O.J. Atogwe looks to become player he once was

O.J. Atogwe just turned 31 but believes he still has plenty of good football left in him after signing a one-year contract with the Philadelphia Eagles.

It’s an interesting pairing because Atogwe has been a productive player before, adept at creating turnovers. The Eagles are looking to rebuild at the safety position, creating opportunity for him. But he was not very good last season playing for the NFC East rival Washington Redskins and some scouts have knocked his ability or desire to be physical.

“Internally, I know and believe I’m a better player than I was last year, a better player than I was during my time in St. Louis,” Atogwe said, according to Geoff Mosher of the Wilmington News Journal. “So now what I focus on is doing the things necessary to putting who I believe and know I am out on the field on a consistent basis. I don’t feel like I have anything to prove to anyone, but my focus is on doing what I know I’m capable of doing. Everything else just takes care of itself.”

Right now, the Eagles have Nate Allen and Kurt Coleman slated to start but depth charts evolve during training camp. He says he has an understanding of what the Eagles want to do on defense after playing for Steve Spagnuolo in St. Louis. It would have helped if he had an entire offseason to learn the program. But Atogwe will have to learn on the fly.

We’ll see if he can accomplish his goal of turning his career around. If he does, it will be a solid move for the club.

Follow me on Twitter: @BradBiggs

Brad Biggs covers the Bears for the Chicago Tribune

Upcoming Games