Raji Wants to Stay in Green Bay

PackerFlatLander

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Better than talking like Jennings

Agreed. Personally, although it is a business and that's all good ... a lot of this stuff has to do with the way you leave town. Jennings started running his mouth in November, his house is on the market, and all of this crap, which was basically Cullen Jenkins Part II. Getting all pissy and undies in a bunch, all because Ted hasn't extended them yet. Then, the report comes out that Favre lectured and convinced Jennings to go to the Vikings. Awesome. Those two deserve each other. Don't let the door hit ya where the good lord split ya.
 
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There are times when speaking out doesn't work in your favor. Lobbying in the press seldom does.

Raji has taken the better course imo. I think he is going to have a very good year and I hope the Packers are able to retain him.
 

Jordyruns

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Jennings spoke the truth. He knew Clay Matthews and Rodgers were going to get extensions and that the Packers had Wr depth and players to fill his spot(Cobb).

Speaking the truth made him come off looking very bitter and unprofessional, like speaking the truth in sports often does. I'm not saying he was wrong, obviously his prediction was correct. As a professional you should still handle it better than Jennings did, which it looks like Raji is doing so more props to him. Makes me want to keep him more.
 

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I like Raji, but I think he needs to elevate his game and that would start with getting in better shape. I like the fact that he isn't complaining and makes statements that he wants to stay in Green Bay, but I think the Packers will approach him much like they did with Finley and not make a long term commitment.
 

PikeBadger

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I like Raji, but I think he needs to elevate his game and that would start with getting in better shape. I like the fact that he isn't complaining and makes statements that he wants to stay in Green Bay, but I think the Packers will approach him much like they did with Finley and not make a long term commitment.
I agree.... I think Raji's lack of professionalism in his preparation and inconsistent effort will result in him leaving after this season. I think there is a huge disparity in his perceived monetary and what the Packers think he's worth. I'm hoping that the two rookies from Mississippi really show well early. We're in a less than great situation because I can't see much hope right now that either Pickett or Raji will be with the team in 2014.
 

El Guapo

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lack of professionalism in his preparation and inconsistent effort
Where is that coming from?

The guy plays a ton of snaps-per-game for GB, more than most big guys in the league. He played 85% of the defensive snaps in 2010 and close to 90% in 2011, but only around 60% in 2012 (missed two games). It's tough to get maximum effort from a big DL when you don't give him breaks. GB hasn't had adequate subs behind Raji so they overwork him. I would take plays off if I was in that much. His on-field % is in the LB/DB range, well above what most DL play. I think there is a direct correlation between his snap count and his effort.

I'm interested to hear in what way he isn't professional in his preparation. Don't draw a straight line between your statement and lack of production. There could be many other reasons, including lack of skill.
 
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Dude plays Nose Tackle, so it's gonna be tough to gauge his impact for us... I mean, Casey Hampton has been one of the better nose tackles and he can go years without getting a QB sack.

I wouldn't mind us keeping him, especially if he doesn't cost a ton and continues to improve - he's athletic for a huge dude.
 
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HardRightEdge

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I don't see Raji mentioning "contract talks are ongoing" or "I'm confident we'll come to an agreement." The nice sentiments he expressed might just be a solicitation for an offer not yet forthcoming as anything else.

If this plays out as a typical scenario, it comes down to the $$$ TT thinks he's worth vs. the $$$$ that Raji's agent convinces him he's worth.

It's kind of a betwixt and between.

If he plays again at the 2011-2012 level, is he really worthy of the money he'll likely be looking for? We've played him off and on at DE, quite a bit in a few games, the last couple of years, without much in the way of lasting impressions, Pickett has been more than his match at NT against the run, Raji hasn't been effective as a pass rusher inside in nickel yielding some snaps to the rookies last year, and now we spent a #1 on a particular DE that fits with the "new" thinking we need more length at the position. Somehow paying Raji top $ because Pickett is aging and in his contract year is not terribly compelling.

TT wasn't sniffing around McClendon for nothing. Unfortunately, he's at the top of the Steelers' depth chart and not in our rotation for 2014. Trying to secure Plan B is never auspicious as regards Plan A's prospects.

On the other hand, if Raji has a big contract year, piling up flash plays we last saw with any regularity in 2010, then he might deserve the big $, but those $ might be beyond the reach of TT's frugal philosophy, as suggested in the second to last paragraph of the OP link, even if the Flacco comparison is a bit silly.

If Jones works out as hoped and Pickett looks like he has one more year's worth of tread on the tires (at would be a sharply reduced salary), more cards get stacked against a re-signing.
 

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In my purview, guys who shine in their contract year are not worth locking down. I like Raji but like others, have reservations about his ability to be a consistent Pro Bowler. For the right money I think that he does fine in our system, not stellar but fine. If he flashes big plays in 2013 and is poised to cash in during FA, I'd be inclined to let some team overpay for the guy. I like him, but not for the big bucks.
 

FrankRizzo

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Raji's sack production dipped from 6.5 in 2010 to 3 in 2011 to zero last season.
His tackles have gone from 29 to 14 to 16 from 2010-2012.

I love the big fella's swagger, but he needs to produce more. He has to.
Someone else, if he becomes a free agent, will throw a big $ at him. Someone will seriously overpay for him.

That's why I'd like to lock him up now for a little less than what it will take then.
But he has to reward us for it by making more plays.

Vince Wilfork has 8 1/2 sacks over the same past 3 years, as well as tackles of: 29-32-46.
And he's older, age 31.

Raji was drafted 9 overall, Vince 21 in 2004.
BJ has to produce for us.

If he's not producing closer to what Wilfork does, than we're better off saving a lot of $$ and just pluggin in another big fat body that takes up space there, and paying Burnett, Shields, and James Jones with the Raji $ that someone will throw at him next spring.
 

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He looks so upset in the pic in that link.......looks like some reported finally told him that the giant lump of cheese on his head was not real, and he couldnt actually eat it. Poor guy.....

I will be glad if he stays, I for one like the guy.
 

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My gut feeling is that MM and TT are rather lukewarm on Raji. They'd like to keep him but he has to show more. I can't offer an analysis of the consistency of his play, but from what I read of his performance last season 2 things stick out:

a) He wasn't on the field as much as he was in 2011 by design. Raji was gassed by the end of games in the previous season and giving him more frequent blows was something they hoped would up his performance. So, 2012 should have seen a more efficient and effective Raji on the plays when he was in.

b) The results from what I gather were mixed. There were still plays when he went absent, which has been the main rap against him: he takes time off. But still there was improvement--this is what I heard. In what areas? Pressure on the QB is one thing, but clogging up the middle and stuffing the run are the two most important aspects of his job. How well did he do on that? Again, I'm hearing mixed results. Also, I'm not sure how often he played the NT and how often he played DT. Obviously the roles of the 2 positions are not the same.
 
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HardRightEdge

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Pressure on the QB is one thing, but clogging up the middle and stuffing the run are the two most important aspects of his job. How well did he do on that?

The Packers graded him out better in pass rush than against the run which gives you some idea.

Raji spent a high percentage of snaps at either DE in base, or 3 technique in nickel which we ran 65% of the time. I doubt if even 20% of his snaps were at NT, so the "clogging the middle" and "taking on two blockers" argument often applied to NTs doesn't even apply. Old Ryan Pickett outplayed Raji against the run last season by a fair margin.

He needs to up the intensity.

So what happens if he has a good season? Then there's the problem of what you do with a guy who backslid for two years and then came out and played for the contract? That should call for a meaningful discount in the new deal, a fact some other team is likely to ignore.

I seriously doubt he'll be extended, and I'm skeptical he'll be re-signed without that discount.
 

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