The Subject Was Raji
By PackerAaron
Great point by Brian over at Railbird Central regarding the fact that lost in all the drama surrounding who WASN'T at OTAs last week (or who was and just wasn't talking), is a pretty important development with the players that WERE in attendance.
Money quote:
...first round draft choice B.J. Raji has been lining up as the team's starting defensive end.
That's significant for a couple reasons. Throughout free agency and the draft, fans (including myself) were questioning why the Packers didn't address the defensive end situation, "Why didn't the Packers sign Kevin Carter as a free agent? And when they didn't do that, why didn't they pick an end on the draft's first day?"
I guess they did. They drafted a defensive end with the No. 9 overall pick in the draft.
This is not strictly true, of course. I suspect Raji will spend this year at end and then slide over to the nose next season, provided they let Pickett walk. If they resign Pickett to a Packer-friendly contract, so much the better. With Raji, the Packers are simply doing what I advocated before the draft, drafting one of the top tackles, playing him at RT before moving him to LT next year, on the defensive side of the ball. It's a great move, one I wish the Firetedthompsonnow.com crowd would at least recognize. This is how you manage your roster in the modern NFL.
As a sidebar to the above, it's fair to speculate that this is a pretty good example of what was causing McCarthy's defensiveness in his press conference last week. I suspect he thought this was a tad bit bigger deal than a linebacker who won't talk to the media or an 11 year veteran skipping a voluntary work out. And yet, the subject of Raji is relegated to the final question of the presser, and even then the position switch is not even hinted at. That's disappointing but I guess questions like "Can you compare where Aaron Rodgers is now to where he was at this time last year?" and "Are you pretty happy with the transition to the 3-4?" just couldn't wait.
And they wonder why the mainstream media is dying...
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Comments (19)
June 01, 2009 at 09:48 am
100% spot on. The mainstream media (with ESPN holding the flag) has become too tabloid. It gets dominated with drama-mongering and ignores the nuts and bolts of sports, which is what the vast majority of engaged fans really care about.
June 01, 2009 at 09:50 am
Good point on the media...as you know, i agree.
I think what was interesting is that was one of the first times we saw TT draft for need as much as (if not more than) BPA. Good year for it, because I think Raji and Matthews will fit this scheme extremely well in about three years.
I was just glad we didn't draft another WR.
PackerAaron
June 01, 2009 at 10:09 am
To be fair, CD, I don't think Crabtree will be just 'another WR'. He has a chance to be special. I was on board with taking Crabtree and then grabing Brace and Barwin in later rounds. Would have loved that actually.
June 01, 2009 at 10:43 am
I think one of the things that engaged fans forget is that the majority of sports fans in general are not nearly as rabid as we are. They just want the scores, the highlights and the major developments. That's what the mainstream media caters to. The rest of us can come to CheeseheadTV for real analysis.
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PS. Kevin Seifert of ESPN is having a chat at 1. Make sure to submit Packers related questions so that we may be able to get more than our allotted 10% answered.
June 01, 2009 at 11:40 am
No doubt, Aaron, and I'd love to sit and debate the whole BPA vs. need with you sometime. As good as Crabtree might be (and he may be the next Jerry Rice), I was quite content with Raji over Crabtree.
My first choice, of course, was Tyson Jackson, take Brace in the second.
June 01, 2009 at 11:55 am
There's been plenty of coverage of Raji lining up at end. But its not controversial and results in less traffic at the newspapers websites, and less views to charge advertisers.
Now, Driver not showing up, that tweaks fans who somehow feel like the Packers money is their own money. Nevermind that if he was 5 years older and played QB, those fans would feel that he deserves to take the summer off.
PackerAaron
June 01, 2009 at 12:23 pm
Understood LA. I don't think Crabtree will be Rice. (Would could?) But he has every chance to be the next Andre Johnson. The Packers could have dominated with Crabtree and Jennings for years to come with Rodgers pulling the trigger. I like Raji, but I have yet to see anything from his college tape that says he will be a special NFL player...
June 01, 2009 at 01:13 pm
What's good in having two amazing receivers and a great QB if your defense can't get it done? Ask the Bengals. BTW, who's to say that Jordy won't be special? That JJ won't be a solid wr? I'm happy with the current wr corpse, and with Raji manning the DE spot and afterwards cloggin up the middle for years to come.
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And I think Raji will be special. Hampton, Wilfork like special. We don't need a (ugh) Sapp type. The Gravedigger 2 is enough ;)
PackerAaron
June 01, 2009 at 01:20 pm
"What’s good in having two amazing receivers and a great QB if your defense can’t get it done?" I keep saying it, and I won't stop until the season starts - Dom. Capers. Brace and another LB in the 2nd/3rd round would have been more than sufficient in remaking the defense into something much more than serviceable.
June 01, 2009 at 02:08 pm
packersRS....
the bengals did win their division in 05 the last time their big three were all healthy (since then its been palmers knee and "ochocinco's" head)and they were 4 games above .500 from 05-07 despite being 28th,30th, and 27th on defense. the cardinals also seemed to do pretty well last year with two amazing recievers and a pass defense that allowed more touchdowns than any other since 1981 and the fifth most ever. they had almost identical defensive stats compared to the packers last year (actually most of them look a bit worse) yet made a superbowl because of their recieving tandem. grant it that not quite the blueprint i would want the packers to follow but to say having two amazing recievers cant get you anywhere is just downright not factual.
June 01, 2009 at 05:08 pm
Not a big fan of drafting skill guys early. Especially for the Packers and where they play. I've always wanted to watch a team that dominates on defense and in running the ball. Just a "smash mouth" (sorry for the cliche) type of team.
The Packers always seem to be driven by their air attack. That just doesn't seem like the way they should be doing it considering where they play and the division they play in. It works when it's nice outside - you'll end up with 10 to 13 wins, but then you get to the playoffs and it's cold and it's the same ol' thing... the more PHYSICAL team advances.
Enough "fancy" stuff.... I wanna see someone get punched in the face and made to like it.
June 01, 2009 at 06:57 pm
Aaron you're killing me with this anointing of St. Capers. I absolutely think he'll make a difference but I'm with LA on this one (and cowcow4). I just don't see the defensive talent where you see it and Raji (or Tyson Jackson) had to be the first pick. If I was going to stray from that I would have taken a top tackle, but definitely not Crabtree. How do you know he would be a top receiver? How do you know he would dominate with Jennings for years to come? How would you pay them both for years to come (ref Fitzgerald and Bolden)? Defense is key to making a big playoff run. If Capers can walk on water then I'll be the first to say I'm so wrong but I'm just not seeing it. I'm really trying dude but i can't get to where you are.
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I still think about losing to Denver in the Super Bowl and I still feel like Sean Jones and Wayne Simmons not being there had a lot to do with it (I'm sure I'll hear how Holgren already had his plane ticket out of town as a big reason). Anyway, Denver made our D look silly. Point is - key defensive personnel just can't be overlooked and there were just too many D holes (2008) to fill.
June 01, 2009 at 08:23 pm
I think the Packers were planning on drafting Tyson Jackson had he been there at pick 9. That might be why the chiefs drafted him so early. They knew they couldn't trade down and draft him.
Of course the Packers might also have been thinking that Raji is a better pick if he can play both DE/NT.
June 02, 2009 at 03:03 am
Even if it were going to be true that Dom. Capers. is going to be the saviour of Green Bay and even if it were true that putting punctuation marks after each of our defensive coordinator's names makes our guys play better, there's only so much you can expect from a transition to a 3-4 if you don't have decent 3-4 personnel.
As someone who wanted us to draft Raji since before the final whistle of the Lions game I was extremely happy with the confluence of events that led to him dropping to us at number nine and then, of course, happy with us drafting him. This is simply because I was disappointed with the lack of dominance our defence showed during the season; for all the picks, for all the Pro Bowl nods, ours was a unit that got pushed around, got laughed at by opposing offenses and gave up the big plays when it counted.
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Now, I know that we're not going pure 3-4 straight out of the gate and I know that even a Capers 4-3 is still miles ahead of a Sanders 4-3. I do get excited when I read news from OTA's that reporters have never seen a Green Bay defence with so much communication and so many hand signals. I love the talk of confusing offenses and protecting leads and closing out games. As much as I love all of this, the 'win now' potential for a team transitioning from a 4-3 to a 3-4 is not fantastic. Don't get me wrong, I have high hopes for the team this year - a playoffs run is well within our reach, at least a winning record - but there's also some need to readjust our expectations and look at where we're headed over the next two to five years. Drafting 3-4 type players and pointing the team firmly in the direction of a pure 3-4 club is important if our defense and coaching staff is going to have any continuity and chance of success in coming years. Drafting B.J. Raji is, if not a key part of that future, at least a big step in the right direction.
PackerAaron
June 02, 2009 at 05:23 am
Good stuff here, as always. A few points.
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Cowcow - I hear you on the physicality aspect and if you go back and read what I was writing around the end of the 2007 season, you'll see that I completely agree. This has, up until this point in McCarthy's tenure, been a finesse team. The signs point to Thompson finally addressing that this offseason. We'll see, but color me skeptical. McCarthy is who he is. No matter how much he talks about wanting to run the ball, when push comes to shove, he'll spread it out and throw it around the yard. It's just who he is.
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Andrew - How do I know Crabtree will be special? I don't. No one does. No one knows anything regarding the players that were just drafted and won't for some time. That's a pretty silly argument. As for your Super Bowl memories, I'm with you on the Defensive holes in that game and how there were/are holes in the current defense. That's why I advocated drafting Brace and Barwin. It's all done now so nothing left to do but sit back and watch how it all unfolds. What's that? Three months to go? (sigh) ;)
June 02, 2009 at 06:22 am
Interestingly enough, Defensive Tackles have the highest bust rate in the first round.....followed by WRs and then DEs...
Honestly, IF Justin Harrel can actually contribute, and IF we really only need Six DLs for a solid rotation, not 8, then we are pointed in the right direction. Picket, Jenkins and Raji = 925lbs of solid Green Bay Beef up front.
The mental game that will be facing Kampman, Mathews, Poppinga, Bigby Collins and Williams is the real test. This is a real thinking man's defense at those positions and these guys have not had to think so much (can't speak for Mathews on that). I think that's why as much as Capers is my #1 pickup in the offseason, its closely followed by #1a Kevin Green. I think getting Green was huge.
For all the challenges of switching to the new scheme, the opportunities to confuse the opponent with not knowing what they will face from play to play much less game to game may make up for it in the first half of the season as the packers settle into the scheme.
No matter what anyone says about the switch, if they get to the QB consistently it will be worth it. Its tough to throw when you are on your back. We know our guys can pick off passes, they may get even more with more pressure on the QB.
http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/article/20090601/PKR01/90601120/1058...
What's up with Thompson starting? Now that is post worthy, perhaps even deserving of some special research into his size speed ratio at his present weight...he will probably drop down even further whether he wants to or not. He is the classic TWEENER drafted in the 4th round that this defensive scheme is famous for finding and thriving with. they must of seen something on the film that made them think he is going to make it big time. Can we find out what the guy played in highschool, and what other scouts thought of him at draft?
PackerAaron
June 02, 2009 at 07:21 am
I can tell you what scouts were saying about him bucks. And what they were saying about him in training camp. And what they were saying about him when he got the chance to start - it's all the same: He needs to find his passion for the game. He's one of those guys who has all the athletic gifts in the world, but so far has not demonstrated a desire, a tenacity that is necessary to exceed at the NFL level. That, among other reasons you cite, is why Kevin Greene is such a good hire for this squad. If there's a human being on this planet who can inspire passion in anyone, football player or no, it's Kevin Greene. If he can't get the light to come on for Thompson, no one can.
June 02, 2009 at 07:29 am
I remember him from last year mainly because he was Ted's first trade up. Anyway, God bless the combination of the Internet and draftniks because there's a bunch of stuff about him from when he was drafted.
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22y.o. 6'5" and 264 when drafted.
Combine: 4.75, 32-inch vertical, 25 bench, 24 Wonderlic.
Coming out of Wake Forest where he was asked to do a lot, coverage, some pass rush etc. They called him a 'Julius Peppers type' and talked a lot about his run-stopping ability.
Draft stock affected by an ACL tear in his sophmore year.
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Packers' scout Brian Gutekunst highlights:
"He's a little bit bigger I think than KGB was when he was coming out, KGB was a little faster. But more so, he's more of a fluid athlete like Aaron Kampman, I guess... He's a finesse athlete. He's smooth and fluid and can drop his weight, good hips. He's a really good athlete, doesn't get knocked down... He's not a 300-pound, set the point of attack guy, but he uses his length, he drops his weight, and he stays on his feet, keep things alive that some guys can't do... He's good enough speed and range in chase when the ball's run away from him that I think he'll make plays from the backside as well... At Wake Forest, I thought they asked him to do a lot of read and react type stuff more than just setting him out in a wide stance letting him come off the corner."
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NFL.com said: "Thompson holds Wake Forest's record for an interception return at 86 yards. He is a great prospect at this point in the draft. Thompson ranked much higher than this on many draft boards."
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What that has all added up to at this point in his career? Not much. I think he could be a decent player and it's going to be interesting to see if, now that they're lining him up more of the time, to see if he gets motivated in the position battle and competes with Matthews etc.
June 02, 2009 at 06:35 pm
Crabtree's excellence at the game (and position) will be dictated by his Coaching Staff. It's unfair to say Crabtree will be all that. How good is the QB he's getting stuck with? Seriously. One Wideout doesn't make an Offensive Juggernaut. Everyone does this each and every post-draft offseason. They glorify the greatness of some draftee that has yet to "experience" life and playing, in the NFL - it's not like hanging out front the Hooks Drugstore ya know. What is it they absolutely KNOW about percentage of success with first-round draft-picks? C'mon guys! What's everyone gonna say when Crabtree goes down with an early knee injury and is out for the season?
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As far as the Defense goes - I felt our Defense needed much more than just the two players you named, Aaron. Somehow, I don't see RAJI sticking it out this year simply at DE. We had better hope that Pickett somehow has a reversal on how his knees hold up. Not to mention, there are no questions answered currently on Barnett, or any of the Safeties for that matter. Currently, I see Barnett being asked to shift position. Will that end his ability to prosper?
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cowcow4 - I agree. What I would tell everyone - is to look at how much for challenging the NFC-N will be THIS season. Face it. Even without the Gunslinger in the Twin Cities, all four teams have accomplished major upgrades. It's a debate as to who accomplished the most. Yet they have all done so. Let's just see what happens next.
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Aaron - let's hope we can get buckets of film on YouTube for these Mini-Camps! Maybe the rest of us can finally see what they're gabbin about with Thompson.