By Jim Thomas
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
Saturday, Apr. 19 2008
Apparently, the first-round tender offer placed on Rams safety Oshiomogho
"O.J." Atogwe by the team was steep enough to scare off any potential suitors.
Friday was the deadline for restricted free agents to receive contract offers
from other NFL teams. And by late Friday afternoon, the Rams had received no
such offer sheet on Atogwe. The exact deadline was 11 p.m. Friday, but league
sources told the Post-Dispatch earlier in the day that none would be
forthcoming.
Had Atogwe gotten a contract offer, the Rams would have had the option to match
the contract. Had they decided not to match, they would have received a
first-round draft pick as compensation from the team that signed Atogwe.
Atogwe is expected to sign his one-year tender offer of $2.017 million with the
Rams in the near future. Even while in limbo, he has been a regular at the
team's offseason conditioning program this spring. Eventually, the Rams want to
sign Atogowe to a long-term contract, but they have had only preliminary talks
with Atogwe's agent on a new deal.
Atogwe, 26, led the NFC and was second in the NFL with eight interceptions last
season. The third-round draft pick out of Stanford in 2005 finished third on
the team in tackles (94) last season and also forced two fumbles.
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
Saturday, Apr. 19 2008
Apparently, the first-round tender offer placed on Rams safety Oshiomogho
"O.J." Atogwe by the team was steep enough to scare off any potential suitors.
Friday was the deadline for restricted free agents to receive contract offers
from other NFL teams. And by late Friday afternoon, the Rams had received no
such offer sheet on Atogwe. The exact deadline was 11 p.m. Friday, but league
sources told the Post-Dispatch earlier in the day that none would be
forthcoming.
Had Atogwe gotten a contract offer, the Rams would have had the option to match
the contract. Had they decided not to match, they would have received a
first-round draft pick as compensation from the team that signed Atogwe.
Atogwe is expected to sign his one-year tender offer of $2.017 million with the
Rams in the near future. Even while in limbo, he has been a regular at the
team's offseason conditioning program this spring. Eventually, the Rams want to
sign Atogowe to a long-term contract, but they have had only preliminary talks
with Atogwe's agent on a new deal.
Atogwe, 26, led the NFC and was second in the NFL with eight interceptions last
season. The third-round draft pick out of Stanford in 2005 finished third on
the team in tackles (94) last season and also forced two fumbles.