Someone Sure is Trying to Oversell B.J. Raji
We haven’t thought much of B.J. Raji for a while.
That’s because he hasn’t been good in a while.
In fact, there was pretty much just the 2010 season, when Raji put up 39 tackles and 6.5 sacks. It was literally all down hill from there. Raji became less productive each season until the 2015 season, when he had a very slight renaissance.
Twenty-two tackles and half a sack.
Nothing to write home about, but listen, that half a sack represents the first time Raji brought a quarterback to the ground in four years.
That’s right, Raji’s last sack before the whopping half a sack he recorded in 2015 was in 2011.
So there’s that!
There were moments when Raji showed up and stuffed someone during the 2015 season and we all thought, well, maybe B.J. Raji really did come to play this year. In reality, those plays were few and far between.
You’d get one of those and then wouldn’t see or hear from the guy for six games.
Now Raji is about to be a free agent and after two consecutive offseasons where he was forced to take a bargain-basement one-year contract, Raji wants to cash in.
So much so, it appears he — or someone — is inflating his stats.
In what could most aptly be described as a propaganda piece, the Journal Sentinel ran a story by Rob Reischel on Wednesday, which completely overstated Raji’s worth.
We can only assume Raji’s agent slid Reischel a hundy under the table while they were enjoying some entertainment over at the Oval Office one night.
In it, Reischel lays our Raji’s stat line as such: 38 tackles, seven tackles for loss, a half-sack and two passes defensed.
The last two items are correct.
The first two are way, way off. You know the actual number of tackles (22), so how about that tackles for loss number?
Similarly inflated.
Of all the reputable stat purveyors out there, the highest TFL number we could find for Raji was three and we have a feeling that’s being generous.
In other words, someone is fudging the numbers on Raji.
Is it the Packers?
Sure, they keep their own stats and sometimes those stats don’t jive with what everyone else has, but they stand to gain no benefit by inflating Raji’s numbers.
Who would benefit?
Raji.
His agent.
Someone clearly gave the Journal-Sentinel a false bill of sale. The fact that that bill of sale made it into print is pretty sad, but that’s another story.
The bottom line here is, despite what the propaganda machine would have you believe, Raji brings nothing special to the Packers defense and it’s time they found an alternative.
In our worst case scenario, that alternative is named Mike Pennel or Letroy Guion.
Either would be an upgrade.
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Odds are he’ll be picked up by Packers AAA Farm team ….( the vikes)
Raji is clearly worth more than Brian. Bularga on the offensive line?
Why don’t we just move Lacy to NT?
Great idea. That’s his natural position. That’s why his #’s are down. Move him back to nose.
And if that doesn’t work out they can always move him to linebacker.
If Thompson signs him for $8 million per year after those pathetic stats, he should officially be declared unfit for GM. You could get new blood, cheaper on the market, with the same production. I know he doesn’t like to use free agency but that is insane to give Raji probably anything over $4 million unless that is the going rate for “meh”.
Thompson tried to sign him for 8 mill/year after having a worse season than last, Raji turned it down…lol …to test free agency.
Dumb…and fucking dumber.
I don’t know if 4 million is bargain basement. For a 1/2 sack, and no forced fumbles, i’m thinking that’s a pretty comfortable living.
Jeff Janis could play both ways next year
Colt Lyerla…..
’nuff said !
Lol was just at the oval office Saturday for the first time, also what’s stat “Raji had 6.5 stats” fucking spell check
3-4 years at 2 to 2.5 mil a year max, that’s it.
That fat bastard aint worth 1G !
If Raji signs a good deal Packers could also benefit in compensatory pick.
Only to be wasted by the Frugal GM ….
GBayan….see Raji’s last attempt at free agency, nobody wanted him.
But he’s Teds guy, so he MUST be worth multi millions.
Time to move on. He’s just a “big” tease.
Bad journalism. Have to check veracity of stats a biased party gives you, or at least ask for the source and print it. If they are the JS’s proprietary stats, the article should say so. This journalist might fit well on the Packers lazy ass half of the team.
Mike Pennel will be a starter next season. For your other heavy on the D-line, you sign either Raji or Guion, whoever comes cheaper. Personally, I’d rather have Raji because Raji has a longer record with the Pack while Guion has a longer police record.
*rim shot*
I don’t think the tackles and sacks stats are relevant for his position in this defense. I think he’s supposed to basically take up two blockers to move him so the linebackers can get to ball carrier.