St. Louis Rams will designate Atogwe as franchise player
Although they will continue to negotiate on a long-term deal, the Rams have decided to place the franchise tag on free safety Oshiomogho Atogwe, according to team sources. Thursday is the deadline for placing the franchise tag designation on a player.
Atogwe thus counts $6.34 million against the Rams’ salary cap, a figure that represents the average of the five highest paid safeties in the NFL. Atogwe has been designated as what’s known as the “non-exclusive” franchise player, meaning he can talk to and negotiate with other teams. But the Rams would get two first-round draft picks as compensation from the team if Atogwe goes elsewhere.
Those familiar with the negotiations say both sides remain hopeful that a multi-year contract can be reached, and that talks will be ongoing at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.
In another development, Kevin Demoff, the Rams’ executive vice president of football operations-chief operating officer, is scheduled to meet with the agent for free-agent cornerback Ron Bartell Thursday in Indianapolis.
What a good new too see O.J. with the Rams the next year.
So the next step is Ron Bartell i hope to sign long-term deal with the rams and James Butler from the G-men.
And to finish with the rebuilding Defense… Draft Aaron Curry it´s a no brainer, the best overall player of the draft and impact player type Patrick Willis. He is a tacklin machine and if you put him in the middle i think it´s gonna work. Crabtree it´s noot the solution.
Glad to see the Rams are working hard to bring both back. Two Pro Bowl players…I don’t care who got voted to go, they deserved it.
Albert Haynesworth is just what the Rams D line needs. I can live with him missing a few games to stay reasonably healthy for 13 or 14 regular season games. He is a beast and not without some potential anger issues. Let’s see, a 6′6″ 320 pound (at least) Defensive Tackle with 8 1/2 sacks and anger issues. What do you do with a guy like that? Throw him on a line with Chris Long, Adam Carriker and Leonard Little (hopefully there’s something left in the tank). Now try and roll up 300 yards on the ground against us. Okay, we need to get Will Witherspoon some help at linebacker.
Now we draft Andre Smith, a run blocking roadgrader with the second pick in the draft. Great screen speed and a pancake blocker that only allowed 1 sack last year. It sounds like the second coming of Big O - Orlando Pace. There may be a light at the end of the tunnel for STL. I really don’t mind losing a few games until we get better but, just don’t look like fools without a clue. Last year that started with John Shaw in LA and included all of the St. Louis branch of the St. Louis Rams front office (I know, ridiculous huh) and the likeable buffoon Scott Linehan other coaches and players.
Sidenote: A real shame Kurt Warner has 2 last minute Super Bowl losses to live with now. But at least he won us one.
Hey STL CHAMPIONS;
No disrespect but I think Albert Haynesworth was playing for his contract last year. Give him the $ and kiss his production goodbye.
Need to get Bartell signed! Trade out of the #2, draft Malauga, then get a Center in the second round……..
http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=514064
“Through five NFL seasons, he had only 9.5 sacks, an average of 1.9 per year.
In 2007, Haynesworth entered the final year of his rookie contract. Perhaps motivated by a half-decade of mediocrity and the lingering memories of his assault with a deadly weapon (i.e., his cleats), Haynesworth suddenly became a beast. In 13 games, he recorded six sacks, more than three times his prior per-season average.
In 2008, the Titans kept him around with the franchise tag — and a promise not to use it again if he returned to the Pro Bowl. Haynesworth continued to play at a high level, winning his freedom.”
He is a “money” player, not a “team” player…. Thanks but no thanks…
Thats great news. Now they have to sign Bartell and restructure Hol and Pace. Its key to retain your best players, and Pace was definitly are best lineman last year. Im intriged by Crabtree but you have to upgrade the teams infastructure. The Rams have to go O line, D Line and MLB in the draft.
The Rams should not draft Andre Smith, unless they plan to put him at guard and only at guard. He is not the “next Orlando Pace”. How many tackles are shorter than 6′4″? That may work in college, but not in the NFL. Andre is more of a guard, and even though I don’t want the Rams to draft an offensive lineman with the 2nd overall pick this year, I wouldn’t mind Andre Smith at guard.
The only two players I think the Rams should choose from would be Michael Crabtree and Aaron Curry.
I don’t know if you pick a player that early in the draft and then change his position, so, unless the Rams decided to leave Witherspoon at MLB, and put Aaron at an outside spot, the safest pick would be Crabtree. Even if the Rams didn’t trade or release Holt, Crabtree would help make the Rams receiving corps deadly again.
The offensive line last year was decent, and alot of the shortcomings could be contributed to having a lame duck coaching staff. Bulger did have time to throw on occasions, but could not find any receivers that were open enough for his liking.
I think the only upgrades that the Rams need on the offensive line are at center. They could either resign Mark Setterstrom and try him at center, or they could sign a center like Jason Brown out of free agency, or they could get a center in the draft. A player like Alex Mack could fall to the 2nd round, or a center like Eric Wood could fall to the 3rd round.
The Rams probably shouldn’t go after Haynesworth. I know he is a big body, and would help take double teams off the ends, but, he has a history of only playing big when he is in a contract year. That would be a lot of money doled out to just three players (Bulger and Steven Jackson being the other two).
The Rams really do need to sign both Atogwe and Bartell to long term contracts, and franchising O.J. is a great start.
Great news.. Hopefully they can sign him to a long term deal. Need to Get Bartell now to a long term contract they cannot let him get away!
Great Job Rams.
This was a no-brainer.
OJA is an absolute Ball-hawk. Has a nice tackle technique and strips the ball regularly.
Now lets get Bartell signed - one of the leagues most under-rated corners.
http://goallineblitz.com/game/signup.pl?ref=17764271