I am sure that B.J. Raji is probably kicking himself about now.
The Packers’ fifth-year defensive lineman was offered an $8 million contract in the middle of last season but defiantly turned it down.
And now, Green Bay is low-balling their one-time Pro Bowler with a one-year $4 million offer. Ted Thompson knows that a prove-it contract is the perfect situation for a guy that, despite playing out of position, was nearly invisible on the football field.
Thompson has also realized that if Raji has already turned down $8 million, how much more would other teams be willing to risk when the free agency signing period begins on Tuesday at 3 p.m.?
Raji is an interesting study because in Dom Capers’ 3-4 defense, he needs an anchor up front. He needs someone that will eat a blocker or two and clear a path for the linebackers. You could almost call him a defensive fullback.
But here’s the rub with Raji: the rest of the starting defensive line are also free agents. Ryan Pickett will turn 35 next season and has lost a few steps. His career high for tackles was 48 in 2005 and last year he tallied 19. Mike Neal is interesting because he’s so versatile. He was tied for third on the team with five sacks and he did it as a defensive end and an outside linebacker.
Raji hasn’t done much to impress anyone the last two seasons — 29 tackles and zero sacks. But there are teams that would be willing to dig a little deeper into the wallet just because he’s a large human being and there aren’t a lot of those to go around.
Thompson is doing the right thing with the low-money offer. I was astonished when he offered $8 million this year and I was even more astonished when Raji turned it down.
It’s hard to believe that Raji was taken as the ninth overall pick in 2009. He clearly has motivation issues if you cannot get charged up to play in the NFL — in a contract year. You hate to label a guy as a bust before he has even turned 30, but Raji doesn’t really give anyone a lot to work with. The one Pro Bowl season and the interception return for a touchdown that put the Packers in the Super Bowl are his career highlights. At best, he’s a work-in-progress and at worst he’s a big oops.
But if the Packers see Raji set sail, then Thompson knows he will have to work his magic on draft day. And we all know that Thompson isn’t exactly adept at drafting defensive talent. Maybe Louis Nix III or Ra’Shede Hageman will fall to the Packers but I doubt it.
If Raji leaves, it won’t be that big of a deal. At times last year it looked like he didn’t want to be in Green Bay anyway. But if two defensive linemen leave, then the Packers could have a potential problem brewing. It’s common knowledge that Thompson doesn’t like to dabble in free agency but he may be forced to go that route just to fill out the roster.
It’s amazing how history is repeating itself. Raji was the last defensive lineman taken in the first round by the Packers since Justin Harrell. And we all know how that experiment panned out. I’m not saying Raji is anywhere close to the bust level that Harrell was. However, Raji needs to take a long look in the mirror and examine why he’s playing this game. Does he truly love to play football and strive to get better? Or is he just counting down the days until his next paycheck?
If he answered yes to the second question, his paychecks are about to shrink if he continues to play the way he has.
——————Cory Jennerjohn is from Wisconsin and has been in sports media for over 10 years. To contact Cory e-mail him at jeobs -at- yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter: Cory Jennerjohn
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I wouldn’t offer Raji jack-sh*t to stay in GB. He was horrible in a contract year and hasn’t done squat since the SB year. He’s another TT big man draft pick bust. God only made so may of them and apparently they all suck once drafted by TT. Worthy and Jones aren’t looking much better these days. TT has yet to draft a quality big man DL since coming to GB as GM nearly a decade ago. He should be fired for that alone. Grandpa Ted is in way over his head.
Look at the stats of Floyd and Warner who were taken just ahead of Jones and Williams who was taken just after him. Jones had more Sacks than all of them. Obviously there’s more to the game than just sacks, but Jones stats are comparable to any DL that was taken around the spot he was.
Worthy tore up his knee at the end of the 2012 season and played all of 6 snaps last season.
Ted T has got to have a plan right? I’m starting to wonder if he has his eyes on other Free Agents available. I mean why would he offer big $$$ to a defense ranked 25th last year. Granted the injuries we’re to many to count, but Raji, Neal, and even Shields could be replaced with others in Free Agency. I hate to lose Shields but even Thompson with his reluctance to sign FA has to see there’s just to many holes to fix with the draft and Undrafted FA alone.
I think a 1 year deal is the way to go here too. Pick is running on fumes. Who knows if Jolly makes it back at all. Wilson is JAG. That leaves Boyd and Datone. They are both 34 DE’s. We need a NT, and Raji can be a good one – if he chooses to be.
Wilson’s a FA too right? That leave just Datone, Daniels, Worthy, and Boyd under contract. That’s what I mean, Thompson has to have a plan. That’s 4 DL under contract with one coming back from major knee surgery. Even if Jones makes a huge jump, the Packers are way short.
A prove it deal to a nose tackle that has played well when not at de, I like it. If he takes the $4m deal it could be a blessing in disguise that he played like Betty white. Looking at the draft board at 21 we could have Mosley, Gilbert, nixIII, hageman, or Clinton Dix. Hypothetically raji signed and if he plays average we could have an extremely athletic d line with jones, raji, hageman or nix 3. Or we get an extremely talented lb in Mosley. Now Gilbert and Dix I expect to be gone, Mosley too but they could fall. This and hopefully returning of some injured players, could put the defense back on the map.
My hope with Raji is that maybe MM wants Capers to play more “1 gap” technique along the defensive front, which would fit Raji’s skill set better. All the way back to his draft, many thought Raji was better suited as a DT in a 4-3, where he could use his quickness to disrupt, as he did in college.
I think Raji has yet to realize he blew a big pay day when he turned down that 8 million $ a year payoff. He then went out and laid a great big egg with his amazing invisible man imitation during the 2113 season.Is he vastly overrated, Lazy, or just being poorly utilized?Maybe he wants out of Green Bay and a chance to play for the Pat’s, Giants, Eagles.
I definitely think he wants to go to New England. With the injury to Vince Worfolk, I’d think New England would give him the same prove it deal the Packers did, and Raji would be close to home playing in a defense he thinks is a better fit. “
I definitely think he wants to go to New England. With the injury to Vince Worfolk, I’d think New England would give him the same prove it deal the Packers did, and Raji would be close to home playing in a defense he thinks is a better fit. “
I definitely think he wants to go to New England. With the injury to Vince Worfolk, I’d think New England would give him the same prove it deal the Packers did, and Raji would be close to home playing in a defense he thinks is a better fit. “
Well, I haven’t seen any reports that he signed the contract offer yet. Maybe he’s still mulling a change in venue.
Hopefully he kicks himself out of Green Bay
How about Red Bryant?
Apparently he just signed with Jacksonville…
OK. Let’s clarify one thing. We don’t want to spend any money on Raji. We want him to be someone else’s problem. We want to spend millions on players that want to be in Green Bay and want to help the team. Raji is a BUM.
Why in the world would old Teddy offer this lazy, unmotivated blob even $4 million? Same reason he somehow offered him $8 million and $20 gurananteed in November after showing zero since ’10. He doesn’t want the embarrassment of admitting he whiffed on yet another #1 pick….especially a top ten. Why he kept the circle piler around (#50) so long. Don’t hold your breath for that omg Packer FA news next week……$33 million or $133 million, he’ll use it on “his” guys. Doesn’t matter that none of his 53 guys are pro bowlers except the obvious 2. Like to see the albino owl ride off into the subset and have the keys turned over to Ron’s kid before AR’s window closes.
Ted please sign randy stacks from the dolphins and let him be a nt you will do great it will be the star of new defence draft a safety #1or 2 an inside lb sign shields o go for a free agent cb im sure we can one equal for less money with a diferent agent than rosenhause and you still could draft a 3 a te and with two four best de olb or wr i have seeing the packers playing since 1962 and i know what it t
Ted please sign randy stacks from the dolphins and let him be a nt you will do great it will be the star of new defence draft a safety #1or 2 an inside lb sign shields o go for a free agent cb im sure we can one equal for less money with a diferent agent than rosenhause and you still could draft a 3 a te and with two four best de olb or wr i have seeing the packers playing since 1962 and i know what it t
On a semi-related note, Shields is supposedly re-signed to a front-ended, 4 yr, $40M deal. UGH!!!
http://www.rotoworld.com/player/nfl/6268
It’s more money than I thought he should get, but TT has shown a willingness to over pay. The thought Raji previously had an $8M/yr offer, combined with B. Jones’ and M. Burnett’s contacts shows how badly TT (over)values his players.
Better BJ having regrets than all of Packer nation had he signed that bloated $8M a year offer TT so unwisely offered him last season.
Raji has proved the last couple of years that he doesn’t want to play in Green Bay. Don’t pay the fat bastard a penny. And I am also sick of the “he’s playing out of position B.S. No one goes several years without making one play. Very obvious that food is more important than football to Jaba the Hut…