Bears still need help; Atogwe the answer?
Written by Rex Jaybels   
Monday, 08 March 2010 10:16

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It was an exciting Friday at Halas Hall, when for a second straight year the Bears landed to top prize of the off-season. Julius Peppers, all 81 sacks and 30 forced fumbles of him, will wear navy and orange in 2010. No longer can Bears fans say the team doesn't spend money as Peppers $42 million guaranteed represents the most guaranteed money in the NFL.

The Bears also solidified themselves at the running back position, signing Chester Taylor and they gave Mike Martz exactly what he wanted with Brandon Manumaleuna, a prototypical pass blocking tight end.

All that being done, there is still more work to do, most notably at the safety position. The only question is how. The free agent market is slim, but it's the direction I would like them to look, at two players in particular.

The first is Oshiomogho (OJ) Atogwe. Atogwe, who spent his last five seasons with the Rams, is exactly the type of player that Lovie Smith dreams about when visions of the Tampa-2 dance in his head. In his five seasons in St. Louis, Atogwe has forced 14 fumbles and picked off 19 passes.

The second is Ryan Clark from Pittsburgh. While Clark isn't as athletic as some of the other safeties available, he might be the smartest football player. At 30 years old, he would also provide some veteran help to the secondary, but he is still young enough to play out a contract.

Darren Sharper is another option, but at 34 he could be a risky sign.

Atogwe isn't a franchise defensive back, but as long as Lovie is in charge of this defense, he is a solid fit, and he might come rather cheap, that is if they can get him. The Rams tendered Atogwe at the RFA lowest level available--the right of first refusal.

The move could potentially save the Rams millions of dollars. If they had chosen to tender Atogwe at the highest level, he would have received around $7 million. Now, they just have to match another team's offer. However, if a different team offers him a deal, the Rams have the option to match but will not receive any compensation if they allow Atogwe to move on.
 
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