharper fall through because they will sign somewhere first. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bowlingtwig Posted March 5, 2010 Report Share Posted March 5, 2010 A few points: 1. A "poison pill" can not alter the principal terms of the contract. The type of poison pill that can be used is like Hutchinson's where it guaranteed the same dollar amounts. So while it's still possible to do, it's not quite as poisonous as some might think 2. Even with a poison pill, the Rams have the right to match the contract - which they might decide to do anyway. 3. There is no way to force the player to sign the offer sheet. This isn't a "get it done quickly" type scenario. The player might sit on the offer and even if he signs it, the Rams can sit on it for a week before they match or decline. I have no problem with Atogwe as a player. I just see him as a fall back possibility if Rolle and Sharper fall through because they will sign somewhere first. I like Sharper but I would much rather have Atogwe as he is younger. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LT2_3 Posted March 5, 2010 Report Share Posted March 5, 2010 I like Sharper but I would much rather have Atogwe as he is younger. Me too. It's just that if you put your eggs in an Atogwe basket, then you don't know if they hatch for awhile - and the hatching is far less certain. With the other guys, you know pretty quickly if it's possible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest TerraTor Posted March 5, 2010 Report Share Posted March 5, 2010 Me too. It's just that if you put your eggs in an Atogwe basket, then you don't know if they hatch for awhile - and the hatching is far less certain. With the other guys, you know pretty quickly if it's possible. Sharper is probably the best Vet around, but for us hes a band-aid unfornately. I think we need one of the other two guys. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nfoligno Posted March 5, 2010 Report Share Posted March 5, 2010 Huh? Me too. It's just that if you put your eggs in an Atogwe basket, then you don't know if they hatch for awhile - and the hatching is far less certain. With the other guys, you know pretty quickly if it's possible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LT2_3 Posted March 5, 2010 Report Share Posted March 5, 2010 Huh? Even if they were able to persuade Atogwe to sign an offer sheet today, we wouldn't know if we got him or not for another week while all the other top grade safeties would have been signed. or If you want to make sure you get a top level guy, you don't do it in the RFA market. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mongo3451 Posted March 5, 2010 Report Share Posted March 5, 2010 Huh? He was referring to the week the Rams can take to beat any offers made VS signing someone today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nfoligno Posted March 5, 2010 Report Share Posted March 5, 2010 Got it. So you are saying Stl has a week to match the offer sheet. Okay. I sort of thought you were saying he is less developed and it would take time to see if he was a legit starter or not. That is why I asked for clarification. Now I understand. Still, he is far and away my favorite option. While it is harder to make a "poison pill" offer w/o a cap, I do wonder if front loading the deal enough would steal him away from Stl. I do understand what you are saying though. At the same time, in my eyes, no other FS on the market would offer the impact Atogwe would, so it may well be worth the chance. Even if they were able to persuade Atogwe to sign an offer sheet today, we wouldn't know if we got him or not for another week while all the other top grade safeties would have been signed. or If you want to make sure you get a top level guy, you don't do it in the RFA market. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
defiantgiant Posted March 5, 2010 Report Share Posted March 5, 2010 1. A "poison pill" can not alter the principal terms of the contract. The type of poison pill that can be used is like Hutchinson's where it guaranteed the same dollar amounts. So while it's still possible to do, it's not quite as poisonous as some might think Yeah, I was actually trying to refer to the Hutchinson deal there. We offer Atogwe a contract, then insert a clause that says "the full amount of the deal becomes guaranteed if he ever plays 8 games in Edward Jones Dome in a single season" or something like that. The principal terms of the deal aren't altered, and the guaranteed money would make it prohibitively expensive for the Rams to keep him, especially since they're trying to save money as it is. That's all dependent on Atogwe actually signing an offer sheet, but I have to imagine that he could be pried away from St. Louis. As far as the Bears are from making a Super Bowl run, the Rams are infinitely further. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest TerraTor Posted March 5, 2010 Report Share Posted March 5, 2010 Even if they were able to persuade Atogwe to sign an offer sheet today, we wouldn't know if we got him or not for another week while all the other top grade safeties would have been signed. or If you want to make sure you get a top level guy, you don't do it in the RFA market. I think we know dam well they wont match anything Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ParkerBear7 Posted March 7, 2010 Report Share Posted March 7, 2010 Not sure how good Kerry Rhodes is but he was dealt to the Cardinals for 2 picks ( 4th & 7th). http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news;_ylt=AkPX...p&type=lgns Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
defiantgiant Posted March 7, 2010 Report Share Posted March 7, 2010 Not sure how good Kerry Rhodes is but he was dealt to the Cardinals for 2 picks ( 4th & 7th). http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news;_ylt=AkPX...p&type=lgns The Rams are bringing Brodney Pool (FS from the Browns) in for a visit. Looks like they're preparing for life without Atogwe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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