Giacomini and Raji

[RashanGary]

For some reason, I started keying in on Breno. I watched every snap he had today in one on ones and in team. He's held up 100% of the snaps. The closed thing to getting beat, Pickett got a nice bull rush in, but Giacomini stayed in there.

Compared to Barbre last year, Barbre got beat pretty badly two or three times per day. This is two days now where Giacomini has been rock solid. He just looks comfortable out there.

It's a bit of a shocker. I didn't expect him to play well. I don't know if this is classified as a surprise to other people, but I think Giacomini is going to make this team. He looks good.

When Giacomini isn't playing, I've been watching Raji. He doesn't seem to be getting much pressure. He is matched up with Sitton quite a bit, so maybe that's it, but he's been pretty quiet when I watch him.




Other notes. . . .

Bad day for pass rushers in one on ones. Jenkins only impressive one out there.

Matthews also got one snap and it was a nice rush.

[Scott Campbell]

Crap. They really need Neal to play well.

[bobblehead]

Gio vs. Neal may be a bad matchup for Neal. All I hear about both of them is how powerful they are. Gio is older with more time in an NFL weight room so it would make sense he is ahead and handles the one thing Neal does really well.

The Packers kept Gio on the roster for no apparent reason last year so you have to believe they LOVE his potential. Let me hear about him holding his own against Jenkins a few times and I'll start to get excited. Also, let me hear that Neal got stonewalled by Lang or Newhouse and I'll get more worried, but I agree with the early impression of, he hasn't impressed (but I'm only reading, I see nothing).

[get louder at lambeau]

Re: Giacomini and Raji

I've been watching Raji. He doesn't seem to be getting much pressure. He is matched up with Sitton quite a bit, so maybe that's it, but he's been pretty quiet when I watch him.

Greg Bedard posted a video from yesterday's practice that has a clip of Raji beating the shit out of Wells.

[pbmax]

It was also reported that Raji ate MacDonald's lunch (actual player not a #4 Meal) in a pass rush drill. So he is doing fine against backups so far.

[pbmax]

And this is for wist:

JSO-McGinn-Jul29[/b]]Raji was drafted with the ninth selection in 2009 with the expectation of being a complete player. He didn't stack the point or pressure the passer very well as a rookie, but part of it was he didn't belong at left end and part of it was a high-ankle sprain that slowed him until mid-season.

Too often he either wasn't able to or didn't stay square at the point of attack. He flashed big-play explosion but was displaced much more than Jolly or Pickett.

Clearly, Raji has everything it takes physically to clog the middle. Now does he have the mentality to do so?

"That's one of things we're going to have to find out, you know?" Trgovac said. "We'll have to see that."

As a rusher, Raji wasn't able to string moves together, and neither his bull rush nor his edge quickness was good enough to win many one-on-ones. Capers described Raji as "probably more of a pocket pusher."

VIA Packers by Position: Defensive linemen:
Without Jolly, pressure is high
Bob McGinn, July 29, 2010

I tend to think we all overstated Raji's pass rush due to his quickness. But its also clear he has work to do to hold the nose. In fairness to wist, McGinn seems to think moving Pickett is questionable.

[get louder at lambeau]

It was also reported that Raji ate MacDonald's lunch (actual player not a #4 Meal) in a pass rush drill. So he is doing fine against backups so far.

Thanks, PB. Now I have to go to McDonalds. Your post made me realize I'm hungover and starving for some processed goodness.

[wist43]

And this is for wist:

JSO-McGinn-Jul29[/b]]Raji was drafted with the ninth selection in 2009 with the expectation of being a complete player. He didn't stack the point or pressure the passer very well as a rookie, but part of it was he didn't belong at left end and part of it was a high-ankle sprain that slowed him until mid-season.

Too often he either wasn't able to or didn't stay square at the point of attack. He flashed big-play explosion but was displaced much more than Jolly or Pickett.

Clearly, Raji has everything it takes physically to clog the middle. Now does he have the mentality to do so?

"That's one of things we're going to have to find out, you know?" Trgovac said. "We'll have to see that."

As a rusher, Raji wasn't able to string moves together, and neither his bull rush nor his edge quickness was good enough to win many one-on-ones. Capers described Raji as "probably more of a pocket pusher."

VIA Packers by Position: Defensive linemen:
Without Jolly, pressure is high
Bob McGinn, July 29, 2010

I tend to think we all overstated Raji's pass rush due to his quickness. But its also clear he has work to do to hold the nose. In fairness to wist, McGinn seems to think moving Pickett is questionable.

You stick Raji, or anybody at NT, and you're going to get exactly zero pass rush out of them. As a pass rusher, I expect Raji to draw double teams inside, and still be able to walk them back, but putting him at nose will take a lot out of him - I don't think anyone would argue otherwise.

[get louder at lambeau]

And this is for wist:

JSO-McGinn-Jul29[/b]]Raji was drafted with the ninth selection in 2009 with the expectation of being a complete player. He didn't stack the point or pressure the passer very well as a rookie, but part of it was he didn't belong at left end and part of it was a high-ankle sprain that slowed him until mid-season.

Too often he either wasn't able to or didn't stay square at the point of attack. He flashed big-play explosion but was displaced much more than Jolly or Pickett.

Clearly, Raji has everything it takes physically to clog the middle. Now does he have the mentality to do so?

"That's one of things we're going to have to find out, you know?" Trgovac said. "We'll have to see that."

As a rusher, Raji wasn't able to string moves together, and neither his bull rush nor his edge quickness was good enough to win many one-on-ones. Capers described Raji as "probably more of a pocket pusher."

VIA Packers by Position: Defensive linemen:
Without Jolly, pressure is high
Bob McGinn, July 29, 2010

I tend to think we all overstated Raji's pass rush due to his quickness. But its also clear he has work to do to hold the nose. In fairness to wist, McGinn seems to think moving Pickett is questionable.

You stick Raji, or anybody at NT, and you're going to get exactly zero pass rush out of them. As a pass rusher, I expect Raji to draw double teams inside, and still be able to walk them back, but putting him at nose will take a lot out of him - I don't think anyone would argue otherwise.

If Raji can walk double teams back, we'll have the best defense in the league.

[SkinBasket]

I looked for a Giacomini jersey every time I went to Fleet Farm last year and had no luck. The guy has Eyebrows of Awesomeness +3.

[pbmax]

And this is for wist:

JSO-McGinn-Jul29[/b]]Raji was drafted with the ninth selection in 2009 with the expectation of being a complete player. He didn't stack the point or pressure the passer very well as a rookie, but part of it was he didn't belong at left end and part of it was a high-ankle sprain that slowed him until mid-season.

Too often he either wasn't able to or didn't stay square at the point of attack. He flashed big-play explosion but was displaced much more than Jolly or Pickett.

Clearly, Raji has everything it takes physically to clog the middle. Now does he have the mentality to do so?

"That's one of things we're going to have to find out, you know?" Trgovac said. "We'll have to see that."

As a rusher, Raji wasn't able to string moves together, and neither his bull rush nor his edge quickness was good enough to win many one-on-ones. Capers described Raji as "probably more of a pocket pusher."

VIA Packers by Position: Defensive linemen:
Without Jolly, pressure is high
Bob McGinn, July 29, 2010

I tend to think we all overstated Raji's pass rush due to his quickness. But its also clear he has work to do to hold the nose. In fairness to wist, McGinn seems to think moving Pickett is questionable.

You stick Raji, or anybody at NT, and you're going to get exactly zero pass rush out of them. As a pass rusher, I expect Raji to draw double teams inside, and still be able to walk them back, but putting him at nose will take a lot out of him - I don't think anyone would argue otherwise.

McGinn's critique was not from this year. he spoke about Raji pass rushing last year, when most of his opportunities were in nickel at DT.

Having him as a pass rusher specialist may be a luxury they cannot afford. They may need Pickett at DE and therefore need Raji at Nose. He has to play somewhere in base as he is one of the three best remaining lineman. And last year it was clear he was no great shakes at DE.

[Lurker64]

It's a bad idea to judge anything about the long term trajectory of a defensive tackle (or 5-tech DE) based on his rookie campaign. It's one of the positions where the learning curve is the steepest, and virtually nobody comes in and plays any better than "decent" in their rookie campaign.

Raji didn't set the world on fire last year, but neither did Peria Jerry, Ziggy Hood, Ron Brace, Fili Moala, Sen'Derrick Marks, Alex McGee, or Jaron Gilbert. It's a tough transition from college, but guys uniformly get better in their second year. Don't expect Ndamukong Suh to be a terror this year, bu two years from now, you might want to double team him.

[mission]

Even Warren sapp didn't get going really until his 3rd season

[pbmax]

Even Warren sapp didn't get going really until his 3rd season

Unfortunately, he has never stopped talking.

Did you see the twitter fight he and Barnett were having? Riveting.

[swede]

And this is for wist:

JSO-McGinn-Jul29[/b]]Raji was drafted with the ninth selection in 2009 with the expectation of being a complete player. He didn't stack the point or pressure the passer very well as a rookie, but part of it was he didn't belong at left end and part of it was a high-ankle sprain that slowed him until mid-season.

Too often he either wasn't able to or didn't stay square at the point of attack. He flashed big-play explosion but was displaced much more than Jolly or Pickett.

Clearly, Raji has everything it takes physically to clog the middle. Now does he have the mentality to do so?

"That's one of things we're going to have to find out, you know?" Trgovac said. "We'll have to see that."

As a rusher, Raji wasn't able to string moves together, and neither his bull rush nor his edge quickness was good enough to win many one-on-ones. Capers described Raji as "probably more of a pocket pusher."

VIA Packers by Position: Defensive linemen:
Without Jolly, pressure is high
Bob McGinn, July 29, 2010

I tend to think we all overstated Raji's pass rush due to his quickness. But its also clear he has work to do to hold the nose. In fairness to wist, McGinn seems to think moving Pickett is questionable.

You stick Raji, or anybody at NT, and you're going to get exactly zero pass rush out of them. As a pass rusher, I expect Raji to draw double teams inside, and still be able to walk them back, but putting him at nose will take a lot out of him - I don't think anyone would argue otherwise.

If Raji can walk double teams back, we'll have the best defense in the league.

Is a double team effective against inside power rushers anyway? The weak point in a double team is the gap between the two offensive linemen. At youth level (7th and 8th) I teach my interior D Line animals to be very, very happy when the opposing team throws a double team against them. They put the crosshairs on that little seam between the two blockers and go like crazy.

In a sense, at the youth level anyway (lol), it's easier for an interior defensive lineman to beat a double team than it is for him to beat one technically proficient blocker. At the NFL level, double team blocking on the interior no doubt has its own specialized techniques.

To PBM's point, Raji was born to collapse the pocket, but with Pickett out on the end who will share snaps with Raji and give him a break at nose? If he can't motor like that for a whole game our passing defense is going to suffer in the fourth quarter.