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  • #1

    Atogwe not to be tagged for 2010?

    Just opening up a thread because I have read in a couple locations that some people are writing Atogwe down as a franchise tag again this year. You can throw that concept out the window because of a few very obvious facts.

    1) If the Rams were to tag Atogwe this season, the way the one year salary would be averaged would be the top 5 players in the league. In the first and second franchise tags, it averages the top 5 at your position. In a third year of being franchise tagged, it averages the top 5 players in the league.

    Is Atogwe one of the top 5 players in the league? No. Is he one of the top 10? No. How about, dare I say, 50? I still do not think so.

    2) No matter how you look at it, we cannot keep writing off giant checks for a single player when we are attempting to rebuild an entire team. In fact, as ridiculous as it sounds, I would not be surprised if they attempt to restructure some of the key players contracts to open up space to acquire more talent.

    3) Atogwe has a good chance of not being a Ram in 2010. Although I believe he will sign a contract (he doesn't get much attention because he plays for the Rams, and he went out of the season on the IR, and will probably find his best offer inside the organization), and will more than likely remain in our services for another 3 years.

    Feel free to discuss below, but I felt it necessary to point this out, so that people will stop assuming we can just tag and bag Atogwe for yet another season. There are no guarantees. If I was incorrect in any of the facts stated, I appologize, and would be grateful for the correction.
    Tags: None
  • #2
    Re: Atogwe not to be tagged for 2010

    Say what you want Atogwe is the a top 5 safety.

    Comment

    • #3
      Re: Atogwe not to be tagged for 2010

      Two points...

      1) Pretty sure this would only be Atogwe's second franchise tag, not his third.

      2) If 2010 is an uncapped year, which it looks as if it'll be, then Atogwe will be a restricted free agent and the Rams will not have to use the tag to retain him.

      Comment

      • #4
        Re: Atogwe not to be tagged for 2010

        The thread title is a little misleading as it reads like a quasi-official news item rather than an opinion.

        Anyway, I like Atogwe and hope he remains a Ram, but I agree with you that we cannot throw a boat-load of money at him. He's a good player, but he also has some holes in his game and I don't think it's in our best interests to sign him to a contract that will guarantee him money like, say, a top-3 safety. I do hope, however, we can work something out that will be beneficial for both teams.

        Comment

        • #5
          Re: Atogwe not to be tagged for 2010

          This would be Atogwe's second year of being franchised, also I've read nowhere that a franchise tag means the average wage of the top 5 players in the league. As far as i know the money from a franchise tag is decided by either:
          1) The average of the highest 5 paid players at your position
          2) 120% of your previous year's salary
          Which ever is greater is what the player gets

          The franchise tag for a safety is the second lowest in the league (behind kicker/punter), so if you're going to franchise a player at one position, a safety wouldn't be the worst way to go.

          Comment

          • #6
            Re: Atogwe not to be tagged for 2010

            Originally posted by TheBritishRam View Post
            This would be Atogwe's second year of being franchised, also I've read nowhere that a franchise tag means the average wage of the top 5 players in the league. As far as i know the money from a franchise tag is decided by either:
            1) The average of the highest 5 paid players at your position
            2) 120% of your previous year's salary
            Which ever is greater is what the player gets

            The franchise tag for a safety is the second lowest in the league (behind kicker/punter), so if you're going to franchise a player at one position, a safety wouldn't be the worst way to go.
            Exactly....I guess the real question is if Atogwe wants to remain a RAM or not?
            sigpic :ram::helmet:

            Comment

            • #7
              Re: Atogwe not to be tagged for 2010

              Man this team isnt bad enough already yet a lot of people want to get rid of our best players i.e Atogwe and Jackson. We have been letting our players go for years which is why we are in the situation we are in now. Atogwe is a playmaker, our best playmaker on defense. He makes things happen whether it be an interception or forcing fumbles. He is a top five safety but if what we want is a top 30 safety then we should let him go and bring in some scrub to replace him.
              Aim high Willis, Aim High!

              Comment

              • #8
                Re: Atogwe not to be tagged for 2010

                Originally posted by Nick_Weasel View Post
                The thread title is a little misleading as it reads like a quasi-official news item rather than an opinion.
                I edited in a question mark into the title to try and clarify this.

                Comment

                • #9
                  Re: Atogwe not to be tagged for 2010?

                  Originally posted by A-Web View Post
                  Just opening up a thread because I have read in a couple locations that some people are writing Atogwe down as a franchise tag again this year. You can throw that concept out the window because of a few very obvious facts.

                  1) If the Rams were to tag Atogwe this season, the way the one year salary would be averaged would be the top 5 players in the league. In the first and second franchise tags, it averages the top 5 at your position. In a third year of being franchise tagged, it averages the top 5 players in the league.

                  Is Atogwe one of the top 5 players in the league? No. Is he one of the top 10? No. How about, dare I say, 50? I still do not think so.

                  2) No matter how you look at it, we cannot keep writing off giant checks for a single player when we are attempting to rebuild an entire team. In fact, as ridiculous as it sounds, I would not be surprised if they attempt to restructure some of the key players contracts to open up space to acquire more talent.

                  3) Atogwe has a good chance of not being a Ram in 2010. Although I believe he will sign a contract (he doesn't get much attention because he plays for the Rams, and he went out of the season on the IR, and will probably find his best offer inside the organization), and will more than likely remain in our services for another 3 years.

                  Feel free to discuss below, but I felt it necessary to point this out, so that people will stop assuming we can just tag and bag Atogwe for yet another season. There are no guarantees. If I was incorrect in any of the facts stated, I appologize, and would be grateful for the correction.
                  Atogwe has only been tagged once, no? So it's still "only' the average of the top 5 safeties. Last year that was 6.34 mill. Not peanuts but a lot less than a CB or OT, for eg..lol..There's some fine print variations-exclusive/non-exclusive- that affect the numbers but I think that's basically right.

                  Never heard of a player being tagged 3 times but I know the top ten player deal applies to a transition tag which teams very rarely use . Nor have I read anything about a top 5 overall player in the league type rule for any tag. Where did you get that info?

                  What I don't know is whether , as a guy who only has 5 years accrued, one of which was the one year franchise deal, does he revert to RFA status under the rules governing an uncapped year where it has been clearly stated in a number of articles on NFLdotcom, that players will need 6 yrs to achieve UFA status ?

                  If he is RFA, the Rams can tender him an offer him a one year contract with a 10% increase on that 6.43 mill( that jumps to 20% for a UFA) & protect him from being snatched by another team because the new team need to give up picks as well as that hefty salary to get him.What kind of pick deal varies on the level of the tender and his original draft round.

                  The only obvious thing about this situation is that Spags loves the guy. I agree that it isn't a good idea to tie up that much cash in one player for one year but I doubt the first year of a longterm deal inc signing bonus would be much less & we do have a lot of cap room, if that's even relevant.
                  .
                  I also don't think any of the FS on the roster is up to filling his shoes; Roach as the starter?! Even if OJ isn't one of the top 5 in the league, he's pretty good & I thought improved a number of weaknesses last season; less freelancing, better tackling esp in run support.I don't think the "past his best' argument works here as it sorta did for many others that were let go last year.

                  And the freakin' CBA has messed everything up. It's really hard to know what players will be available & at what cost to replace current ones or fill the many gaps The Rams still have.In a "normal" year I think you'd have a stronger argument. The fact that Devaney/Demoff went with a chunky tag in a year when the team was wickedly cash-strapped suggests he isn't willing to sell the longterm farm for a safety,either.

                  A longterm deal is clearly the best option but a second tag of some kind may be the lesser of two evils.

                  Unless you want to give up our own picks to get one of the upcoming FA picks if there's no CBA-most of those guys like Bethea will definitely revert to RFA- or draft Berry or Mays ( and aren't both more SS than FS?) or throw a lot of money at one of the upcomers to get him to the Rams even if there is a CBA.

                  I also think there were encouraging signs of a good partnership between OJ & Butler. Got derailed a bit by Butler's injury and other injury problems among the DBs but I'd think long & hard about messing up that part of the foundation for a short term savings when we, for once, have the dough.

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                  • AvengerRam_old
                    Atogwe: How did we get here?
                    by AvengerRam_old
                    O.J. Atogwe has never come out and publicly complained about his contract. That does not, however, mean he has been reasonable in his demands.

                    Let's review...

                    Atogwe's first contract was a three-year deal signed after he was drafted in Round 3 of the 2005.

                    In 2007, his rookie contract expired. At that point, Atogwe had become a very productive starter, having finished 2007 with 75 tackles and 8 interceptions. The Rams retained him with an RFA tender of about $2M. They likely did not push too had for a long term deal, given that they were negotiating with Steven Jackson at that time (signed just before the 2008 season).

                    Last year, Atogwe became a UFA. Again, Atogwe was coming off a fine seaso (85 tackles, 5 interceptions,6 forced fumbles). The Rams tried to sign him to a long-term deal, even before the season ended. Ultimately, the Rams retained him with the franchise tag and paid Atogwe nearly $7M.

                    I think its fair to say that, at that point, both sides were gambling. Had Atogwe accumulated similar stats in 2009 to those he had in 2007 and 2008, he might have made the Pro Bowl, and he'd clearly command elite FS money.

                    Instead, Atogwe had a somewhat down season, and finished the year on injured reserve. He is now coming off two offseason surgeries.

                    Given these circumstances, the Rams did no wish to tender Atogwe a sum that would lock him in, as doing so could result in paying $7M to a player who might not even be 100% healthy. Instead, the Rams made a low tender and retained a right of first refusal, hoping to sign Atogwe to a long term deal.

                    Those efforts have, at this point, failed, and Atogwe is now a UFA.

                    So... who's to blame?

                    I'd say, nobody is. Both sides have behaved in a rational manner, applying varying degrees of risk aversion.

                    In hindsight, I think one could argue that Atogwe waited too long. He should have signed a long-term deal in 2009 when his value was at its highest. Now, if he is seeking the kind of money he would have received then, he might not only be pricing himself out of the Rams' market, he might also be eliminating several other teams.

                    I do think there is a reasnable middle ground that makes sense for both sides, but I don't know if they'll meet there. If not, I'm not going to blame anyone. I'll just wish Atogwe luck and hope the Rams find their answer at FS on the current roster or among the remaining FAs.
                    -06-02-2010, 09:25 AM
                  • r8rh8rmike
                    Atogwe Hopes To Be Back After Release From Rams
                    by r8rh8rmike
                    Atogwe hopes to be back after release from Rams

                    BY JIM THOMAS
                    Saturday, February 19, 2011

                    Even with his release Friday by the Rams, safety Oshiomogho Atogwe says he hasn't closed the door on a possible return to the team.

                    "My agent and myself have established a really good negotiating relationship with them, so were we to do something again (with the Rams), I don't believe it'd be a difficult task," Atogwe told the Post-Dispatch. "Because there's no bad blood there. We should be able to get something done."

                    The only problem — for several years — has been agreeing on Atogwe's value in terms of a multi-year deal. Rather than pay an $8 million roster bonus that was due Atogwe on Monday, the Rams released the six-year veteran.

                    "It's disappointing to be back in this situation, again," Atogwe said. "Not being able to actually be set at this point in time in my career — it's disappointing."

                    The relative security of a long-term contract has proven frustratingly elusive for Atogwe, a third-round round pick out of Stanford in 2005.

                    "I'd say it's frustrating along the lines that I haven't been able to feel at home since my rookie contract," Atogwe said. "Where you say, OK this team wants me for the long haul, for the long term."

                    Atogwe was franchised following the 2008 season, then in a wrinkle of the uncapped year, reverted back to restricted free agency following the 2009 season. As for this offseason, there's no doubt that the current labor impasse between players and owners, and pending lockout, have caused teams to be more conservative financially.

                    "Yeah, it has been difficult," Atogwe said. "I think that's why it's very important for us to really get a CBA done, in place and secure, so that other guys won't have to go through a similar situation as myself. And that the teams can really move on in paying their bills and grow for the long term. But for me it's definitely frustrating. I'm thankful that I still have peace throughout this, knowing that it's going to work out the way it's supposed to."

                    Because he is a released player, Atogwe is free to sign with any team immediately. However, if there is no collective bargaining agreement by March 4, no veteran players — even released players such as Atogwe — can sign new contracts at that time.

                    So Atogwe has a 13-day window to shop the market, but he plans to wait until there's a new labor agreement before doing so.

                    "I would say I'm just going to take this time to let God speak to me and go from there," Atogwe said. "I am going to wait till the market opens and then go from there."

                    Besides the $8 million roster bonus, Atogwe was due a $3.5 million base salary with the Rams in 2011, meaning he would have been...
                    -02-19-2011, 01:58 PM
                  • r8rh8rmike
                    Atogwe Will Skip Offseason Programs
                    by r8rh8rmike
                    Atogwe will skip offseason programs

                    BY JIM THOMAS
                    ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
                    03/12/2010


                    A year ago at this time, safety Oshiomogho Atogwe showed up for the start of the Rams' offseason conditioning program and took part in minicamps, OTAs (organized team activities) and training camp.

                    He didn't miss a thing even though he was named the team's franchise player, an unpopular designation for players seeking long-term deals.

                    But that won't be the case this year. The Rams' offseason conditioning program begins Monday, and Atogwe will not be in attendance. In fact, barring a change in contract status, Atogwe will be a no-show at all team activities this spring and summer, according to league sources.

                    Atogwe and his agent have declined comment since the Rams last week tendered Atogwe at $1.226 million, the lowest possible tender as a restricted free agent for someone with Atogwe's experience level in the NFL.

                    Those who know Atogwe say he's not angry, that he gets it — he understands this is the business side of the NFL. Nonetheless, those close to Atogwe say he isn't sure what to make of the Rams' low tender offer and wonders if the Rams might be dangling him as potential trade bait.

                    At the low tender level, the Rams have matching rights if Atogwe gets an offer from another team. But the Rams get no draft pick compensation if they decide not to match. But if Atogwe does get an outside offer, there's nothing to stop the Rams from telling the other team: "We won't match if you give us a draft pick."

                    This is the third offseason in a row that Atogwe has sought a long-term deal. He played as a restricted free agent in 2008 under a one-year tender of just over $2 million. Last year, he played for $6.34 million as the Rams' franchise player.

                    Had the Rams tendered Atogwe at any other level this offseason, he would've been entitled to $6.976 million in 2010, or 110 percent of what he made last year. So at the moment the low tender is costing him $5.75 million

                    The collective bargaining agreement hasn't been kind to Atogwe. Because 2010 is an uncapped year, Atogwe reverted back to restricted free agency status this offseason. With five years NFL experience, he would have been eligible for unrestricted free agency in a year with a salary cap. But in an uncapped year, it takes six years experience to be unrestricted.

                    On Monday, when the Rams' start their offseason conditioning program, Atogwe will be in Hawaii for the NFL Players Association's annual convention. Once he returns, he will continue his rehab from shoulder surgery and work out on his own away from Rams Park. Before suffering the shoulder injury Dec. 6 against Chicago, Atogwe had started 60 consecutive games for St. Louis. Since becoming a full-time starter in 2006, Atogwe has more interceptions and forced fumbles...
                    -03-12-2010, 11:23 AM
                  • r8rh8rmike
                    Rams' Atogwe Motivated By Franchise Tag
                    by r8rh8rmike
                    Rams’ Atogwe motivated by franchise tag
                    6 hours, 13 minutes ago


                    ST. LOUIS (AP)—Being saddled with the franchise tag did not rub St. Louis Rams free safety Oshiomogho Atogwe(notes) the wrong way.

                    “That meant a lot to me,” Atogwe said Sunday after practice at Rams Park. “It was an honor, to say the least, to be that highly thought of by the organization and to be put among the top in your position in this league.

                    “It doesn’t come easily. Not many players can have that said about them whether or not they think it about themselves. To have it said about me is definitely a blessing and it’s not anything I want to tarnish or even belittle a little bit.”

                    Atogwe signed the $6.3 million franchise tender July 15 and reported on time to camp. He did not miss any minicamps even though he was not under contract.

                    That impressed rookie coach Steve Spagnuolo, who thought Atogwe handled the franchise tag situation well.

                    “I’ve told him a number of times how classy I think he has handled everything,” Spagnuolo said. “That’s a quality person right there. Forget about the football talent.

                    “And, I sensed that the first time when I first got here, I visited with him in my office, and you could see that right away.”

                    For Atogwe, there’s no other way to conduct himself.

                    “I believe to whom much is given, much is expected,” Atogwe said. “Each one of us comes out here to be great at our jobs. In our positions, we all want to reach the pinnacle or the highest that there is. That comes with a lot of responsibility and behind that responsibility is a lot of work.”

                    Certainly work is important to Atogwe. After a practice that lasted just over two hours, Atogwe went with his teammates to sign autographs and take photographs with the fans. Sunday was the last open practice for fans.

                    Then Atogwe caught balls off the JUGS machine before doing some conditioning exercises.

                    “I don’t mind the hard work,” Atogwe said. “I’ve been blessed to play this game and it’s by God’s grace that I’m able to work and I’ll do that for Him.”

                    His body of work with the Rams, who drafted him in the third round in 2005, is impressive. He has emerged as one of the league’s top defensive talents.

                    Last season, Atogwe made a career-high total of 109 tackles. He led the team in interceptions with five and forced fumbles with eight. Atogwe was voted by his teammates as Rams MVP.

                    That followed a 2007 season in which Atogwe showed he was a ballhawk. He led the NFC with eight interceptions, including one off Arizona’s Kurt Warner(notes) he returned 52 yards for his lone touchdown.

                    “He’s hard to play against,” Atogwe said about Warner. “He’s very intelligent. It’s like he’s playing chess on the field and it’s hard to just get a bead on where he’s going to go with the...
                    -08-23-2009, 11:23 PM
                  • TekeRam
                    Rams say adios to Atogwe
                    by TekeRam
                    Posted by Mike Florio on June 2, 2010 6:48 AM ET via ProFootballTalk.com

                    When the clock struck 12 in St. Louis (technically, 11:00 p.m. local time), Rams safety O.J. Atogwe became a restricted free agent with no restrictions.

                    Howard Balzer of the St. Louis Globe-Democrat reports the change in Atogwe's status, which occurred due to a provision of the labor deal requiring teams to re-issue RFA tenders on June 1, and which would have required the Rams to offer Atogwe nearly $7 million in order to keep him.

                    The move comes as no surprise. When the Rams opted to tender Atogwe at the lowest possible level -- the only level that did not allow the $1.226 million offer to be trumped by 110 percent of his 2009 franchise-player salary -- it became obvious that the Rams wouldn't be re-issuing the tender three months later, when the rules require the team to offer at least 110 percent of the prior year's salary, regardless of the level that previously was tendered.

                    Per Balzer, the Rams tried throughout the day to work out a new deal with Atogwe. It's possible that Atogwe simply wanted to hit the open market. It's more likely that his agent had gauged the market in March and/or April, and that Atogwe knows what other teams are willing to pay.

                    Unless Atogwe wants much more than any team will offer, he shouldn't be on the market for long. Indeed, by now his agent should know exactly who's interested, and exactly what they'll pay.

                    Balzer points out that potentially interested teams include the Cowboys, *****, Vikings, and Dolphins. The Eagles reportedly will not be pursuing Atogwe.

                    Of course, it's also possible that Atogwe will find that no one else is willing to pay him as much as the Rams would pay, and that he'll decide to stay put.

                    Another issue that Atogwe will face is his ability to pass a physical. He finished the 2009 season with a potentially serious shoulder injury.

                    Because Atogwe did not become an unrestricted free agent as currently defined by the CBA (i.e., a player with six or more years of service whose contract expired), the "Final Eight Plan" does not apply, allowing the Cowboys and the Vikings (and the Jets and the Saints) to pursue him without limitations.
                    -06-02-2010, 04:24 AM
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