Oshiomogho Atogwe

[BIGPHILLY]

Rumors heating up that the Eagles are interested in the safety out of St. Louis in addition to Kampman (see other thread).

Atogwe is a very interesting prospect. Rams are gambling with him right now:

***

03.04.2010 1:19 pm
Rams tender Atogwe at lowest level
By Jim Thomas
St. Louis Post-Dispatch

The St. Louis Rams have officially tendered Oshiomogho Atogwe at the lowest level possible for a restricted free agent _ the right of first refusal level.
As a result, the Rams get no draft pick compensation if they choose not to match an outside offer.

Atogwe gets only $1.226 million as opposed to the $6.976 million he would have gotten if tendered at any other level.

The Rams are gambling that Atogwe won’t garner much interest in free agency. Or that they’ll be able to match any outside offer if he does.
The Chicago Bears, in dire need of help at safety and showing signs they are willing to spend in free agency, already are thought to be eye-balling Atogwe.


Tags: chicago bears, oshiomogho atogwe, st. louis rams

[BowieBirdFan]

2009 Scouting Report - Scouts Inc.
Grade: 67 | Key


Comment: Atogwe is a four-year player who started every game at free safety and led the Rams in interceptions last year with five. He has steadily developed into a dependable and productive starter along the backend of the Rams' defense. He has adequate size and speed with good instincts for the position. He gains depth quickly in his backpedal, showing quick feet and good balance. He does a good job of reading routes quickly and anticipating throws by the quarterback to get a good jump on the ball from the deep middle. He has adequate burst in transition with good closing quickness on receivers running out of their breaks. He can flip and accelerate with efficient angles to the ball and he has a good feel for playing the ball in the air. Atogwe is better on the move using his instincts and reactions to drift and take away angles. He is developing better confidence reading route combinations, but still needs to maintain discipline to prevent the big plays from opening up in the passing game. He's not afraid to take chances, which can be detrimental at times against speed receivers. In run support, he is developing into a good tackler with a knack for jarring the ball loose on arrival.


His Scouts, Inc outlook from last season.

[FRESH]

Interested.....

[stevemc]

watch the Eagles put together an offer with that deadly poison pill.

[Blitz]

This is one deal I would REALLY like to see get done.

Come on Howie, deal or no deal?

[fly]

watch the Eagles put together an offer with that deadly poison pill.

can you elaborate for the remedial fans like me (re: poison pill)

I remember reading about it several years ago but I'm clueless. How does that work?

[MDFAN]

It's a provision that is all but impossible for the other team to match.

Such as "the player has to play x number of games in the state of Pa".

[EFD]

Or, if the player plays more than 10% of his game in the state of Missouri he is due a $10M bonus.

[BIGPHILLY]

LOL. Gotta love that.

[stocknowledge]

Kudos to the FO, if they can pull this off!

[BIGPHILLY]

In professional sports, a poison pill is a component of a contract, which one team offers a player, that makes it difficult or impossible for another team (which has the right of first refusal) to match. While it can often refer to a salary structure or clause that would affect all teams equally, it has taken on a new specific meaning of a clause that has unbalanced impact. For example, in March 2006, the Minnesota Vikings offered Steve Hutchinson, an offensive guard with the Seattle Seahawks, a seven-year, $49 million contract of which $16 million was guaranteed. This contract offer had two poison pills in it. One was the salary structure, which would require the team to pay $13 million in the first year of the contract. That salary structure would apply to both teams equally, as the Seahawks would also have to pay $13 million in the first contract year, were they to match the offer. The second was a clause that required Hutchinson to be the highest paid player on the offensive line, or else the entire contract would be guaranteed. Since the Seahawks had another offensive lineman, Walter Jones, with a higher salary and the Vikings did not, this clause would have required the Seahawks to guarantee $49 million, and it effectively eliminated the Seahawks' opportunity to match the contract offer.

[MDFAN]

First started in Business to stop hostile takeovers.

Double edged sword though. Other teams can use it against you with your FA's.

[stevemc]

fly - the Seahawks and Vikings did this to each other with Nate Burleson and Steve Hutchinson respectively. The NFL still hasn't closed the loop so just like EFD says, you could put an outlandish claim in there that would make it difficult for the matching team to accept.

[leifdawg]

I don't think I saw a single Rams game last year so I really know nothing about this guy.

[leifdawg]

As I said, I have very little direct knowledge of this guy, but you gotta wonder at the tender level offered by the Rams that just happen to run the same defense as us. This would definitely raise some red flags for me.