He’s not a Pro Bowler, he’s certainly not a Hall of Famer, but as a 3-4 defensive end and defensive tackle B.J. Raji fit Dom Capers’ system perfectly for the last seven seasons with the Green Bay Packers. Raji hasn’t officially “retired” he says, just taking a “year off,” but if that year off coincided with too many trips to CiCi’s Pizza Buffet, there’s little chance of the defensive lineman making his return to the NFL.
It’s not been a bad career for Raji. He missed 2014 with a torn biceps but bounced back last season to put up one of his normal years. If it’s over, he should be alright and if he does decide to come back, he’ll be a free agent and won’t be a cap problem if the Packers decide they want him back.
The Packers have done absolutely nothing of not in free agency this season so far. They’ve not brought in any new players and just re-signed a couple of their own free agents, outside linebacker Nick Perry and running back James Starks. They seem to be content to let Letroy Guion, their nose tackle, walk too as a free agent, so Green Bay is in need of a total defensive line makeover.
The Pack isn’t in a horrible salary cap, but with just $12.692 million in available cash they’ll be looking for bargains and draft picks.
B.J. Raji, Defensive End/Tackle
2015: 22 tackles, 0.5 sacks, two passes defended
As of today the Packers have three defensive linemen, total, that have shown up on their depth chart before. Mike Daniels, a fifth-year man out of Iowa, started the last two seasons and had a decent 2015-16, picking up a career-high 49 tackles, four sacks, one forced fumble, one interception and two passes defended.
On the other side they have Datone Jones who played in 15 games last season. Jones was good, especially on passing downs recording 20 tackles, three sacks and three passes defended. The lone back up with legitimate NFL experience on the team is Mike Pennell, a third-year player out of Colorado State-Pueblo. He made it into every game last year, picking up 25 tackles, a sack and forced a fumble.
The best fit out in free agency for the Packers is Terrance Knighton, late of the Washington Redskins and before that the Denver Broncos. Knighton can be had on a one-year deal and could be willing to sign for less for a chance to play for a contender. Last year with the Redskins Knighton had 29 tackles and 1.5 sacks.
The Packers pick late, but they need to look for a defensive lineman at No. 27 if one makes sense. Who could possibly be there? How about a steal with Ole Miss defensive tackle Robert Nkemdiche?
Nkemdiche’s pot-fueled nose-dive out of a hotel room in the offseason lowered his draft stock and he’ll likely come into the league already on it’s substance abuse list. He’s 6-foot-4 and 296 pounds and will be a considerably better playmaker at that position than Raji has been over the last few years. Last year Nkemdiche had 26 tackles, seven for a loss, three sacks and one pass defended.
In the second round at No. 57 the Pack could look at Adolphus Washington out of Ohio State. He’s about the same size as Nkemdiche at 6-foot-4 and 290 pounds, but he was more productive on the field (but, to be fair, he didn’t play in the SEC either).
Washington had 49 tackles, seven for a loss, four sacks, one interception (which he scored on), one pass defense, one fumble recovery and one forced fumble.
In the third round at No. 88 Javon Hargreave out of South Carolina State makes a lot of sense. He’s a plugger at 6-foot-1 and 309 pounds. If Green Bay wanted to look at more of a pure defensive end type and maybe move Daniels or Jones inside, they could pick up Shawn Oakman, who lives up to his name at 6-foot-8 and 287 pounds
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