Restricted free agent deadline came and went...O.J. Atogwe will remain a Ram. Good news for the Rams, but there wasn't a huge threat to see him signed away by another team. Not only would a suitor have to surrender their first round pick, they'd be signing him to a hefty contract. Now the Rams, sometime before the next free agent deadline, will work to get a contract with one of the league's top free safeties.
Just to give you an idea of what kind of contract Atogwe will likely command, the Vikings signed free agent safety Madieu Williams, formerly of the Bengals, to a 6 year, $34 million contract in February.
A Jared Allen trade seems all but a foregone conclusion, with the Vikings being the most likely landing spot since as they seem to be ready to work out a deal before the DE visits Tampa Bay next week. If/when that happens, the Chiefs are going to pick up a first round pick...at least one. The Vikes pick 17th overall this season and the Chiefs pick 5th. Reports continue to circulate that KC is interested in dealing up to take Jake Long or Matt Ryan. You have to consider the Rams a potential trading partner. So, how about this, our second overall pick for the 5th and 17th? It's a distinct possibility. And with the 5th pick, the Rams would still have a pretty good chance to land someone from the Dorsey, Chris Long, Jake Long, Gholston group of players. And with the 17th pick, picking up another key starter for Rams version 08 makes the deal pretty enticing.
Gotta tell you, as much as I like the guarantee of the #2 pick, having the 5th and 17th instead is too good to pass up.