Redskins sign Atogwe

If business in the NFL grinds to a halt later today, the Washington Redskins can look back on the 2010 league year and know they got some important business done up against the wire.

The team announced this afternoon it has signed safety O.J. Atogwe to a contract, reuniting him with Jim Haslett, his former defensive coordinator with the St. Louis Rams.

The Rams cut Atogwe last month because otherwise they would have owed him more than $11 million this season. The club hoped to re-sign him, but Atogwe chose to head to D.C.

He was used more as an in-the-box safety under Steve Spagnuolo and with LaRon Landry excelling near the line of scrimmage for the Redskins, Atogwe should be able to return to free safety. It looks like a smart addition by the Redskins, but so many of their spending sprees start out that way.

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Brad Biggs covers the Bears for the Chicago Tribune