Rams acquire a new safety

[realchamp11]

Rams traded and undisclosed draft pick for Kevin Payne safety from the bears

Could this mean we're gonna let OJ walk???

[fliptalianstallion]

No, it could be a depth sign.

[TheRammer]

No way in Hellz should we let OJ walk.. you kiddin me? Honestly I've supported everything with DeSpags up to now but I don't think this would be a wise decision... the boy can play and still has some left in him

[tomahawk247]

Payne is more an up in the box strong safety, rather than a free safety like Atogwe. I think its just a depth move.

[general counsel]

we have dahl, butler and oj. I am highly skeptical that we would give up a draft pick, given the rebuilding nature of our team, for a #4 safety. Lots of guys for depth are going to hit waivers at one point or another. Is this guy that good that he is really worth giving up a pick for just for depth as a #4?

Personally, i think this is another sign that the rams believe that there is a real liklihood that they are going to lose oj. Its not out of the question that spags could see moving butler to the fs position.

I dont think this is a sure sign that oj is gone, but its certainly in my view not a move that can be dismissed as having nothing to do with the oj situation.

ramming speed to all

general counsel

[TekeRam]

If he's more of an up in the box safety, then it does not have anything to do with OJ in my mind, because he's certainly going to play the strong side rather than free safety. If he's better than Butler, then all the power to him, but this is either a trade for our 2nd SS or for our starting SS.

[general counsel]

I hear you teke, but what about butler moving to free safety, with dahl as the backup.

ramming speed to all

general counsel

[laram0]

Atogwe is a goner. The money the RAMS would have to pay to keep him makes him the odd man out.

[Shan the Ram Man]

Atogwe has been the only bright spot in the secondary. I hope the Rams don't get rid of him or let him go.

I hope they don't let another good player leave. K. Greene, Pickett and so on and on and on. They have to pay sometimes.

[39thebeast]

How is the Only FS on the roster a goner. Dahl, Payne, Butler all good against the run, but have deficiencies in coverage. I think it is more likely Payne is Butler's competition not OJs replacement.

[Bralidore(RAMMODE)]

You guys forget that Jerome Murphy could be moved to FS. He has played every corner position as well as FS. The guy is a physical guy who's good in coverage and always comes to bring the "Payne". I had to work that in there some where.....

Apparently (according to a Bears forum) its a conditional 7th round pick. If he makes the team its a seventh to the Bears. Not losing much of anything here.

[The Optimistic Lamb]

My thought is that Jerome Murphey may be the new FS and Bradley Fletcher starts at CB. Cuz it doesnt make sense to have two 3rd rounders competing for the same position.

Apparently (according to a Bears forum) its a conditional 7th round pick. If he makes the team its a seventh to the Bears. Not losing much of anything here.

Kevin Payne is probably a situational SS we move up into the box or use to blitz the QB. But if he makes the team, it's definitely worth a 7th round pick.

[Azul e Oro]

Last night, I watched the first half of last season's Chicago game. Payne made some plays, inc a pass break-up to deny Avery a TD ( underthrown by Boller but that's another story...lol..) so he can play coverage. He also took down SJ a couple of times so he can tackle.

Dunno what it means, if anything, to the OJ situation but I think he's a pretty good player with quite a bit of starting experience to pick up for a late draft choice.

[TheRammer]

You guys forget that Jerome Murphy could be moved to FS. He has played every corner position as well as FS. The guy is a physical guy who's good in coverage and always comes to bring the "Payne". I had to work that in there some where.....

Apparently (according to a Bears forum) its a conditional 7th round pick. If he makes the team its a seventh to the Bears. Not losing much of anything here.

I dont think there is no way We use Murphy as a safety, To much need of him as a corner.

[peramoure]

OJ's RFA tender is like 6.7 million dollars, and we put him out there with no tender, meaning if someone offered him a deal and we didn't match it we would have received nothing in return.

What is odd is that he didn't receive any bites. No one went after him, and all of us thought it was crazy that we didn't put a 2nd or 3rd round tender on him.

I think the Rams know something we don't, otherwise we'd have this guy under contract and wouldn't be trading for another safety.

Secondly, we don't trade away draft picks for guys we don't think will make the team. There is a reason behind this, and safety is not a spot where you need a whole lot of depth. Safeties don't shuffle in and out with one another like a RB or WR might.