Eagles sign veteran help at safety...and a Redskins take on QB's they will face in 2012...
On the surface of things it seems like a logical move by the Eagles--- sign a veteran safety who will at least contribute to TC competition, and at best show enough remaining talent and experience to fill in for the doubtful return of Colt Anderson...
The Eagles have added some depth to their secondary, signing veteran safety O.J. Atogwe. Atogwe is a former Ram and most recently played a season with the Redskins and figures to slide into the backup free safety spot behind Nate Allen.
While Atogwe has had his injury issues the last few seasons, if healthy, he could be a useful addition to the Eagles secondary. He should provide depth and can step in and start if needed. While he isn't the same player that picked off 8 passes for the Rams in 2007, Atogwe is definitely a player worth taking a flier on, assuming he signed a one year contract for very little guaranteed money.
Atogwe (pronounced Ah-TAWG-way) is 5-11, 205, in his 8th year out of Stanford... He is a native of New Windsor, Canada... He was drafted in the 3rd round of the 2005 Draft by the St. Louis Rams (#66 overall)... He has 25 career interceptions in the NFL... he runs a 4.58 in the '40...
In his rookie year he played in 12 games, finishing the year with 11 tackles, one sack, an interception, and a fumble recovery. The following season, he finished the campaign with 72 tackles and three interceptions and forced five fumbles. In the 2007 season, Atogwe had a team and NFC-high 8 interceptions along with 75 tackles and one touchdown and forced two fumbles. On April 22, 2008, the Rams tendered Atogwe a one-year deal for $2.017 million which he signed to remain with the club. Atogwe was one of the rising players in the NFL at the strong safety position and in the 2008 season he recorded 5 interceptions to lead the Rams once again. He also recorded 83 tackles and forced six fumbles.
On February 19, 2009, the Rams used their franchise tag on Atogwe.
On July 15, 2009 the Rams signed Atogwe to a one-year, $6.342 million contract. On December 9, Atogwe was placed on Injured Reserve due to a dislocated right shoulder.
In June 2010 he signed a 5-year contract worth $32 million with the Rams. The Rams released Atogwe on February 18, 2011. Apparently he was still suffering complications from the dislocated shoulder injury.
On March 3, 2011, Atogwe agreed to terms on a 5-year, $26 million deal with the Redskins. He made his first interception for the Redskins in Week 6 against the Eagles. In Week 15 against Giants, Atogwe made a leaping interception and returned it for 26 yards after LB London Fletcher deflected Eli Manning's pass to D.J. Ware. Atogwe played 13 games, starting 8 of them, in the 2011 season and recorded 60 combined tackles, 0.5 sacks, three interceptions, and six pass breakups. He was released by the Redskins on March 12, 2012. Can you spell "cap casualty" ?
Bottom line: This is a talented and high-character guy who knows the game and plays with heart, but is near or at the end of a dinged-up life span of an NFL safety's career.
Atogwe is Brian Dawkins Lite. But for the Eagles, he is worth the chance of bringing him to training camp. As our own Brizer has stated, at best he can still play and is a valuable insurance policy at either free or strong safety... medium expectation, he stinks but has to start because no one else is left... at worst, he stinks on ice and is overpaid which we discover too late for it to even matter in 2012.
You have to think at the very least Atogwe at age 31 has enough left in the tank for one more serious run, or the Eagles would not have bothered to sign him... Plus, his mere presence on a final roster would mean an extra edge for the Eagles in both the mentoring of DB youngsters as well as an inside scouting advantage upon the Redskins.
Speaking of the Redskins...
Our good friend and colleague Anthony Brown conducted a poll among his D.C. readers at RedskinsHogHeaven.com which rated the Top 10 Quarterbacks the Redskins will have to face in 2012.
Anthony Brown, Redskins blogger extraordinaire...
The results of the poll are astounding to me. Take a look:
10. Joe Flacco, Ravens - I ask myself, what player on the Ravens do I fear? Ray Lewis and Ray Rice both cause palpitations. Baltimore is more defense than offense. That defense plays better when aging Lewis is on the field. In the modern passing era, the Ravens may be under using Rice. As long as he is in the backfield, the Ravens can win with methodical Flacco.
9. Drew Brees, Saints - These are rough days for the Saints, but the chance that Brees will not be starting is as remote as the planet Mars. The Cowboys list him at the top because they play him late when the Saints will have adapted to their sanctions. The Redskins get him in week one when New Orleans is still in the penalty box. There is no better time to face him in 2012. That's the only reason we rank him ninth.
8. Jay Cutler, Bears - If Daniel Snyder had his way, Cutler would have been a Redskin in 2009 and oddly reunited with Mike Shanahan in 2010. Emotional turmoil would have been avoided, but RG3 would be on another team. Cutler has not been the quarterback he was in Denver with Shanahan, but Brandon Marshall replaces Roy Williams. The Bears offense is dangerously versatile. I hope Raheem Morris knows what he's doing with the Redskins secondary.
7. Michael Vick, Eagles - The Redskins have never beaten Vick when he has been healthy and played a complete game. (There's bound to be a first time, right?) We mark Vick lower than dallascowboys.com for his poor 2011 performance as he tried to become a pocket passer. This season, he has a full offseason to perfect his game in Andy Reid's offense. More important, DeSean Jackson and LeSean McCoy have new contracts and are very happy. Bad news for anyone on the Iggles' schedule.
6. Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers - Some QBs extend plays with their feet. Big Ben extends plays because he's built like a stone wall. It's hard to knock him down. He fits Pittsburgh's smashmouth style. He is also like a fine wine that ages well. Last season's 7.95 YPA and 63.2 completion rate puts him in the top tier of NFL quarterbacks.
5. Andy Dalton, Bengals - A sophomore slump might be expected with Dalton, but we dare not predict one. Cincinnati is a team on the rise with young stars on offense and defense. Since we are speaking of Dalton, we must mention receiver AJ Green. Enough said. Dalton's TCU squad crushed RG3's Baylor team 45-10 back in 2010.
4. Tony Romo, Cowboys - It's popular to deride Romo. Hog Heaven does not partake in homophobic corruptions of the man's name. Winning and losing are team accomplishments. The Cowboys' playoff drought does not fall solely on Romo. He is better than any Redskins quarterback since 1991. Romo single-handedly beat the Redskins in 2011 Game One when he eluded Washington's ten-man rush to complete a long pass to Dez Bryant that was unhelpfully misplayed by DeAngelo Hall. Mobile, accurate and in tune with his squad.
3. Eli Manning, Giants - Manning has had every advantage, from good genes to patient, consistent coaching. He's been a huge payback for the Giants who would have been as successful with Philip Rivers if that blockbuster trade did not go through. Manning gets the nod over Romo for his Super Bowl street cred.
2. Matt Ryan, Falcons - Matty Ice gets better and better every year. He's shown Atlanta fans what can be accomplished with a real quarterback rather than an accomplished athlete at the position. Last season, the Falcons were too enamored with their new toy WR Julio Jones that they forgot to run the ball. Lesson learned, so look for another big year from Ryan.
|
1. Cam Newton, Panthers - Newton was the Carolina offense last season with 21 TD passes and 14 TD runs. He is Big Ben Roethlisberger in beast mode. Every team on this list is better than the Panthers, but no quarterback has more pure talent at the position than Cam Neutron. Man-o-man, what a game that will be when Carolina visits FedEx on November 4. |
Wow... Cam Newton, Eli, Tony Romo, Andy Dalton, and Big Ben rated by Redskins fans as more dangerous to the Redskins' chances for winning a big game than Mike Vick and the Eagles in 2012? Looks like we really are flying under the radar now... I don't know whether to feel concerned--- or even more confident...
3 Like
Iffin youse missed it... Some goat humper (happy palm?), over at the "hallowed" dump lumped me in wiff Eygpt, and Sunny??? "Now what did I ever do to this guy... Ya fucked his mother... Oh yeh, but ya have to admit she was a fine older woman..."....NNBB
2 Like
I may or may not have earned the UAAA... But Sunny and Eygpt???? Come on man... Ain't no one in their right mind makes that connection.... Wait a minute... In their right mind.... Hmmmmmm I'm starting to see the problem... NBW
3 Like
Fields,
Here is the Spiderman clip from Youtube...........so you don't have to listen to the commercials or Jimmy Kimmels awful commentary. Course some idiot does a terrible job of commentary also, but clip is funny. Actually aired on the TV this way.............whomever decided to put the special effects over the top of the game...........bet never guessed where Spiderman would enter the screen from.
4 Like
Anyone ever seen the movie "Frozen"??? My wifey made me watch this gawd awful movie tonight... How do these people (happy palmetto cause i wanted to use a more soap worthy word to describe em) get money to make this drivel???
1 Like
Jerk))) always a convo whether that altitude has something to do with their batting. The gaffes by Scutaro and Helton tonight notwithstanding, they are usually a fundamentally sound outfit
3 Like
Saw an interesting take on Goodell being judge and jury.and the players wishing they had given up something more to take that away. Some insist that most players hate it but. Wry few hate it enough to concede anything important for it, like off days etc. afterall, only very few players are actually affected, that is very minimal percentage ever get in trouble, so it's not worth it
3 Like
Good win for the Phills, tough luck for Rockies ....75 pitch count for four man rotation, lose lead with two outs in the ninth, then Helton somehow misses the bag? Great job by Pence. Watched a lot of him for Astros against cubs when I lived in Chicago
2 Like
HAHAHA!!!!
Fields!!!! Bet you never seen Spiderman like this before........ Did not know CC Sabathia was such a huge Spiderman fan.........or that he could pull him out his butt.
BTW, sorry you have to sit thru the commercials on this clip, but it's worth it..........Funny stuff.
3 Like
Palmy and Dutch, I too share your love of older iron. I have a '67 Nova currently. But being in the biz, I understand and appreciate the current technologies. Little 4 bangers with turbos that run 12's. Things like that. I'm not into that stuff but I respect the ability to go fast. This weekend Thunderfest comes to town. Nostalgia funnys, rails, promods,pro stocks,pro stock bikes etc. it's the biggest thing we get here as this track isn't NHRA approved. The nostalgia funnys are nitro methane but a smaller mixture of nitro. As close to top fuel as we get. They shake the very earth. Good times iffin you like horsepower!
2 Like
I had blackbean and brown rice burritos for lunch...wiff onions....and jaly peppers...wiff refried beans.
Now I gots the rat-gas.
2 Like
J-Roooooooolllllll.... he's been playing much better... he and JJR both showing signs of life.... but the pitching and defense has been AWFUL
3 Like
@atvcar Until you start to accept that The Great Greeeeg Dobbs is gone... then shut up.
4 Like
Not to change the line here.
Dutch - if you're out there - I thought of you other day.
Watched Drag Racing - Bristol on TV.
Man - I AM getting old.... Top Fuel = LESS than 4 Seconds?????????????
2 Like
@Palm Feathers Yep.............the technology has come a long way. We have some street driven cars now going almost as fast as the old funny cars..............with much more reliable stuff. Great time to be racing..........if you can afford it. Costs mucho dinero.
3 Like
@dutchrubb @Palm Feathers Truth! It's sad that a Jeep Grand Cherokee can run as fast as many muscle cars. Plus stop and handle better. Oh they're 4WD too!
1 Like
@dutchrubb I enjoy the experience of every cell in my body being vibrated and distorted by massive horsepower.
1 Like
@PPW TBT I have another option.............Englishtown Raceway Park is about two hours away............might go there some time.
1 Like
@PPW Well, for many years, the Dutchmaster had to attend a Chevelle show which was around the country in different locations...........but it was always the same weekend..........same as the Keystone Nats at Maple. The Dutch had to go cause he was in charge of the judging teams. That club folded in 2002......and ever since, seems like the car shows that weekend we sell or scrounge parts at have taken me away........still, I am going to make it there one year.
2 Like
@PPW Yeah......real close to Maple Grove Raceway.................they have a big one every year there...............always falls when I have a car show to attend, so I have not been there yet.
1 Like
@dutchrubb @Palm Feathers Dutch, we have diesel drags up here. Last year there was a guy w/a std cab shortbox
1 Like
I don't miss it.
Gas Hog. I was the King of a McDonald's parking lot for a few months.
Much cheaper keeping it parked and talking about how fast it would go........
2 Like
@Palm Feathers Yeah..........unless you drop em both off a cliff.........then the Short Bus will beat the Jeep to the bottom of the canyon.
2 Like
@Palm Feathers Palm, I understand and share your love of the old ones, but the truth is, they had a lot of metal to move. And I think the Jeep PPW speaks of, is the new ones with the Chrysler Hemi in them..........and they are pretty fast.
1 Like
@PPW Hey PPW. There is this guy up here that souped up a Duramax diesel and stuck it in a Chevelle. Claims to be 800 ft. lbs of torque. They say is is fast as h**l Used the Allison trans too. Sounds like a neat machine. Hoping to get a look soon.
2 Like
If you say so I guess.
I had a Chevelle with a 454 in it. I'd find it hard to believe a Jeep could outdo that...
