Recently in Jermaine Phillips Category

Go ahead and take another name off the list of potential impact free agents the Bears could have targeted to fill one of their several needs.

St. Louis announced it has placed the franchise tag on safety Oshiomogho (O.J.) Atogwe, meaning he's out of the picture. Atogwe was considered the top safety heading to the free-agent market but there are some scouts who don't believe he's in an elite category.

Bears running back Matt Forte blew past him on a long run at St. Louis during the regular season and considering the premium teams pay in free agency (see the $33 million, six-year deal Madieu Williams got in Minnesota last year or the $39 million, six-year deal Gibril Wilson got in Oakland for examples), missing on Atogwe might not be the worst thing that happens to the Bears in free agency. Yes, he'd be an instant upgrade over anything the team has but at what cost?

Indications are the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will use their franchise tag on wide receiver Antonio Bryant unless they can reach an agreement with him before the 3 p.m. deadline Thursday for teams to use the tag.

That means safety Jermaine Phillips could be headed to the open market starting Feb. 27. Phillips is considered one of the top safeties but it's unknown if he will re-sign with the Buccaneers. He flourished the past few seasons under new head coach Raheem Norris, and the Bucs have a bounty of space available under the salary cap to make a deal. However, Tampa Bay used a second-round pick on Sabby Piscitelli in 2007, and the Bucs could be ready to slide him into a starting role.