The next big thing on the horizon is a Raji contract - or not. I'm conflicted on this. No way IMO Raji is anywhere near the same level of priority as Rodgers and Matthews. He has been a colossal disappointment. However, he does or did have a lot of potential. It would be an all out shame to let him go and have him play for somebody else the way I and others expected him to play for the Packers. I'm looking for the Packers to re-sign him for something a lot less than a max contract.
Neal is another fairly high potential player that I hope we can keep for a reasonable amount. I agree with the guy who said having Jones should help Neal as a pass rusher - assuming he can finally stay healthy.
It wouldn't bother me to see Pickett go; Same for Wilson.
Originally Posted by: texaspackerbacker
So get rid of the low potential guys, who beat out the high potential guys for starting spots..... but keep the high potential guys who couldn't earn a starting spot when they had to compete for it?
Interesting....
I want to keep the best guys for the job... and a lot of that has to do with scheme. The high potential guys failed to get the job done in the aggressive scheme so the Packers changed the scheme last year to a more traditional 3-4 scheme which helped the low potential guys.
The Packers old aggressive scheme asked for the DE to attack more and get into the back-up and mess things up while leaving the LB to fight the OL running up field on run blocks more often and having to try to fend them off while also trying to go make a play. Well that was falling, as the DEs weren't making the plays nor where the LB able to fend off the blocks well enough (other than Matthews).
So the Packers went to the more traditional 3-4 scheme which asked the DEs to act more like the NT and run clog in case of run first and pass rush second. Which slows up the OL and DL... but it protects the LBers letting them flow to the action, get to the ball and attack faster....
Pickett and Wilson started because they did well at this. And were successful were none of the DEs were being successful in the old scheme.
On to Raji... in college Raji was very successful at rushing up the field in full attack mode not asked to worry about anything other than getting to the person with the ball and getting them to the ground. And he was GREAT at that. Problem is that he doesn't have the length needed for 3-4 DE to do that... and the NT (in almost all 3-4 schemes) has to run clog first, pass rush second.
So in the 3-4 base, can't use Raji at his best in the base 3-4 scheme which sucks. Though one would think Raji would get better at run clogging, but he seem to still has a lot to learn there. 49ers OL ran over him.
Though Raji can still do his thing in the 2-4 nickel and dime packages which basically is a 4-2 with two stand 3-4 OLB acting like 4-3 DEs. But since Jenkins left, it seems like Raji gets stopped on one on ones too often... and Jenkins being there or not being there shouldn't effect Raji in one on ones... but Raji has seemed to get worse in his pass rushing all around for what ever reason. I've heard some think Jenkins getting sack #s pushed Raji to go harder trying to keep up... and it was a mental thing. I don't know... but he doesn't seem the same even one on one.