NFL GridIron Gab Daily Digest

Last year we spent the whole offseason hearing about OJ Atogwe's free agent visits and potential visits only to have Atogwe come back to St. Louis and sign a multi-year deal that was really only a 1-year deal.  The Rams and Atogwe agreed on which day to have the roster bonus due knowing full well the labor strife that was going to come to the league.  Both sides knew when Atogwe was going to be released because of the unwieldy roster bonus due for Atogwe.

Just like last year, a few teams are showing interest in Atogwe.  OJ has already visited the Washington Redskins facility and left without a contract.  The Buffalo Bills are also rumored to have interest.

If last offseason is any barometer, this saga will not be resolved soon and once the Rams get a better look at what free agency might look like and the draft prospects, they can make a decision on Mr. Atogwe.  OJ Atogwe is a good safety in the NFL, but he is not worth $8 million a year.  However, the Rams have a lot of needs and they are probably better off trying to lock up the players that they have to concentrate on their other needs in this strange offseason.

Three weeks ago I released a ranked list of which pending free agents I thought should be the Vikings top targets in 2011.

With only one day until the deadline for teams to franchise their players, half of my previous list have now been taken off of the market due to being franchised.  Those players are quarterback Peyton Manning (was ranked #1), guard Logan Mankins (#2), defensive tackle Haloti Ngata (#3), center Ryan Kalil (#5), and outside linebacker Chad Greenway (#6) who was franchised by the Vikings.

A number of other players who could possibly have made this second version of the list also are not on the market anymore, such as Michael Vick, Vincent Jackson and Champ Bailey.  So, with all of that said, here is my updated version of who I think (yes, this is strictly my opinion, so take it for what it is worth) the Vikings should target in free agency… whenever that is.

1. Nnamdi Asomugha, CB, Raiders

You know it is a fairly exciting free agent group when a corner like Asomugha is allowed to hit the market.  At 30 years of age, Asomugha is still one of the best at what he does.  Offenses around the NFL have opted to simply stop throwing the ball towards his half of the field.  Imagine this defense with that type of threat on the outside.  For a more detailed explanation as to why Asomugha makes sense for the Vikings, click here.

2. Sidney Rice, WR, Vikings

Rice has some stiff competition for being named the top free agent wide out this year.  Santonio Holmes and Vincent Jackson should arguably be placed higher on this list than Rice, but I am willing to give him some hometown love and also point out that he has far fewer character concerns than the other two guys mentioned.  Plus, he's only 25.  Health is the biggest concern with Rice, but if he can stay on the field and get some decent throws going in his direction, he has shown he is plenty capable of dominating.

3. Dawan Landry, SS, Ravens

I fear that Leslie Frazier has enough confidence in "his guys" that the team will not make a sincere effort at upgrading the safety position.  If they do decide to make a move, however, the 28 year old Landry seems like he would be the best fit out what is actually a pretty decent group of safeties.  Landry is especially strong in run support, which is always a plus for this Vikings defense.

4. Johnathan Joseph, CB, Bengals

Joeseph has made a name for himself as one of the league's top corners, despite having to play across from another very capable corner in Leon Hall.  To put it bluntly, the Vikings should nab him if they can, regardless of how many corners are on the roster.  You can never have too many good ones.

5. Charles Johnson, DE, Panthers

Here is a guy that you may have never heard of.  That's because he is young, played on a bad team, and just recently had a breakout season.  All year long, Johnson played at a Pro Bowl level at the left end position in Carolina and ended the season with 12 sacks.  With Ray Edwards and Brian Robison possibly leaving Minnesota, and Everson Griffin possibly facing suspension, this kid impressed me enough to edge out Michael Vick for the 10^th spot on my list.  The Panthers won't want to see him leave… but the same goes for Ryan Kalil and DeAngelo Williams.  They have some tough choices ahead of them.  Johnson is only 25.

6. Manny Lawson, OLB, Niners

With Mike Singletary on board this might be a connection that comes to fruition.  Lawson has played well for the Niners in their 3-4 defense, despite the fact that his skill set is really better suited for a 4-3.  The Vikings locked up Chad Greenway, but Ben Leber could still end up leaving and Lawson would be a younger talent and a heck of a weakside linebacker for the Vikings.

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By Redskins Gab Columnist Keely Devin

Redskins' return man Brandon Banks was released from the Virginia Hospital Center on Friday, February 18th after being stabbed during an altercation outside of a nightclub early Saturday, February 12th.

Though Banks' agent James Gould initially described the injury to his upper left abdomen as "a superficial wound," reports of much more serious damage emerged throughout the week. On Wednesday, Gould issued another statement revealing that Banks had been moved from Howard University Hospital to the Virginia Hospital Center, where he would be cared for by team doctor Anthony Casolaro.

Gould said, "The knife nicked [Banks'] lung creating a pneumothorax condition." Pneumothorax is the medical term for a collapsed lung. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, a collapsed lung results from "the collection of air in the space around the lungs.

This buildup of air puts pressure on the lung, so it cannot expand as much as it normally does when you take a breath." To treat the pneumothorax, doctors inserted a tube into Banks' chest cavity to drain the fluid and air that prevented his lung from inflating. By Friday, doctors had removed the tube and the lung fully expanded on its own, allowing Banks to leave the hospital. The recovery process is expected to take 3 or 4 weeks, at which point he can safely return to offseason workouts.

Disturbing new information about the altercation emerged last week. Initial accounts described the perpetrator Jason Shorter as the knife wielding aggressor and cast Brandon Banks as an innocent bystander who intervened to save his childhood friend Christopher Nixon.

On the Tuesday following the stabbing, local news outlet ABC7 reported that a cell phone video from that night shows Brandon Banks throwing the first punch. In response, the suspect pulled a knife and began slashing. Others then rushed to subdue the man. Review of surveillance footage confirms that Banks and Nixon physically engaged the assailant even after he drew the weapon.

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When the news came across that both OJ Atogwe and Bob Sanders were released from their respective teams, the football world was a bit surprised. Not so much to see that two very capable players had been dumped, but to see that they were available to every other team.

The Eagles are a team that could use some help at the safety position, as Quinten Mikell and Nate Allen were nothing more than satisfactory last season. Either Atogwe and Sanders could help fill a void in the Eagles secondary, and solidify the Eagles defense.

The problem with the Eagles safeties last season was that there was way too many yards given up over the middle of the field, and there was a consistent problem of covering tight ends. This fell mainly on Mikell who was penciled in as the strong safety, and finished with a very mediocre performance.

On the other end, Allen had an impressive rookie debut, but went down late in the season with a torn ACL. Leaving the free safety spot to another rookie, Kurt Coleman.

One of the reasons there is so much interest in Sanders and Atogwe, is because Mikell was in his contract year last season and the Eagles still have yet to resign him. Too put even more pressure on Mikell and the Eagles organization, Mikell is coming off a very poor season, and there are questions about his reliability as a starting safety.

There is no doubt that Allen will be the starting free safety next season, but no one knows whether Mikell will be in Philadelphia. With the possibility of Mikell leaving this opens the door for one of the two safeties currently in free agency.

Sanders is the safety who comes to mind as a quick and easy replacement to Mikell. However, it is well known that Sanders is incredibly injury prone, as he has not finished a season without injury in a number of years. The seven year veteran has had enormous difficulty in Indianapolis getting back on his feet and developing back into the same player he once was, and can't seem to escape the injury bug.

Although, Sanders is great in coverage and could provide a much needed boost to the Eagles secondary. With the stuggles the Eagles have had covering tight ends, Sanders could significantly improve Philadelphia's passing defense. With Sanders playing solid coverage in the secondary, it could give Allen, who is already developing into a great coverage safety, even more of an opportunity to show case his talents and rack up more interceptions.

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Putting the current labor talks aside, there is still plenty of business that the Oakland Raiders need to look at as we enter the off season. One area that the Raiders need to review and work on is the wide receiver position. There are a number of good, solid WR's that are free agents this year that Oakland should consider picking up.

Overall, the current crop of Oakland receivers is very young and inexperienced. Sure the potential is there, but for Oakland to get to the play-offs in 2011, the Raiders really need to look at a veteran WR to compliment the current roster of Murphy, Heyward-Bey, Ford, Schilens, Higgins and Miller. Here is a quick break-down of some of the free-agent WR's on the market..

Heading up the list is the Viking's Sidney Rice.. Hampered by injuries in the 2010 season, Rice only played in 6 games and compiled only 280 yards and 2 TDs. The upside is that he is young (24) with 4 years in the league. The potential is there for Rice, but Oakland will not be the only team interested in him.

Braylon Edwards – New York Jets – With 6 years experience, Edwards may be the veteran that can help out Oakland's young & raw receivers. In 2010, Braylon put up decent numbers with 904 yards and 7 TDs. If Edwards was to join the Raiders, his impact would be immediate as he would be the number 1 receiver in Oakland.

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Colts President Bill Polian says the team is making progress on a long-term deal with Peyton Manning before the March 3 labor pact expires.

Last week, Indianapolis gave the only four-time MVP in league history the exclusive franchise tag, which prevents Manning from negotiating with other teams as a free agent. If he plays under the tag, Manning would receive about $23 million in salary next season.

Polian told The Associated Press on Wednesday the two sides were making progress but that no deal was imminent. He spoke following a meeting with the NFL's competition committee.

Polian also says Indy would be willing to bring back two-time Pro Bowl safety Bob Sanders(notes) if he does not sign with another team.

OLB LaMarr Woodley inked his franchise tender today with the Steelers according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. While it’s not yet known as to the amount of the raise he will get due to the price of the tag, Woodley could get a raise of approximately $10.2 million in 2011 compared to what he made in 2010 which was $550,000.

While this is all going on, the Steelers and Woodley will keep talking, and the sides will start to work out a deal that will have him inked long-term. As is pointed out, due to the fact that Woodley is a former second-round pick who didn’t make a large salary, neither side could do much because of the 30-percent rule under the current collective bargaining agreement. A new CBA will provide an opportunity for both sides to resume negotiations.

With the way the Steelers do business, you can expect a deal to get done sooner rather than later. Woodley wants to be a Steeler, and it’s where he can continue to make his mark as one of the best young linebackers in the league.

New Broncos coach John Fox could have his eyes on one of his old players in Carolina – that being running back DeAngelo Williams. After an injury filled 2010, Williams is set to hit the free agent market and Fox and the Broncos could be at the top of the list for his services in 2011 and beyond.

The Carolina Panthers didn’t place their franchise tag on DeAngelo Williams, which means the fifth-year tailback likely will become an unrestricted free agent once a new collective bargaining agreement is finalized. And if Williams is a free agent, wouldn’t the only NFL head coach he has played for be interested? John Fox, now with the Broncos, coached Williams at Carolina. Williams rushed for 1,515 yards and 18 touchdowns in 2008 and ran for 1,117 yards in 2009. He missed most of last season because of injuries, finishing with 361 yards in six games. He has an NFL career average of 5.0 yards per carry.

The Cardinals could be in a very tough spot with wide out Larry Fitzgerald if they can’t get back to being a force in the NFC in 2011. Steve Wyche of NFL.com reports that Fitz cannot be franchised in 2012, meaning that he can hit the open market if the team doesn’t get him a new deal.

The likely thing for the wide out is to see where the team is at, play out his deal, and then decide if he wants to come back to team or hit the market and see what’s out there.

His contract expires after 2011 and he could opt not to sign with an eye on hitting free agency. He has a clause in his contract that won’t allow him to be franchised, so he is holding some leverage here. Fitzgerald could wait to see what Arizona does about its quarterback situation but if nothing major happens and it looks like the team will struggle again next season, he could play things out and then hit the open market.

Thing is, that’s a gamble. If he has a sub-par season, whether it’s his fault or not, his appeal might not be as high as it once was and he could sell himself short. Plus, all it takes is one injury to jeopardize his career and having some financial security is always a player’s main concern.