BJ RAJI

[Bretsky]

Holdout

Sign the dam deal B.J,
Sign the dam deal !!

Not looking good per report this morn on ESPN

Sounds like he's going to milk things out with the rest of the top 10

[MJZiggy]

Maybe the Bikini Girls should focus their attention on this rather than hibernation...

[Kiwon]

What are the ball park figures being discussed?

Don't the Packers traditionally attempt to get 6 year deals with rookie contracts?

[oregonpackfan]

This situation is not good for both B.J. Raji and the Packers, IMO.

[red]

i don't know if you can blame raji or the packers for this. nobody around raji has been signed yet, and crabtree and smith are both looking for big deals. the only guy close to raji that has been signed is DHB by the raiders, and insane al gave him a monster deal

blame this on teams and agents waiting so long to start signing 1st rounders

[pittstang5]

i don't know if you can blame raji or the packers for this. nobody around raji has been signed yet, and crabtree and smith are both looking for big deals. the only guy close to raji that has been signed is DHB by the raiders, and insane al gave him a monster deal

blame this on teams and agents waiting so long to start signing 1st rounders

Agreed. BJ won't be signed until the players around him are signed. I heard a couple weeks ago that Crabtree could be the "fly in the oinment" for the players taken around him....looks like that is the case here. If he's not signed by middle of this coming week....then I'll start to worry.

[rbaloha1]

This is an unfortunate situation since Raji was expected to start.

Appears the holdout may be longer than anticipated. Its crucial JH steps up and asserts himself as a starter.

[bobblehead]

These are the things that make me hate sports. The kid is being offered millions, and wants just a little more (or his agent does). JUST ONCE I'd like to see TT play hardball and not sign him. Let him sit for a year and see what happens to his stock. It wouldn't be the first wasted first round pick in history, but it might be the first wasted pick that didn't cost millions.

[MJZiggy]

I'm sure he's got the physical tools he needs, but Raji's also got a lot to learn out there. If he's confused as to his assignments once he gets into camp, it could cost him.

[]{ilr]3]

I was really hoping he would get in there.

Looks like Harvin just signed with the vikings.

I doubt that will hurry the rest of them along any further as he was the 22nd pick (even if he argued he was top 10 talent)

Harvin signs with Vikings
Posted by Mike Florio on August 2, 2009 12:11 PM ET
A league source tells us that receiver Percy Harvin has agreed to terms with the Minnesota Vikings.

Per the source, it's a five-year deal.

Harvin, the 22nd overall pick in the draft, was regarded in some circles as a potential top-ten talent who slid due to among other things reports of a positive marijuana result at the Scouting Combine.

The Vikings apparently plan to make Harvin a key part of the offense. In Florida, he worked both as a receiver and as a running back, with almost equal reps at both positions.

Harvin also took reps during the offseason as quarterback in the Wildcat package.

Though he's also regarded as a potential contributor in the return game, Harvin didn't return kickoffs or punts at Florida, given his importance to the offense. Frankly, we can't help but wonder whether the same reasoning will apply in Minnesota.

Then again, coach Brad Childress knows he needs to win this year, and so he'll likely use Harvin until his legs fall off.

[Dabaddestbear]

Take your time B.J. You are making Bear, and Viking fans proud.

[bobblehead]

Take your time B.J. You are making Bear, and Viking fans proud.

Its about the only thing you'll have to be proud of all season :P

[Rastak]

From PFT.com.

We need a rookie salary scale in this sport. I hope they get that in the next CBA. This is a bunch of crap.

The Green Bay Packers and defensive lineman B.J. Raji continue to be at odds regarding a rookie deal.

As Tom Pellisero of the Green Bay Press-Gazette has pointed out, nothing is imminent between the player and the team.

On Saturday, Pelissero reported that it'll be "at least a couple days" before a deal gets done.

On Sunday, linebacker Clay Matthews said that Raji is "champing at the bit" to work the thing out. (Based on his size, we assume that Raji also has been champing at the bear claws, too.)

The obvious problem is that the two of the three picks directly in front of Raji (Andre Smith at No. 6 and Eugene Monroe haven't signed) and the three picks directly behind him (Michael Crabtree at No. 10, Aaron Maybin at No. 11, and Knowshon Moreno at No. 12) haven't signed yet.

Then there's the reality that Raji is represented by Athletes First, the same firm that had last year's ninth overall pick, Bengals linebacker Keith Rivers. If the agents do too good of a deal in comparison to last year's contract at the same slot, Rivers might feel miffed. And if they don't do good enough of a deal at No. 9 this year, they might be leapfrogged by Crabtree.

Regardless of how it all works out, Raji already is eating more than the bit and/or the bear claws.

He's eating his words.

"There will be no problem, as far as holding out on my end," Raji said in June. "I'm a rookie but from what I've been told, holdouts are not necessarily a good thing.

"Especially a rookie coming in, you can't afford to miss a week or two of training camp, especially when you're trying to find a way to get on the field. Yeah, that's my agency, but I'm in control, not the other way around."

We're not sure who's in control at this point. But the bottom line is that Raji is missing time that he'll never be able to make up.

[]{ilr]3]

Quoted for Truth!

From PFT.com.

We need a rookie salary scale in this sport. I hope they get that in the next CBA. This is a bunch of crap.

The Green Bay Packers and defensive lineman B.J. Raji continue to be at odds regarding a rookie deal.

As Tom Pellisero of the Green Bay Press-Gazette has pointed out, nothing is imminent between the player and the team.

On Saturday, Pelissero reported that it'll be "at least a couple days" before a deal gets done.

On Sunday, linebacker Clay Matthews said that Raji is "champing at the bit" to work the thing out. (Based on his size, we assume that Raji also has been champing at the bear claws, too.)

The obvious problem is that the two of the three picks directly in front of Raji (Andre Smith at No. 6 and Eugene Monroe haven't signed) and the three picks directly behind him (Michael Crabtree at No. 10, Aaron Maybin at No. 11, and Knowshon Moreno at No. 12) haven't signed yet.

Then there's the reality that Raji is represented by Athletes First, the same firm that had last year's ninth overall pick, Bengals linebacker Keith Rivers. If the agents do too good of a deal in comparison to last year's contract at the same slot, Rivers might feel miffed. And if they don't do good enough of a deal at No. 9 this year, they might be leapfrogged by Crabtree.

Regardless of how it all works out, Raji already is eating more than the bit and/or the bear claws.

He's eating his words.

"There will be no problem, as far as holding out on my end," Raji said in June. "I'm a rookie but from what I've been told, holdouts are not necessarily a good thing.

"Especially a rookie coming in, you can't afford to miss a week or two of training camp, especially when you're trying to find a way to get on the field. Yeah, that's my agency, but I'm in control, not the other way around."

We're not sure who's in control at this point. But the bottom line is that Raji is missing time that he'll never be able to make up.

[Lurker64]

It's really not a problem with Raji, it's a problem with the whole top 15 this year.

When you combine "bad economy" with "weak draft" teams are hesitant to give ridiculous deals. But traditionally, teams just work up from the back of the first round and you give the n-1st guy slightly more than the nth guy, with some premiums included or removed for elite positions like quarterbacks. You can also go the other way, so if the nth player is signed, give the n+1th player slightly less money.

But Raji?

The 6th pick is not signed.
The 7th pick signed a ridiculous (Raiders) contract.
The 8th pick is not signed.
The 10th pick is not signed, and is looking for ridiculous money.
The 11th pick is not signed.
The 12th pick is not signed.

So it's not just that the kid doesn't want to play football, I'm sure he does, it's that neither the Packers nor Raji's agent has a good idea about how much he should be paid.