Vince Wilfork

[GreenBaySlacker]

Raji was dominant his rookie year. You dont just get bad. He got "lazy" when he realized he was already elite. Then when he wanted to step it up and regain his status, he got hurt. Like I said, you put him next to Wilfork on the bench, and in the locker room. Raji will start playing up to his potential. Wilfork will play better with limited reps. And our NT position will be so dominant, we wont need middle LBs.

 

[adambr2]

Raji was dominant his rookie year. You dont just get bad. He got "lazy" when he realized he was already elite. Then when he wanted to step it up and regain his status, he got hurt. Like I said, you put him next to Wilfork on the bench, and in the locker room. Raji will start playing up to his potential. Wilfork will play better with limited reps. And our NT position will be so dominant, we wont need middle LBs.

So even though he couldn't motivate himself not to be lazy when he was in a contract year with his entire financial future on the line and his team's playoff hopes hanging in the balance, simply being in a locker room with Vince Wilfork will do the trick?

Also, Raji's only dominant season was 2010. He was ok as a rookie, but not anything close to dominant. Neither the traditional or PFF stats support that.

 

[7thFloorRA]

TT is going to have the space to do this for a year which is probably all he wants. As said above, this Wilfork will do wonders in mentoring Raji during his 2nd chance.

 

[Curly Calhoun]

He's 33. He's played his best football. We did well to sign JP at that point in his career, but Wilfork is not the athletic freak Julius is. I pass.

Dan Williams is younger, and would come a lot cheaper. You could also bring back BJ for less money.

 

[7thFloorRA]

I think you overestimate the amount of money he would want and underestimate the locker room effect he could have. I think he is a hall of fame DT. On a 1 year deal you are playing with house money. He would be a luxury signing.

 

[adambr2]

TT is going to have the space to do this for a year which is probably all he wants. As said above, this Wilfork will do wonders in mentoring Raji during his 2nd chance.

Why do we just assume this is true? Because Wilfork also plays nose tackle and was really good at it for a long time? Couldn't I just as easily assume that the lack of consistent playing time will kill Raji's already limited motivation?

Do we really know anything about Wilfork's positional leadership? I don't think Raji's problem is a lack of understanding of his craft, it's a lack of self-motivation to improve. We're going to just assume that Raji has a mid-career epiphany, realizes he should try harder, and changes his entire habits and work ethic after meeting Vince Wilfork?

 

[7thFloorRA]

Wilfork is someone he can identify with. He can't identify with a physical specimen like Peppers. He is a fat *** just like Wilfork is. Wilfork is the guy every 3-4 Nose should be looking up to.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

Raji was dominant his rookie year. You dont just get bad. He got "lazy" when he realized he was already elite. Then when he wanted to step it up and regain his status, he got hurt.

Raji was terrible for three seasons (one of them being a contract year) before he got hurt. I don't trust him enough to bring him back for anything than a one-year deal close to the
minimum.

TT is going to have the space to do this for a year which is probably all he wants. As said above, this Wilfork will do wonders in mentoring Raji during his 2nd chance.

It doesn't make any sense salary cap wise to sign Wilfork to a one-year deal. Even if the Packers expect him to only play a single year it makes sense to spread out the signing bonus over several seasons.

He's 33. He's played his best football. We did well to sign JP at that point in his career, but Wilfork is not the athletic freak Julius is. I pass.

Dan Williams is younger, and would come a lot cheaper. You could also bring back BJ for less money.

I'm surprised Williams is still out there, would love to bring him in

 

[ivo610]

I'm surprised Williams is still out there, would love to bring him in

If it came down to one or the other, would you rather have Williams or Bulaga?

 

[Sunshinepacker]

If it came down to one or the other, would you rather have Williams or Bulaga?

Williams. Packers can excel on offense without Bulaga (they've done so at numerous points in the past) but this defense has never had even an average 3-4 NT.

 

[TJV]

It certainly looks like the Packers will give Raji another chance, but this will be his third chance not second, right? And does anyone really deny that Raji lacked motivation in 2013, a contract year? In his favor, he did stay in Green Bay all year and he ‘talks the talk’. But he’s done that before.

No one knows what affect Wilfork would have on Raji. The idea he would mentor Raji seems odd to me since this will be Raji’s 7th NFL season. I don’t think Raji needs a mentor, I think he needs motivation and if the Packers sign him to a $2-$3M one-year deal, shouldn’t that provide all the motivation he needs? What does it say about him if another player at his position is required to motivate him?

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

IMO the only way to motivate Raji is by signing him to a Vets minimum loaded with incentives. Will Raji sign that, with other teams probably offering more guaranteed money, probably not.....but shows you his motivation.

I'm thinking along the lines of most here, tired of just getting by at this position and would do the Raji dance if Wilfork was a Packer.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

If it came down to one or the other, would you rather have Williams or Bulaga?

If it's an either/or proposition I would prefer to re-sign Bulaga. The offensive line was the best during McCarthy's tenure and I would hate to see it been broken up. In comparison you never know what you get with a free agent but Williams could turn into a nice addition at NT.

 

[thequick12]

Yeah resign Bulaga and give Raji and Guion 1 year deals. Guion has de size and some pass rush ability.

 

[GreenBaySlacker]

I suspect Guion is gone after his gangsta moves. Raji might get another chance, if he wants it. Boyd and Daniels could play NT if they had to, but better off on end. We need help at Nose. And if we dont sign Raji, we need help badly. Even with Raji, we need another contributor... Enter Wilfork...

We got the beef to stop anyone on a goal line stand.

 

[Cwoodson21]

I may be in the minority here but I expect 90 to surprise some people this upcoming season. The way I look at it he is running out of time to make some serious money and this next year is literally "do or die" IMO. We all know he has been a disappointment since his breakout campaign in 2010 but that doesn't mean he is donezo in my mind. He seemed to be in pretty good shape (huge man good shape that is) last year before the injury ended his season before it started and from all accounts he has spent the entire rehab stint with the team opposed to away from the team which is pretty standard. He has the ability to be a game-changer and I think it is only a matter of drive and determination. If he shows up out of shape or doesn't produce then his career can pretty much be considered wasted and I can't help but believe he is fully aware of this. He is not yet 30 and has a chance to put some serious coin in the bank if he has a great season. This may be a pipe dream and I am prepared for the onslaught of naysayers that will flame me for this post but I don't put anything up that I don't truthfully believe. Imagine if we can get a motivated Raji and Guion to bolster the middle of this D-Line. If somehow this can come to fruition I can't help but think our defense will be vastly improved not to mention the possibility of some of the young guys (Thornton, Pennel, Robinson...) taking a big step this next season. Again, I know there are many doubters (rightfully so) but I have a good feeling that BJ is going to help this team get to the promise land this season but as always time will tell...

G P G!!

I believe that Raji should be given one final chance to prove his worth. He has the physical talent. We just need to see if he has the desire that it takes to really be successful in the NFL.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

I suspect Guion is gone after his gangsta moves. Raji might get another chance, if he wants it. Boyd and Daniels could play NT if they had to, but better off on end. We need help at Nose. And if we dont sign Raji, we need help badly. Even with Raji, we need another contributor... Enter Wilfork...

We got the beef to stop anyone on a goal line stand.

The Packers goal line defense was actually slightly better than the league average last season. They have to improve the middle of the defense though to strengthen their overall run defense.

Daniels isn't big enough to play NT.

 

[longtimefan]

I suspect Guion is gone after his gangsta moves. Raji might get another chance, if he wants it. Boyd and Daniels could play NT if they had to, but better off on end. We need help at Nose. And if we dont sign Raji, we need help badly. Even with Raji, we need another contributor... Enter Wilfork...

We got the beef to stop anyone on a goal line stand.

Hearing the Packers will be ok with the " gansta" if he gets probation

 

[Sunshinepacker]

For all those clamoring for Wilfork, how many older players has Belichil let walk and then those players were good on their new teams? DON'T SIGN OLDER PATS PLAYERS THAT WERE LET GO! Should be a rule in the NFL rulebook.

As for those thinking about Wilfork mentoring Raji, Raji just doesn't try. If he didn't want to put any effort into the game during a contract year, why would bringing in another player at his position help? Raji is a guy with the physical tools to dominate and yet I can count on the fingers of one hand the number of times I've seen him actually win in a one-on-one situation with a guard. Raji's also going to be 29 when the season starts. A 29 year old player shouldn't need mentorship from a guy only four years older than him.

 

[Sunshinepacker]

If it's an either/or proposition I would prefer to re-sign Bulaga. The offensive line was the best during McCarthy's tenure and I would hate to see it been broken up. In comparison you never know what you get with a free agent but Williams could turn into a nice addition at NT.

I look at it a littel differently. We've seen what the offense can do without Bulaga and the offense can do very well. However, the team's defense is what's let them down more often than not in the recent past (Seattle game not withstanding, though I doubt Wilson throws four picks in a game again any time soon).

 

[TJV]

While we've seen what the offense can do without Bulaga, something I can't remember ever seeing as a Packers fan is the way the OL pass protected for Rodgers after the calf injury. Like the rest of you (Packers fans) I am waiting for confirmation that Bulaga is signed. If he is and the OL starts the season as they ended the last one, (and stays healthy) we are in for a treat. And so is Aaron Rodgers and the RBs and the WRs and the TEs and the defense.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

I look at it a littel differently. We've seen what the offense can do without Bulaga and the offense can do very well. However, the team's defense is what's let them down more often than not in the recent past (Seattle game not withstanding, though I doubt Wilson throws four picks in a game again any time soon).

It's a moot point after the Packers re-signed Bulaga but I totally agree with you that the Packers have to upgrade the middle of the defense. As far as I know Williams is still unsigned so I would be excited to get him to Green Bay.

 

[Joe2887]

The middle of the defense really needs work. The move of Clay to LB was an excellent decision but he can only do so much. We need big run stoppers in the middle to stop the 3rd and less than 3 that we can stop currently. A good ILB and a good nose tackle would do wonders. Raji showed that he had the skill to play but does he have the heart and the motivation to do so?

 

[bigbubbatd]

They need something at NO before thebdraft. Rookie dlinemen seem to struggle so whether it is Raji, Guion, Wilfork, etc the Packers need one if not 2 guys for that spot who are not currently signed. Boyd, Daniels, and Jones can rotate at the end spot

 

[Joe2887]

I truly believe Wilfork would be our best bet. Raji would be a good backup for this year until he get's his sh** together. He was playing gear in preseason last year but got hurt which sucks because he was displaying his old potential. But you never know which Raji will show up.. The one from 2010 or the one from 2013.