Green Bay Packers' B. J. Raji not worried about (New) contract

[rbaloha1]

With Pickett near the end of his career who do you see as our NT if we dump Raji? A future draft pick? Jolly? Jordan Miller? Gilbert Pena? Moving a DE to nose? Unless we draft a stud DT I don't see Raji going anywhere.

Lets see how Boyd turns out along with the other remote options you mentioned.

Why do you think some rats were screaming for Jesse Williams.

[Upnorth]

If we just go with JH's guess which I think is a tad on the high side, that would put Raji at just over 8 per. He's already due to make 6.5 this year so with a bit of signing bonus his cap impact will remain mostly unchanged. He's unlikely to be a cap casualty IMO. Nose tackles generally keep improving well into their 2nd contract as well. Raji could be one of those guys who isn't even in his prime yet.

If these numbers are doable, then do it already. Raji is worth that imo and possibly a little bit more.

[wist43]

TT has made a mess of both lines - and he had an opportunity to at least stabalize the DL a little bit by drafting Brandon Williams in the 3rd round... TT of course spit on the idea.

Both our offensive and defensive lines have been in turmoil every year that TT has been here - it's what he does. How do you evaluate players when they are perpetually misused?? Raji belongs on the nose only in a pinch - yet, Capers, MM, and TT can't seem to figure that out.

If I'm Raji, I wouldn't even consider resigning with the Packers - unless they drastically overpaid.

[pbmax]

What are you smoking?

Try and play poker with TT.

I said he doesn't play games. Why would he play poker just because I asked him?

[Brandon494]

Couldn't the same questions have been raised about the center position and resigning Wells going into the 2011 season? A player isn't resigned automatically just because the roster indicates a need to keep the player.

Sometimes the salary cap dictates letting a player leave even if the likely result is a decline in performance at his position.

Totally different situations, Scott Wells was 31 while Raji is only 26. DL is also harder position to replace, you rarely see centers take in the 1st round. Also with Finley most likely coming off the books I don't see cap space being a problem either.

[Patler]

Totally different situations, Scott Wells was 31 while Raji is only 26. DL is also harder position to replace, you rarely see centers take in the 1st round. Also with Finley most likely coming off the books I don't see cap space being a problem either.

To compare apples to apples, Wells was 30 during his final Packer season, and Raji will be 27 during his. But you missed my point.

I wasn't suggesting that Raji absolutely won't be signed, I'm just saying that you can't ignore the financial component. Before his last Packer season the need for Wells was just as significant, and the Packers probably would have signed him at a lower, but decent, contract (if the stories are to be believed). I think they would like to sign Raji, too; but if he and his agent want to get the largest contract they can, I think there is a good chance it won't be from GB.

Just because they need him doesn't mean they will pay whatever he wants.

[Joemailman]

My guess is TT would have drafted a little differently if he was planning on letting Raji walk. Raji says he wants to stay in Green Bay. My guess is Raji will be offered a decent extension and will sign to get the security that goes with a long term deal rather than play out his contract and risk a career-altering injury. If he does end up entering free agency however, then I wouldn't expect him back.

[Patler]

My guess is TT would have drafted a little differently if he was planning on letting Raji walk. Raji says he wants to stay in Green Bay. My guess is Raji will be offered a decent extension and will sign to get the security that goes with a long term deal rather than play out his contract and risk a career-altering injury. If he does end up entering free agency however, then I wouldn't expect him back.

I'm not sure one has much to do with the other. TT made no advance preparation via the draft for the eventual loss of Wells, either.

It's good to hear Raji say he wants to stay in GB, but it isn't often they say anything else. Although Jennings basically said he was on his way out.

In the end, I think you might be right, that he will sign a fairly reasonable contract.

[RashanGary]

I'm not sure one has much to do with the other. TT made no advance preparation via the draft for the eventual loss of Wells, either.

It's good to hear Raji say he wants to stay in GB, but it isn't often they say anything else. Although Jennings basically said he was on his way out.

In the end, I think you might be right, that he will sign a fairly reasonable contract.

Damn it, Patler, I think the Packers really like Raji. I think he's gonna get paid. But. . . I've posted with ya for 8 years. . . Your doubt about paying him high dollars kinda scares me. Your Jennings doubt started the same way. In Ted I trust though. If Ted doesn't feel like keeping Raji is a good move, I trust it's not a good move, or at least it's a move made with a high level of knowledge, and skill at his craft. I'm over trying to out GM our GM.

I hope we keep Raji though. I value him very highly as a player. I think he's our 2nd best defensive player after Matthews.

[George Cumby]

Damn it, Patler, I think the Packers really like Raji. I think he's gonna get paid. But. . . I've posted with ya for 8 years. . . Your doubt about paying him high dollars kinda scares me. Your Jennings doubt started the same way. In Ted I trust though. If Ted doesn't feel like keeping Raji is a good move, I trust it's not a good move, or at least it's a move made with a high level of knowledge, and skill at his craft. I'm over trying to out GM our GM.

I hope we keep Raji though. I value him very highly as a player. I think he's our 2nd best defensive player after Matthews.

Iirc, Patler was the first to predict that GJ would be gone. Tough to bet against the OG.

[Joemailman]

Damn it, Patler, I think the Packers really like Raji. I think he's gonna get paid. But. . . I've posted with ya for 8 years. . . Your doubt about paying him high dollars kinda scares me. Your Jennings doubt started the same way. In Ted I trust though. If Ted doesn't feel like keeping Raji is a good move, I trust it's not a good move, or at least it's a move made with a high level of knowledge, and skill at his craft. I'm over trying to out GM our GM.

I hope we keep Raji though. I value him very highly as a player. I think he's our 2nd best defensive player after Matthews.

I don't think the Jennings situation and the Raji situation are all that comparable. Jennings had missed a lot of games the last 2 years due to injury, and the Packers have 3 outstanding players at WR. If Raji leaves, I think there will be a bigger dropoff in terms of production at his position than there will be at WR with Jennings gone.

[Pugger]

I don't think the Jennings situation and the Raji situation are all that comparable. Jennings had missed a lot of games the last 2 years due to injury, and the Packers have 3 outstanding players at WR. If Raji leaves, I think there will be a bigger dropoff in terms of production at his position than there will be at WR with Jennings gone.

This is why I suspect Raji might not be going anywhere because we aren't exactly stacked with DTs if Raji leaves - unless we draft one early next May.

[Patler]

I don't think the Jennings situation and the Raji situation are all that comparable. Jennings had missed a lot of games the last 2 years due to injury, and the Packers have 3 outstanding players at WR. If Raji leaves, I think there will be a bigger dropoff in terms of production at his position than there will be at WR with Jennings gone.

The issues with Jennings were age and durability.
The issues with Raji are performance and consistency.

In the end, most second and subsequent contracts with players come down to a cost/benefit analysis. Some limited salary cap impact range exists below which the Packers will be happy to sign Raji and above which they will be willing to let him go. Within the range they will look for other contract protections. Most contracts they sign are within the range for the player, that's why they sign so many with bonuses for each game played (Woodson the best example), performance bonuses (Grant, for example) two tier salaries even for veterans on IR (Benson), etc. It is that way for every player good enough to earn another contract.

It became fairly obvious a year or so in advance that Kampman, Wells and Jennings were very open to playing somewhere else, for various reasons. Wells and Jennings seemed to want the biggest contracts available. Kampman wanted to be a 4-3 DE.

A year ago, I felt rather certain that Raji would not be re-signed, mostly because I suspected he would prefer playing where he would have more freedom. Early in his career he made casual comments about the difficulty of controlling his instincts and compulsions to just get up field and go directly to the QB or runner, that controlling space was not natural for him. I'm not so sure of that now, it seems he might have bought into the program, so to speak; and the earlier comments might have been his descriptions of his learning curve.

I still believe there are teams out there that will be willing to pay Raji more than GB will. It will likely be determined by Raji's willingness to forgo the security of an early contract renewal with GB for the potential of more dollars in free agency from someone else.

Finally. it is somewhat interesting that there have been no rumors of even preliminary discussions on a renewal for Raji. Not yet overly surprising, because the Packers likely have only about two people who actively work on player contracts. Before the draft, the Rodgers and Matthews contracts occupied most their time, and since the draft their attention has been on getting the draft picks signed and filling out the TC roster with URFA's ond street FA's. That work is just about done. If Raji negotiation rumors don't start by training camp, it could indicate an attitude from the Packers that Raji has more to prove.

If it seems like I am vacillating about Raji, that's because I am. I really think it will come down to whether or not Raji wants the top dollar available to him.

[rbaloha1]

Damn it, Patler, I think the Packers really like Raji. I think he's gonna get paid. But. . . I've posted with ya for 8 years. . . Your doubt about paying him high dollars kinda scares me. Your Jennings doubt started the same way. In Ted I trust though. If Ted doesn't feel like keeping Raji is a good move, I trust it's not a good move, or at least it's a move made with a high level of knowledge, and skill at his craft. I'm over trying to out GM our GM.

I hope we keep Raji though. I value him very highly as a player. I think he's our 2nd best defensive player after Matthews.

As non Raji apologists have mentioned enough times by film observation, Raji had a bad year getting off blocks -- 26 tackles for the year

http://www.jsonline.com/sports/packers/packers31-b9922642z1-209603361.html

If the picture is recent, Raji looks less like a pig. Clearly they read McGinn.

[Patler]

As non Raji apologists have mentioned enough times by film observation, Raji had a bad year getting off blocks -- 26 tackles for the year

http://www.jsonline.com/sports/packers/packers31-b9922642z1-209603361.html

If the picture is recent, Raji looks less like a pig. Clearly they read McGinn.

In all honesty, even in his best years, he never came across to me as a real stud, play in and play out.
He's OK and a valuable player at the right price. He just seems to me like a guy that another team or two might be willing to throw a huge contract at.