Cowboys Apparently Not Interested In Safety O.J. Atogwe

by James Williamson on Jun 7, 2010 12:35 AM CDT

When it comes to the Dallas Cowboys, Jerry Jones is one of the best, if not the best, owners in the National Football League.

As a general manager, he's one of the biggest riverboat gamblers on either side of the Mississippi River.

A lot of times he's been right, and a lot of times he's been wrong.

Having enough faith in our backup receivers to cut Terrell Owens and subsequently, Miles Austin emerged. Good.

Trading two first round draft picks for Joey Galloway. Bad

Well, Jerry Jones is on the craps table and is rolling the dice again. This time with the safety position of the Cowboys.

Gerald Sensabaugh, our strong safety, signed his one-year tender with the Cowboys, and Jerry Jones may extend him, but the free safety position is still a concern because Alan Ball, the replacement for Ken Hamlin, who we cut, is... the best word would be unproven.

I've seen Ball in preseason games, and he's good, but when Jerry Jones passes up a shot to get Darren Sharper, a beast of a safety, in free agency, you wonder if Jerry is taking too large a risk with the team.

Well, now the Cowboys aren't going to make an effort to sign free agent, O.J. Atogwe, a safety who last played for the St. Louis Rams.

Atogwe is a pretty good safety. I know he's an upgrade from Ken Hamlin, but not on the Ed Reed/Darren Sharper level. I was hoping to possibly see him with the Cowboys and give me more assurance than Alan Ball has.

However, Jerry Jones disagrees. He replied to the question, "I'm ready to go to our season with the safeties we have. That might answer your question." According to the Cowboys official website.

Jerry Jones feels comfortable with new draft picks like Akwasi Owusu-Ansah, a fourth rounder from IUP, or Jamar Wall, a cornerback who might convert to safety from Texas Tech.

Add in Michael Hamlin (no relation to Ken Hamlin), who missed most of last year due to a wrist injury, and the incumbent, Alan Ball, to the mix and Dallas has a strong depth at the position.

There is even some undrafted players that can work out as safeties.

Jerry Jones apparently has faith in these players, so Dallas fans are going to have to trust them. Who knows? Maybe a Miles Austin will emerge.

We can only hope, but for right now, it is for-sure that Jerry Jones isn't rummaging for his checkbook to give Atogwe a contract.

This article was originally published here: http://www.mtrmedia.com/cowboys/2010/06/cowboys-apparently-not-interested-in-safety-oj-atogwe.html

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This is old news...

IMO, Atogwe was never a serious consideration considering we have Sensabaugh that we need to sign and the money Atogwe wants. To be honest I don’t think he is worth the money he wants to begin with. Jerry is not going to tie up that much doe on the same position if he wants to resign Sensabaugh. Ball is our starting safety in 2010 and get ready for Akwasi in 2011 to make a serious push to start…

"First rounders need to be starters" Jerry Jones.
Go Philadelphia Flyers!!!!

by Boyzfan94 on Jun 7, 2010 10:38 AM CDT reply actions

Honestly, I feel like the headline should've been

“NFL Apparently Not Interested in Safety O.J. Atogwe.”

Because no team has even tried to sign him.

by Key19 on Jun 7, 2010 11:13 AM CDT reply actions

3 things.

1. There is something in his medical records that is scaring teams away. Could be his progress from the offseason shoulder surgery or the hernia. Who knows.
2. He’s asking for too much money.
3. Both.

Those are really the only explanations for it. The Rams called him on it, decided to let him hit FA, and let the market determine what he’s worth. Everybody said they were stupid for doing so, including me, but now the decision doesn’t look so bad.

Pitching coach Mike Maddux on Darren Oliver’s 0.00 ERA this spring:
"Economical work. He ain’t getting paid by the hour."

by TXHC on Jun 7, 2010 12:15 PM CDT up reply actions

Personally, I think the Rolle signing hurt Atogwe.

It’s idiot moves like the Giants signing Rolle to the biggest contract for a safety in NFL history, when Rolle certainly isn’t the best safety in NFL history—and not even close to being the best free safety in the game today. Atogwe is better, and he knows it, and he’s going to want a contract of that magnitude, and it’s going to turn a lot of teams off.

Not to mention dumb signings like that also make it hard for owners to sign other players who play the same position as the newest overpaid guy to a reasonable price.

by Admiral Dallas on Jun 7, 2010 1:06 PM CDT reply actions

+100%

Rabid and luvin' it

by lonewolfz28 on Jun 7, 2010 2:04 PM CDT up reply actions

Free agent starters cost big money

Jerry has to ask himself – what if the Boys are one player away? Everybody knew going into the draft that Oline depth and DB where the biggest needs. Jerry landed landed a WR and a LB. He did find a potential swing OT, mabye Brewster can handle the inside. Nobody sees that starting DB. If Atogwe wants to come here in something similar to Hamlin (one year tryout), then Sensi’s deal – get him. Otherwise throwing money at free agents has been a mixed bag.

by birdness on Jun 8, 2010 2:14 PM CDT up reply actions

This just in : Dallas drafts a WR in the first rd

Dez Bryant, Miles Austin, Jason Witten, Felix Jones = defensive coordinator's Kobayashi Maru scenario

by APerfectStar on Jun 7, 2010 1:16 PM CDT reply actions

http://www.bloggingtheboys.com/2010/6/2/1498018/jerry-no-interest-in-atogwe#comments

Rabid and luvin' it

by lonewolfz28 on Jun 7, 2010 2:09 PM CDT reply actions

Has Atogwe signed with anyone yet?

I haven’t read he has, and if not that’s a bit unsettling to me. If he’s a talent, how is he still available?

by mhuff13 on Jun 9, 2010 2:03 PM CDT reply actions

good...we don't need him

In Romo we Trust

by Terry on Jun 10, 2010 8:19 AM CDT reply actions

We're a very good football team, and don't NEED any one player except Romo to be one

But I have no idea how you can be so confident in our safeties, since they haven’t even been above average since the Woodson+Williams days?

We all hope for breakout seasons among the young and unproven players, but is there any reason to have more faith in Ball than Beuhler…or Hamlin than Brewster?

All of those guys are much bigger question marks for 2010 than Atogwe – who leads all safeties in the NFL in turnovers the last 4 years – would be.

Oh, and if you’re worried about his shoulder injury/surgery, you should know that everyone’s hope for the future “AOA” is coming off the same surgery/injury (torn labrum).

by Left Coast Cowboy on Jun 10, 2010 3:38 PM CDT up reply actions

This is Terry's modus operandi.

If it’s pretty clear the organization is leaning in one direction for or against signing or drafting a certain player; he’ll come up with every reason in the book why it’s a wise decision. There are exceptions of course such as the curious case of Dez Bryant who was so obviously a lesser draft pick than a certain clean cut wise beyond his years but still exceptionally athletic linebacker. What’s really weird is how he’ll overlook certain character issues that he constantly harps about otherwise as long as the prospect in question is one of his beloved Panthers.

by MadMick on Jun 11, 2010 1:33 AM CDT up reply actions