Raji's contract

[Patler]

http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/sports/packers.html

$500,000 signing bonus
$100,000 workout bonus
$18,750/game ($300,000 total)
$3.1 M salary

and he could have had $8M/year with $20M guaranteed a year ago, per reports.

[QBME]

http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/sports/packers.html

$500,000 signing bonus
$100,000 workout bonus
$18,750/game ($300,000 total)
$3.1 M salary

and he could have had $8M/year with $20M guaranteed a year ago, per reports.

Sound like a good deal, all things considered. It makes for an interesting scenario - what if (hopefully) he has a good or great year? Will other teams and GM's wonder if he's just playing for a big contract, and he reverts to performing like the past couple of years? I think it's a real possibility that Raji might have eliminated any big dollar, long term deals from his future.

[Patler]

Sound like a good deal, all things considered. It makes for an interesting scenario - what if (hopefully) he has a good or great year? Will other teams and GM's wonder if he's just playing for a big contract, and he reverts to performing like the past couple of years? I think it's a real possibility that Raji might have eliminated any big dollar, long term deals from his future.

If he has a good 2014 season, I could see him being signed to a long term deal, for significant total dollars, but not a lot guaranteed. Something with a significant roster bonus each year, so it almost becomes year-by-year at the team's option, without a significant cap hit if they let him go.

[Patler]

He and his agent have got to be kicking themselves for getting greedy last year, and the Packers are probably breathing a sigh of relief.

[QBME]

He and his agent have got to be kicking themselves for getting greedy last year, and the Packers are probably breathing a sigh of relief.

Yep - I'd bet the new contract signing celebration was a lot more low key and subdued than the one they could of had. Outback instead of Morton's probably.

[denverYooper]

He and his agent have got to be kicking themselves for getting greedy last year, and the Packers are probably breathing a sigh of relief.

I wonder how he would have responded to the original contract. Would he have just coasted on that?

[Patler]

It's an interesting example of how quickly things can go wrong for a team. After Matthews and Rodgers were signed, most fans (not all) were clamoring for the Packers to get something done with Raji. His relatively poor 2012 seemed an aberration, just something that happened from over-use, whatever. Only a few would have complained if Raji had signed a year ago.

Now, the team would have been looking at that $20 M salary cap albatross (Raji's guarantee) for the next few years, and signing Nelson and Cobb after just signing Shields might not have been so easy to plan.

You can only afford a limited number of big money contracts, and if one ends up returning little for you on the field, it hurts.

[Patler]

I wonder how he would have responded to the original contract. Would he have just coasted on that?

It would be unusual if he played harder after signing than he did in an attempt to secure a big contract. Hopefully, his cool reception in free agency this year will convince him that effort is required always.

[denverYooper]

McGinn with some rather scathing comments on Raji's contract dealings:

http://www.jsonline.com/sports/packers/very-little-guaranteed-money-for-bj-raji-b99228288z1-250912861.html


"They said we could have him for 5 ($5 million per year)," said the executive. "Like, oh gee, thanks. First of all, he (stinks). What's the motivation this year? He blamed it on (the Packers') coaching. Not playing him right."

[mraynrand]

Raji's situation reminds me of that 7-11 pitch a couple decades ago. Selling their coffee, they advertised "If it isn't fresh, you get it free"

Well, who the hell wants crappy coffee, even if it's free? Who wants a crappy Raji, even if he's free?

It's gonna be interesting to see if this turd gets motivated or not.

[denverYooper]

Raji's situation reminds me of that 7-11 pitch a couple decades ago. Selling their coffee, they advertised "If it isn't fresh, you get it free"

Well, who the hell wants crappy coffee, even if it's free? Who wants a crappy Raji, even if he's free?

It's gonna be interesting to see if this turd gets motivated or not.

If it isn't fresh, do they blame it on the manager?

[mraynrand]

If it isn't fresh, do they blame it on the manager?


That's funny. I remember at the time Jay Leno made a joke about the bad coffee and the 'free' deal saying something like "did they come up with this deal to save the manager a trip out to the dumpster?" Raji, dumpster - the two kinda go together at this point don't they....

[Smidgeon]

McGinn with some rather scathing comments on Raji's contract dealings:

http://www.jsonline.com/sports/packers/very-little-guaranteed-money-for-bj-raji-b99228288z1-250912861.html
"They said we could have him for 5 ($5 million per year)," said the executive. "Like, oh gee, thanks. First of all, he (stinks). What's the motivation this year? He blamed it on (the Packers') coaching. Not playing him right."

Not to excuse his finger pointing, 'cause that's just not cool, but it seems that even the Packer's coaches agree if they're moving him back to NT... From articles early in the year, there was a lot of noise made about him staying within the system and doing what he's asked. I don't know enough to comment beyond the observational, but I don't think the coaches are absolved in this either.

[pbmax]

Misuse seems a tad misleading to my recollection. Raji was not a force at NT in run D even as he had an overall good 2010 (exceptional pass rush). In 2011, he was getting moved. He was never Pickett with his anchor.

I took the creation of the Eagle Oakie signifying the coaches desire to take advantage of his quickness over his lack of anchor. He was at a traditional DT 3 tech in that spot in base.

I suppose the proof will be in the pudding. If he really is built to be a NT, he's getting his chance. But evidence so far points to no. I hope he makes the transition.

[Fritz]

It's one year, low cost, to see if he's learned anything about hard work and humility. He's got talent.

If it were simply a question of "duh" coaching, surely other GM's would've sniffed that out and signed him to a team that ran a system conducive to his talents and to a contract that would've reflected those talents.

Those GM's are hungry as dogs for defensive linemen who can get upfield and know how to play. None of them wanted Raji for five mill a year, not even, apparently, for one year. That should tell you something.

[pbmax]

Reading that piece again it looks like the agent said the coaches weren't playing him right.

Don't care. He needs to be better somewhere.

[SMBASS]

Reading that piece again it looks like the agent said the coaches weren't playing him right.

Don't care. He needs to be better somewhere.

I'm not buying this whole, "weren't playing him right" bit PB. Wasn't Raji playing more 3-tech than 5-tech? I consider the 3-tech to be closer to a DT position than a true DE position and if he couldn't beat single blocks and make plays how is he suddenly going to get better taking on double teams and being asked to anchor the middle of the line. Like I've said before, I hope he gets his butt in gear and has a great season but I simply don't see it happening. Just my opinion but that's why I would have let him walk.

[pbmax]

I'm not buying this whole, "weren't playing him right" bit PB. Wasn't Raji playing more 3-tech than 5-tech? I consider the 3-tech to be closer to a DT position than a true DE position and if he couldn't beat single blocks and make plays how is he suddenly going to get better taking on double teams and being asked to anchor the middle of the line. Like I've said before, I hope he gets his butt in gear and has a great season but I simply don't see it happening. Just my opinion but that's why I would have let him walk.

Yes, its hard to untangle. They were clearly claiming he was being played out of position at 3 tech. But nothing in his resume except 2010 tells me he can do NT full time. We'll see.

I also tend to discount the notion that the Packer have committed to moving him there because so far it seems just agent talk, as an explanation for the one year, low guarantee deal. As in "he took a discount to be certain he played nose".

The Packers might be planning this given McCarthy's comments, but nothing is certain until they line up in camp.

[Brandon494]

He was playing out of position but he still should have played much better then he did, hopefully he'll come into camp motivated this year.

[mraynrand]

He was playing out of position but he still should have played much better then he did, hopefully he'll come into camp motivated this year.

at least. He probably needs to be motivated right now, to get his lard ass in shape. Maybe a cattle prod would do the job.

[CaliforniaCheez]

Raji doesn't want to be a blocker sponge. Even with a big money offer he wanted something else.

Yet when run properly I remember Pickett and Jenkins in a 2 man front getting double teamed and still collapsing the pocket. That gave you 9 defenders on 6 guys plus the QB with the ball. The Packers could double team a receiver, have 2 blitzers and would leave an opposing lineman standing there with his thumb ...unseen.

Wouldn't it be nice if they could find another undrafted player like Cullen Jenkins!

Anyway, Raji now will have to earn his payday the old fashioned way; he'll have to earn it.

[3irty1]

I think they were right to move Raji although I do agree NT is his best position. The way I see the tradeoff they were taking 90% of Raji's fit in order to get 100% of Pickett's fit. Now that Pickett is slowing down that doesn't look like such a great trade off.

[woodbuck27]

I wonder how he would have responded to the original contract. Would he have just coasted on that?


B. J. Raji has but one more chance to get a better contract than what was offered to him early in 2013. It must start right here:

He has to be sincerely grateful that TT and the Packers took him back at all. He quite simply gave up last season. From what I saw of him and I studied him carefully on recordings. His play was worse than weak. As last season went into the second half he was ineffective. B J Raji might have been the worst player I saw on the Packers DL. He had games where he seemed to do nothing for the longest stretches.

He could have been benched. He could have been told that it was obvious that his mind wasn't on playing football for the Green Bay Packers. That after the season he had better make good use of "free agency" and that he was done in Green Bay.

IMO B. J. Raji owes Ted Thompson and the Packer organization, his coaches and teammates "big time"; for what looks like a reward for failure and a last chance pick "you" upper.

The eyes of Packer Nation and for a great part the NFL fans and teams will be watching to see what B. J. Ragi really is made of in the 2014 season.

GO PACK GO !

[pbmax]

Raji doesn't want to be a blocker sponge. Even with a big money offer he wanted something else.

Yet when run properly I remember Pickett and Jenkins in a 2 man front getting double teamed and still collapsing the pocket. That gave you 9 defenders on 6 guys plus the QB with the ball. The Packers could double team a receiver, have 2 blitzers and would leave an opposing lineman standing there with his thumb ...unseen.

Wouldn't it be nice if they could find another undrafted player like Cullen Jenkins!

Anyway, Raji now will have to earn his payday the old fashioned way; he'll have to earn it.

I think you mean Jenkins and Raji. Jenkins/Pickett was not common as Pickett was on the field for a 2 man line for pass rush. Pickett would not have been.

[Guiness]

I think you mean Jenkins and Raji. Jenkins/Pickett was not common as Pickett was on the field for a 2 man line for pass rush. Pickett would not have been.

I'm sure a mod snuck in and changed that on you. There's prolly a spelling mistake I didn't pick up on too.

There messing with ya pb!

[pbmax]

I'm sure a mod snuck in and changed that on you. There's prolly a spelling mistake I didn't pick up on too.

There messing with ya pb!

Makes sense. I was wondering how my Auto Correct problem was affecting Cheez's posts.