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The Rams appeared to lock safety O.J. Atogwe up for a few seasons, thanks to a multi-year deal Atogwe signed last month. It turns out, though, that Atogwe's contract was a little bit of a smoke-and-mirrors job.Atogwe's five-year, $32 million deal could be voided one day after this season's Super Bowl, according to the St. Louis Globe-Democrat, in essence reducing that contract to one year and $4.1 million -- thus making Atogwe a free agent again next summer. The 29-year-old Atogwe cashed in a $2 million roster bonus on July 1 and will make $2.1 million this season.
The sticking point comes after the season ends when Atogwe stands to receive an $8 million roster bonus -- a caveat that would likely encourage the Rams to cancel out the rest of the deal, assuming they're allowed to do so. The Globe-Democrat makes the important observation that "it's not known what triggers the void of the final four years of the contract", meaning that St. Louis may still find itself on the hook beyond 2010.
Atogwe hit the market on June 1, after the Rams declined to give him his restricted free-agent tender of $6.976 million. He found things a lot slower going than he'd hoped, however. Teams like Seattle and Detroit publicly expressed interest, then backed off when Atogwe's salary demands stayed high.
But if the Rams can wiggle out of this new deal after the 2010 season ends, Atogwe will find himself right back where he was earlier this summer.
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