Mucky Tundra
10 years ago

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Coach Mike McCarthy and general manager Ted Thompson say it every offseason: It is not the rookies who will make the difference for the Green Bay Packers but rather the returning players.

With that in mind, we continue our look at some returning players who need to take their game to another level in 2014.

Next up, it's defensive tackle B.J. Raji.

Why he needs to step up: Raji's breakout season of 2010, when he recorded 66 tackles and 6.

Rob Demovsky  wrote:



My, this is the 7th one of these and all of them have come from the defensive side. I wonder why that is...
DarkaneRules
10 years ago
Haha yeah Mucky; We are definitely seeing a trend here. It is where there is the largest number of 2 year and up players that are expected to make the 2nd year jump or have been playing below expectations. We will probably see more on the offensive side of the ball next off-seasonn.
Circular Arguments: They are a heck of an annoyance
play2win
10 years ago
Dunno. Hard to say. maybe because we have completely sucked on D....

Raji was no help these past two seasons. I'm really hoping he turns it up, and starts making a name for himself this season, in a good way!
play2win
10 years ago
I'm thinking our D is a highly motivated geoup this year, far more than last. Adding Peppers, Ha Ha, et al, with a returning Hayward, will make this a far more effective D overall. Raji has to be pretty stoked to be a part of this group, with a completely loaded for bear O on the other side of the ball. I think the Packers are going to blow people away this season. This is a very, very deep team.
DakotaT
10 years ago
I am extremely skeptical that Raji ever becomes more than "just a guy" on our defense. I think he lacks intelligence and self motivation. Hope he proves me wrong, but I have watched his interviews, and well, they speak volumes.
UserPostedImage
play2win
10 years ago

I am extremely skeptical that Raji ever becomes more than "just a guy" on our defense. I think he lacks intelligence and self motivation. Hope he proves me wrong, but I have watched his interviews, and well, they speak volumes.

Originally Posted by: DakotaT 



yeah, but look at what he did at BC and his first two seasons in GB... Dom kind of fucked up how he was being used after that, and it showed. Hopefully, we see acreturn to his earlier play.

You are right. He has looked like complete dog shit for 3 years...
dfosterf
10 years ago
Raji just gets washed. I don't see a difference maker, including on the nose.

Heat on the QB Heat on the QB Heat on the QB Tell Dom the 70's are over
Dexter_Sinister
10 years ago
I was under the impression that "returning players" meant players returning from injuries.
I want to go out like my Grandpa did. Peacefully in his sleep.
Not screaming in terror like his passengers.
beast
10 years ago

yeah, but look at what he did at BC and his first two seasons in GB... Dom kind of fucked up how he was being used after that, and it showed.

Originally Posted by: play2win 



As a rookie, I don't think Raji did much (though it normally takes DTs a year to get adjusted to the NFL). So in my mind Raji has had one good year (his second).

I don't think it's just Dom, I think it's also Raji only wanting to play one gap, get up the field in attack mode type o football. Which in theory is fine... but in reality almost all schemes are going to ask a 320+ pound DTs to do more than just one gap and rush straight up the feild.

But Raji struggled in 2011 when the scheme was the same as 2010 when they won the Super Bowl, so it wasn't just he scheme change Dom made in 2012, to play more DL two gap defense which Raji hasn't seemed to enjoy. So getting back to one gap defense (which is what the Packers are rumored to be going more towards) could be very good for Raji and a number of others. Of course that being said, even in a one gap defense the NT can still be asked to play two gap, and Raji is the NT so ... yeah... we'll just have to wait and see how the new system works for the NT and how Raji plays it.

As for what Raji did as B.C., I don't think he can do it in a 3-4 at the NFL level (which is one of the reasons I wasn't excited about the 3-4 and him being picked combo at first). At BC they played both 4-3 and 3-4 ... but Raji wasn't the NT... Ron Brace was their NT. While Raji played the 4-3 UT (rush DT) or the one gap 3-4 DE rushing up the field. In college his over whleming burst/size let him play the rushing 3-4 DE very well... but in the NFL they have better, longer, stronger, more powerful OG/OT which could handle Raji with his lack of length. That's why I think Raji's best fit is in an agressive 4-3. Or a 3-4 system that allows the NT to attack and rush up field, but almost all 3-4s mainly have their NTs playtwo gap and run support.


UserPostedImage
play2win
10 years ago
Those are great points beast. I'm thinking the loss of Jenkins and oddly enough, Howard Green after 2010 were significant losses that ourDL has yet to recover from. Mike Daniels came on in a big way last season, but no one else really did. Was there a truly top DL on our roster in 2012? 2011?

Raji is a role player, and he has been highly ineffective since the loss of Jenkins. Now, we've added Peppers, and we have Daniels entering his 3rd year, and Datone Jones and Josh Boyd entering their 2nd seasons, looking bigger and stronger. I do believe Raji's game will improve as a result.
Fan Shout
packerfanoutwest (53m) : 49ers are underdogs at Packers, ending streak of 36 straight games as favorites
Zero2Cool (8h) : 49ers might be down their QB, DL, TE and LT?
packerfanoutwest (22h) : Jaire Alexander says he has a torn PCL
Zero2Cool (20-Nov) : Even with the context it's ... what?
Mucky Tundra (20-Nov) : Matt LaFleur without context: “I don’t wanna pat you on the butt and you poop in my hand.”
beast (20-Nov) : We brought in a former Packers OL coach to help evaluate OL as a scout
beast (20-Nov) : Jets have been pretty good at picking DL
Zero2Cool (20-Nov) : He landed good players thanks to high draft slot. He isn't good.
Zero2Cool (20-Nov) : He can shove his knowledge up his ass. He knows nothing.
beast (20-Nov) : More knowledge, just like bring in the Jets head coach
Zero2Cool (19-Nov) : What? Why? Huh?
beast (19-Nov) : I wonder if the Packers might to try to bring Douglas in through Milt Hendrickson/Ravens connections
Zero2Cool (19-Nov) : The Jets fired Joe Douglas, per sources
packerfanoutwest (19-Nov) : Jets are a mess......
Zero2Cool (19-Nov) : Pretty sure Jets fired their scouting staff and just pluck former Packers.
Zero2Cool (19-Nov) : Jets sign Anders Carlson to their 53.
Zero2Cool (19-Nov) : When you cycle the weeks, the total over remains for season. But you get your W/L for that selected week. Confusing.
packerfanoutwest (19-Nov) : the total and percentage are the same as the previous weeks
packerfanoutwest (19-Nov) : the total and percentage are the same as the previous weeks
packerfanoutwest (19-Nov) : the totals are accurate..nrvrtmind
Zero2Cool (19-Nov) : I don't follow what you are saying. The totals are not the same as last week.
packerfanoutwest (19-Nov) : ok so then wht are the totals the same as last week?
Zero2Cool (19-Nov) : NFL Pick'em is auto updated when NFL Scores tab is clicked
Martha Careful (19-Nov) : The offense was OK. Let's not forget the Bear defense is very very good.
packerfanoutwest (19-Nov) : Who updates the leaderboard on NFLPickem?
beast (19-Nov) : Has the Packers offense been worse since the former Jets coach joined the Packers?
Zero2Cool (19-Nov) : Offense gets his ass in gear, this could be good.
Zero2Cool (19-Nov) : Backup QB helped with three wins. Special Teams contributed to three wins.
bboystyle (18-Nov) : Lions played outside thats why. They scored 16 and 17 in the only 2 outside games this year
Zero2Cool (18-Nov) : The rest of the NFL is catching up to Packers ... kicking is an issue throughout league
packerfanoutwest (18-Nov) : Packers DL Kenny Clark: We knew 'we were going to block' Bears' game-winning field goal attempt
Zero2Cool (18-Nov) : Lions seem to be throttling everyone, but only (only) got 24 lol maybe the rain is why
Zero2Cool (18-Nov) : Packers vs Lions game doesn't seem so bad.
beast (18-Nov) : Dennis Green "They are what we thought they were, and we let them off the hook!"
Martha Careful (17-Nov) : comment of the day Z2Cool "Bears better than we want to admit. Packers worse than we think. It's facts."
Mucky Tundra (17-Nov) : my worst case scenario: Bears fix their oline and get a coach like Johnson from the Lions and his scheme
Zero2Cool (17-Nov) : Bears get OL fixed amd we might have a problem
buckeyepackfan (17-Nov) : Pretty sure they already have scouting reports on guys who aren't even starting for their college team. The future is now for me.
buckeyepackfan (17-Nov) : I tend to let Gute and Co. Worry about the future.
beast (17-Nov) : That's great news and Packers need to keep upgrading their OL, DL and DBs this off-season, so missing one guy doesn't kill them
beast (17-Nov) : That's great news and Packers need to keep upgrading their OL, DL and DBs this off-season, so missing one guy doesn't kill them
buckeyepackfan (17-Nov) : Jaire and Evans Williams are both ACTIVE! Good news.
Martha Careful (17-Nov) : The badgers really need to change the whole offensive scheme. No draws no screens plus the quarterback is marginal
Cheesey (17-Nov) : If the Badgers had a decent QB, they would have won. The guy can't hit a wide open receiver
Martha Careful (17-Nov) : chop block
Martha Careful (17-Nov) : there was a very questionable job Block call that upon viewing replay was very borderline
beast (17-Nov) : How so? (I didn't watch)
Zero2Cool (17-Nov) : Badgers got hosed vs Oregon
packerfanoutwest (16-Nov) : damn,he hasn't played since week 2
Mucky Tundra (15-Nov) : poor guy can't catch a break
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