He died.
If Raji doesn't take that deal then he's a lot dumber than I thought he was. It's a good situation for Raji, that's a really good "prove it" deal. Right now all he's proven is that he can't even get motivated enough to have a marginally good season in a contract year.
But, if some team offers him a boat load of $$$ on "potential" he'd be stupid to take this "prove it" deal. I can understand why he might not sign it, and gamble on a team that will offer a brinks truck.
What does this mean? Packers want Raji back on 1-year deal. Many others want him on that deal, too. We’ll see if he waits until market opens
And there may be the reality. If most teams in the league aren't willing to give Raji more then one year in "real" money (meaning say he signs a 2-3 year deal but all the guarantee is in year 1) then the Packers may be telling him he's not going do any better in FA.
Raji isn't the one holding the cards here.
Originally Posted by Grave Digger:
If Raji doesn't take that deal then he's a lot dumber than I thought he was. It's a good situation for Raji, that's a really good "prove it" deal. Right now all he's proven is that he can't even get motivated enough to have a marginally good season in a contract year.
Raji is the consummate underachiever...this is a stop-gap for a year to D&D another NT, and I'm OK with it. Even if BJ comes out and has a pro bowl year, I still don't sign him to a long extension because there is nothing I have seen out of him to make me feel like he'll be anything more than CHunt. He's just not that motivated to kick ass.
He has absolutely no leverage with other teams, that's why he should take this deal. He's had a rough couple of seasons recently and no team is going to throw big money at a DT whose production has been highly inconsistent. Teams don't want to risk another Haynesworth situation (not that Raji would get Haynesworth money), so no I don't see good money being spent on his "potential". Proven commodities are what get the big dollars on the DL. This deal combined with his familiarity with the defense is the ideal situation for him. Actually, taking this deal over 2 years would have been smarter IMO. Hitting the open market will be risky for him as he probably will not get a better value and GB may move on to another DL effectively taking this deal off the table.
I wonder if an incentive-laden contract would work for Mason Crosby?
All it takes is one GM/owner to offer BJ some big time dough. Many seem to think he's not motivated, could be, not a team player, could be. Was not used properly to fit his skill set the past couple of years, possibly.
The fact is that he had one pretty good year, is available, is big and athletic and could help other teams on the DL. You can't count potential out, when it comes to player analysis by other teams.
There are 1,000 reasons he should sign the offer, and many reasons he should test FA.
Originally Posted by Goalline:
Good news for whom? He is a really average NT.
The last time he was a full-time NT, he was easily among the best in the league at the spot. He's obviously aged since then and I think there are some legit questions about his motor, but I don't see a better fit on the market in terms of player and price if he's really getting $4M.
With Crosby, it was entirely about getting his confidence back. I don't recall anyone questioning whether he had the motivation or desire to be a very good kicker again.
With Raji, yes part of it may be being better suited at NT, but motivation/effort/desire has almost entirely to do with why teams don't seem interested in much more then a 1 year deal with him. Scouts watching him last season noted time and again on plays he simply didn't seem to give a shi*. Which floored them considering he was in his final contract year. And remember he entered camp out of shape as well.
Yeah it just takes one, but I don't think that one GM is out there that will bite on his "potential" to the point of offering more than 4 million per year. No team throws big money at a DL with only 1 "pretty good" year out of 5 years. That said, if Raji takes this 1 year deal and has even a good year then he will absolutely cash in next year. The 2015 free agent DT/NT class is pretty weak and he could easily be the best available DL. This year he is battling Linval Joseph, Terrance Cody, Lamar Houston, Henry Melton, etc. for those dollars and all of those guys have as much if not more potential than BJ.
Originally Posted by PackerRuss:
I can understand why he might not sign it, and gamble on a team that will offer a brinks truck.
Is Raji trying to get tagged as a WR too ? 
Running back. He had about the same number of tackles as Darren McFadden.
Originally Posted by Satori:
Originally Posted by PackerRuss:
I can understand why he might not sign it, and gamble on a team that will offer a brinks truck.
Is Raji trying to get tagged as a WR too ?
touche.
I actually hope he doesn't sign the offer. He does not impress me at all, but I will trust TT's assessment of him. I'm only a fan and don't really know what I am talking about.
The first thing Raji should do is the fire the agent that advised him to turn down the earlier deal. Then he has a decision to make. Gamble on the 1 year deal and hit free agency again if he plays well. Take the 2 year deal with the same thing (he's still in his 20's with no major injuries) or put himself on the market this year with film available of his no show effort. Especially last season. Teams are leery of a young Clowney because of taking plays off/effort.
Still. Pickett was running on fumes last year and Jolly has the neck injury. And they still have to finally get a competent OLB to go with Matthews not to mention a 2nd Safety that actually belongs in the NFL.
quote:but sources told the Journal Sentinel the deal is not imminent and there are indications Raji may not accept the Packers' offer.
I'm beginning to wish the Packers had somebody on staff deliberately feeding the JSO writers false information to make them look stupid.
Originally Posted by Troy:
I actually hope he doesn't sign the offer. He does not impress me at all, but I will trust TT's assessment of him. I'm only a fan and don't really know what I am talking about.
Great to see the truth finally come out on this forum (Completely joking)
I'm beginning to wish the Packers had somebody on staff deliberately feeding the JSO writers false information to make them look stupid.
I want that job.
The Raji that has played the last couple of years isn't worth a $4 MM contract.
As many have suggested, perhaps the Packers are thinking that as a NT, he would be a more productive player and would earn that contract. Of course, that leads to an even more alarming question -- if that's what they think, then why on earth were they not playing him at NT these past two years?
Because he's more athletic than Pickett.
What's maybe more scary is that this past year they considered their three best D-linemen option a washed-up Pickett, a wildly underachieving Raji and a prison-reclamation project Jolly.
I understand the 2-4 alignment in Nickle also, but not sure I like it with the personel available.
Maybe Raji's heard through the grapevine that no team would sign him at $8 mil, and he might as well stay where he's known in GB for up to $6.5 mil. However, the Queens just released Letroy Guion, a DT, so perhaps they'll make a Raji push.
And AP just tweeted that Vick could get the Vikes in the playoffs.
MariRaji is hoping for interest from Seattle or Denver
Originally Posted by Herschel:
washed-up Pickett, a wildly underachieving Raji and a prison-reclamation project Jolly.
They might as well put Rodgers on the market and just blow the whole damn thing up.
The problem is that the NFL has gotten to the point that 6.5M/year is not a "big deal"
GBPG was reporting that the Packers made Neal and offer, but he's still hitting FA
You're welcome, Mike Neal, you ungrateful biscuit eating son of a bitch.
I think Neal is RFA though, right??
Originally Posted by Va. Packer:
The first thing Raji should do is the fire the agent that advised him to turn down the earlier deal.
For all we know the agent advised him to grab the money and run and it was Raji who overvalued his worth. The organization has developed a bad habit of overpaying relatively mediocre players (Hawk, Burnett, Jones etc.) and I'm just thankful the offer was rejected.
Last fall the NFL told teams the planned 2014 cap would be $126 million. GMs used that number to plan contracts, extensions, restructures, who stays, who leaves. Probably close to 4-5 months $126 million was their target. Telling them they were off by $7 million isn't a small miss. It's gross incompetence.
GMs like Jerry Jones probably reacted like a kid at Christmas. I would think the good GMs are telling the NFL to get their **** together a little faster. Not knowing you'd have an extra $7 million for months changes all kinds of potential roster moves.
dumb **** Nealya aint smart enough to take the tint off his windows....all you need to know....next
Neal is most valuable to GB. The interest will be lukewarm at best for his services outside GB.
They are talking to Quarless and have supposedly put an offer out. He's not going to get much interest outside of GB.
Sounds like they are not interested in bringing Kuhn back accept for vet minimum, if that.
Overall, to me this looks like a weak FA market for the 4 year vets (2009 draftees), so I'm beginning to think there won't be a lot of big deals or a lot of movement.
Originally Posted by turnip blood:
I saw a story that said that Quarless was the giants #1 target in free agency.
Was the author of that story Quarless agent?
Originally Posted by Hungry5:
Neal is most valuable to GB. The interest will be lukewarm at best for his services outside GB.
I would agree with that except that some idiot gave Erik Walden $16M just a year ago. Neal may not be elite by any stretch, but he's certainly better than that useless stiff. Neal is as good as gone, as there's no way Ted will pay him $4-5M per year.