There are still some names on the free agent market, but none of those will garner the attention of St. Louis Rams safety O.J. Atogwe. It was made official that St. Louis decided not to re-tender him at the pricey $6.976 million that would have been required for such a move to ensure them of his presence on their roster in 2010. The Rams centerfielder on defense had his 2009 season shortened by a shoulder injury that ultimately landed him on injured reserve and he also had hernia surgery this offseason. Those potential injury concerns will have to be thoroughly examined by any teams looking into inking him now that he is on the open market.

Even at this late stage in the process, Atogwe could command some beaucoup bucks with the Miami Dolphins and Minnesota Vikings both considering the pursuit of his services. The Dallas Cowboys were also believed to have some interest in adding Atogwe to their secondary, but owner Jerry Jones denied those claims and said that his team was prepared to move forward with their current complement of safeties. Despite only 12 games of action last year, Atogwe tallied an impressive 74 tackles, forced 3 fumbles, had 2 interceptions, and collected 1 sack from his free safety spot. His all-around game makes him an attractive option for any team in need of a playmaker in the secondary in a league becoming more and more safety driven on defense.

Players like Troy Polamalu of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Ed Reed for the Baltimore Ravens have become increasingly important to their respective teams’ defensive philosophies. More like rovers than the typical safety, both of these players come up to the line of scrimmage and make key tackles at or near the line just as often as they track balls in coverage to break up deep passing plays by their opponents. Atogwe will be entering his seventh season in the league and is well-versed in just what it takes to be successful as a safety in the NFL. Experience and production should both land him a rather lucrative deal before teams gather for training camps approximately two months from now.

Much like the quarterback position has become so vital to offensive success in the NFL, the safety spot is nearly its equal on the other side of the ball. There are some talented players that come into the league each year at that position out of college, but there is no substitute for experience at the NFL level. Adding Atogwe into the mix for either Minnesota of Miami would be a huge upgrade over what those teams are currently looking at for free safeties. Both could greatly increase their chances of being legitimate contenders in their respective conferences by bringing Atogwe into the fold.

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