Raji » Packer Update

Blueprint For Fixing The Defense

Posted by Michael Rodney at 12:13 am 3 Responses »

Dec 282011

Hawk is having a very disappointing season

Since writing about blueprints seems to be in vogue these days, I’ve decided to write my first post in months on that very subject. But instead of providing a blueprint on how teams can beat the Packers (that would be sacrilegious), I’ll be providing a blueprint on what needs to be done to fix the defense.

1) Draft an impact outside linebacker – I’ve begged for general manager Ted Thompson to upgrade the position opposite Clay Matthews for two years (I still cringe every time Antwan Barnes gets another sack for the Chargers. TT could’ve acquired him for next to nothing on any number of occasions over the past 18 months). Coordinator Dom Capers got by in 2010 with a motley collection of right outside linebackers, but that was only because of Cullen Jenkins. The former Packer and current Eagle was one of the top handful of pass rushing defensive linemen in the league last season and he essentially took the place of a second outside linebacker in passing situations. With Jenkins gone and Mike Neal unable to take his place, the Packers have played with only one legitimate pass rusher all season. And no matter how special Matthews is, that’s simply not enough. So unless Thompson can find a defensive lineman like Jenkins between now and the start of training camp next summer (and those guys are almost as hard to find these days as a Wisconsinite who still loves Brett Favre), he must use one of his first two draft picks on a playmaking outside linebacker.

2) Replace Hawk at inside linebacker - After watching his defense play so well en route to a Super Bowl championship, it came as no surprise when the Packers decided to re-sign A.J. Hawk and send Nick Barnett packing. After all, not only was Hawk one of Thompson’s first draft picks after taking over as GM in Green Bay, but more importantly, the former Ohio State star was coming off his finest season since joining the team in 2006. Unfortunately, the decision has proven to be a mistake – a $36 million mistake. Hawk’s play has clearly regressed. He’s only 27, but he appears to have lost a half step – a half step he couldn’t afford to lose. Even worse, he seems content to arm tackle rather than take on running backs and tight ends. As for Barnett, he hasn’t been a world beater in Buffalo, but he’s having a better season than Hawk. And while I didn’t criticize Thompson then and I won’t criticize him now for choosing Hawk, he has to admit his mistake and rectify things in the offseason. A tougher and more athletic inside linebacker must be found to pair with Desmond Bishop in 2012, and if that player is not on the current 53-man roster (maybe rookie D.J. Smith), then it’s up to Thompson to go out and get him.

3) Upgrade at safety – Regardless of whether Nick Collins returns in 2012 (I’d be shocked if he ever plays again), the Packers must add a quality safety in the offseason. Charlie Peprah obviously can’t be a starter next season, and truth be told, he shouldn’t even be third on the depth chart when training camp opens. The former Alabama star has been forced to start 24 games since October 2010, and that’s about 20 games too many. Capers was able to hide Peprah’s glaring lack of athleticism in 2010, but that hasn’t been the case this season. The difference? A year ago, the pass rush was consistently strong and Collins was playing at his usual Pro Bowl level. This year, the pass rush has been anemic and Collins has been replaced by struggling second-year pro Morgan Burnett. That leaves Peprah as an easy target for opposing offensive coordinators, who must spend the work week salivating over the chance to isolate a tight end, or god forbid, a wide receiver, on the slow-footed journeyman. I don’t know if Collins’ potential replacement is currently on the roster (maybe Charles Woodson), but I do know it’s up to Thompson to make sure the defense won’t have to turn to Peprah for a third time in 2012.

4) Draft at least one defensive end – The Packers can’t count on Neal to be the player he was prior to suffering serious shoulder and knee injuries and Howard Green, C.J. Wilson and Jarius Wynn have all proven to be – at best – deep reserves. Thompson needs to overhaul this group. While Green has the size to play in a 3-4, he’ll be 33 in a couple of weeks. Wilson and Wynn are both under 300 pounds, and neither has the physical ability to overcome their lack of bulk. There are a number of reasons why the run defense has been so porous this season, but one of the biggest is not a having a capable third lineman to play alongside B.J. Raji and Ryan Pickett. Johnny Jolly filled that role ideally in 2009 and Jenkins, while certainly no run stuffer, held his own a year ago. Thompson needs to find a player who can at least hold his own in 2012. Fortunately, those players are often available in the middle rounds of the draft.

5) Get veterans to play better – The final step in my plan to fix the defense isn’t up to Thompson, it’s up to the coaching staff and the players already on the roster. More specifically, Raji and cornerbacks Tramon Williams and Sam Shields simply have to play better in 2012. All three took a step back this season. Raji might’ve been the most disruptive interior defensive lineman in the league late last year and throughout the playoffs. Not only was he fairly stout at the point of attack, but he was making tackles for losses and getting consistent pressure on the quarterback. His relative lack of success as a pass rusher this season can probably be explained away by the loss of Jenkins and by having to play too many snaps. But his struggles against the run cannot be as easily excused. No player with his size, strength and athleticism should ever be pushed around as often as he’s been pushed around this season. As for Williams and Shields, neither is playing nearly as well as he did 10 months ago. The former deserves a lot of credit for playing through a painful shoulder injury, but he’s been healthy for the past month or so and he still hasn’t retuned to his previous form. The latter has steadily improved in coverage throughout the season, but his tackling has been pathetic. Capers fully expected these three players to be stars this season. Unfortunately, like the defense as a whole, they’ve come up short.

So there’s my five-step plan for fixing the defense (by the way, it also wouldn’t hurt to add another cornerback). Needless to say, I’m expecting Thompson to focus on defense in next April’s draft. The good news is that improving the defense in 2012 shouldn’t be a Herculean task. A few shrewd draft choices and the return to form of a few veterans is all it should take. The even better news is that the Packers, even with a defense that has more holes in it than a piece of Swiss cheese, are currently 14-1 and in great position to win their second consecutive Super Bowl. Hey, ain’t it a great time to be a fan?!

Plenty of Packers got snubbed

Posted by Michael Rodney at 1:47 pm No Responses »

Dec 292010

Raji is one of a number of deserving players who didn't make the Pro Bowl

Five Packers deserved to go to the Pro Bowl and five were chosen on Tuesday. The problem is which players will be in Hawaii on Jan. 30, 2011 and which players will be on a golf course that Sunday (of course, fans hope that none of the five Packers will be playing in that “game” and instead they’ll be preparing for a much, much bigger one a week later). Offensive tackle Chad Clifton, safety Nick Collins, wide receiver Greg Jennings, outside linebacker Clay Matthews and cornerback Charles Woodson were named to the NFC squad. That’s the highest number of Packers selected to the Pro Bowl since 2007.

Collins, Jennings and Matthews are very deserving. Collins hasn’t had a great season by his standards, but he’s still one of the top three safeties in the conference. Jennings, who only caught 14 passes in the first five games, has been arguably the league’s premiere wide receiver since the middle of October. Matthews is the most feared member of one of the league’s best defenses and a likely top-5 finisher in the defensive player of the year voting. So that’s where the fans, players and coaches got it right. But they got it wrong by rewarding Clifton and Woodson and snubbing Aaron Rodgers and Tramon Williams.

Clifton deserves all the credit in the world for bouncing back from a week 2 benching and putting together a very solid season. But at this point in his career, the only way he should be in Hawaii in January is if he’s taking his family on vacation. The 34-year-old has never been much of a run blocker, but he was so good in pass protection earlier in his career that a trip to the Pro Bowl wouldn’t have raised an eyebrow. That’s not the case now. He’s still not much of a run blocker and his protection isn’t good enough to offset that deficiency – at least as far as postseason honors are concerned.

Woodson is having a good season, but he isn’t even the best corner on his own team. That distinction goes to Williams, who was named the first alternate. While Woodson, the reigning defensive player of the year, is third on the team in tackles and has forced 5 fumbles, his coverage has been spotty. And since covering receivers is a pretty big part of a corner’s job, it’s safe to say this trip to Hawaii is borne more out of respect for what he’s done than for what he’s actually doing. Williams, on the other hand, has played so well that it’s actually a surprise when a receiver catches a pass on his watch.

Mike Vick, Drew Brees and Matt Ryan are the quarterbacks. All three are having very good seasons for very good teams, but the latter two simply aren’t as deserving as Rodgers, who’s the first alternate. Brees has thrown 21 picks in what has been an up-and-down year and Ryan is blessed to have Pro Bowlers all around him on offense. The Falcons’ star gets to hand off to Michael Turner and throw to Tony Gonzalez. The Packers’ star gets to hand off to Brandon Jackson and attempt to beat the cover-2 with Andrew Quarless. Rodgers has carried the offense on his back for the past nine weeks. That will likely get him some strong MVP consideration. Somehow, it didn’t get him to Hawaii.

The good news for Rodgers and Williams is that they’ll probably wind up in Hawaii if the Packers don’t get to the Super Bowl. Since either Philadelphia, New Orleans or Atlanta is likely to get there if Green Bay doesn’t, the first alternate would step in for Vick, Brees or Ryan. The only fly in the ointment would be if the Bears and Jay Cutler make it all the way to Dallas. As for Williams, he’ll get his ticket punched the minute Woodson begs out of the game. And the odds of No. 21 making the trip are about the same as, well, they’re about the same as the Bears and Jay Cutler making it to Dallas.

Offensive guard Josh Sitton and nose tackle B.J. Raji were also overlooked, but that didn’t come as a big surprise. Young linemen often have to wait their turn while bigger-named veterans bask in the Hawaii sun for an undeserving year or two. Guard Chris Snee of the Giants and nose tackle Jay Ratliff of Dallas are two prime examples. Both are perennial Pro Bowlers, but neither has had a particularly good season. Unfortunately, that’s how this whole process works and why it’s so flawed. Fans vote for their favorites, and let’s be honest, players and coaches vote for who they know and who they see. For example, do you think Sitton and Raji got votes from any coaches or players from the Saints?

Anyway, we’ve spent way too much time writing about a fake game – especially when the Packers have such a huge real game coming up in a matter of days. And if the Packers are to beat the Bears and then go on a run through the playoffs, they’ll do it on the backs of players like Rodgers, Sitton, Raji and Williams. And if those four are sipping champagne and holding the Lombardi Trophy on Feb. 6, 2011 at Cowboys Stadium, do you think any of them will care one iota about not making the Pro Bowl?

No news on Rodgers until midweek

Posted by Michael Rodney at 6:31 pm 3 Responses »

Dec 202010

Rodgers' status for the Giants will be updated at midweek

Anyone interested in the condition of Aaron Rodgers will have to wait until Wednesday. That’s when coach Mike McCarthy said he’ll have an update on the Pro Bowl quarterback. Rodgers, who suffered his second concussion of the season on Dec. 12 at Detroit, didn’t play in last night’s 31-27 loss to New England. And while the team will continue to take a very cautious approach with Rodgers, it’s hard to imagine No. 12 not being under center when the Giants visit Lambeau Field on Sunday. The fact that he attended practice last Friday and made the trip to Massachusetts bodes well for his being medically cleared to play in what’s essentially a playoff game.

In other injury news, Cullen Jenkins has already been ruled out for Sunday. The defensive end has missed the past two games with a calf injury. Nick Collins, who left last night’s game in the second quarter, will likely be ready for the Giants. Not only were x-rays on his ribs negative, but the Pro Bowl safety has a long history of playing hurt. Outside linebacker Frank Zombo (sprained knee) continues to make progress and could return after missing his first game of the season.

Quick thoughts from yesterday:

-While quarterback Matt Flynn has always been held in high regard by McCarthy, many people still questioned whether he had the talent to start in the NFL. Try finding those people today. The former LSU star certainly has some physical limitations, but he’s a born leader whose poise is off the charts and whose arm is just good enough. In a league where Chad Henne, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Colt McCoy, Kerry Collins, Rex Grossman, Jimmy Clausen, Alex Smith and John Skelton all started games this weekend, they’ll be a market for Flynn should GM Ted Thompson look to move him in the offseason.

-Maybe it was playing in front of family and friends or maybe it was being on the same field as Vince Wilfork, but something got into B.J. Raji last night. Already having a very good season, the second-year nose tackle took his game to another level. He recorded two sacks and generally made life difficult for the interior of New England’s offensive line – including perennial Pro Bowl guard Logan Mankins. Raji may never be quite as stout against the run as Wilfork, but his ability to get into the backfield makes him unique among nose tackles. Anyone still upset with Thompson for not drafting Michael Crabtree?

-James Jones will undoubtedly look to make a lot of money as a potential unrestricted free agent during the offseason, but it’s hard to imagine any GM paying big bucks to the enigmatic wide receiver. While the former San Jose State star is a very good No. 3, he’s just too inconsistent to be given a more substantial role. Whether it’s a costly fumble, a big drop or not fighting hard enough for the ball, Jones somehow seems to find a way to hurt his team at the most inopportune of times. Last night, for example, his failure to complete a route led to a momentum-turning pick-6 for the Patriots.

Raji needs to pick up his game

Posted by Michael Rodney at 10:57 am 9 Responses »

Aug 192010

Raji hasn't been dominant at nose tackle this summer

It was easy to make excuses for B.J. Raji following his nondescript rookie season. From his training camp holdout to his nagging ankle injury to his playing out of position, there were plenty of reasons to explain why the No. 9 pick in the ’09 draft often looked like just another guy. It was expected that a healthy ankle and a switch back to nose tackle would enable the player who dominated the ACC to cause similar havoc in the NFL, but that isn’t happening – at least not yet. Through 18 practices and one preseason game, Raji has been good, but far from great.

The front three was the strength of the defense last season, and coordinator Dom Capers is counting on that to be the case again. But without the suspended Johnny Jolly at left end, the only way for that to happen is if Raji has a breakthrough year. The former Boston College star needs to be as strong at the point of attack as Ryan Pickett was a year ago, and he must be far more productive as a pass rusher. He’s 0 for 2 in the early going.

While Raji has little trouble handling opponents one-on-one, he needs to do a better job of holding his ground against double teams. In his first season at nose tackle, Pickett did an excellent job of tying up two blockers and allowing the linebackers to come up and make tackles at or near the line of scrimmage. Raji must do the same, but it won’t be as easy for him. Because he weighs considerably less than Pickett, his technique needs to be close to perfect on every snap. It hasn’t been, or at least it hasn’t been on a consistent basis. He tends to rise out of his stance, play too upright and get turned too easily on occasion.

As a pass rusher, Raji needs to be a difference maker – someone who will collapse the pocket and push the opposing quarterback into the waiting arms of one of the outside linebackers. He hasn’t done that enough through the first three weeks of training camp. Sure he’s been better than Pickett, but that’s not saying much. On a defense with very few natural pass rushers, Capers is counting on Raji, along with Clay Matthews and Cullen Jenkins, to make life miserable for the Brett Favres of the world.

There’s no question that a healthy Raji will be a solid player this season, but the Packers need him to be more than solid. And maybe he will be once the regular season begins, but as of now, he’s not at the level of Casey Hampton (Steelers), Jay Ratliff (Cowboys), Vince Wilfork (Patriots), Kelly Gregg (Ravens) and Aubrayo Franklin (49ers). For the sake of the entire defense, he needs to get there as soon as possible.

-Mike Tahan contributed to this report

Raji’s back where he belongs

Posted by Michael Rodney at 12:54 pm 6 Responses »

May 202010

Organized Team Activities (OTAs) are usually noteworthy more for who’s not there than for anything that actually happens on the field, but that wasn’t the case yesterday. Some big news came out of Wednesday’s practice and it had absolutely nothing to do with no-shows Atari Bigby, Johnny Jolly and Tramon Williams. The team has decided to move Ryan Pickett to left defensive end – a decision that will allow B.J. Raji to take his rightful place as the starting nose tackle for the Green Bay Packers. No disrespect to Pickett, who did a solid job in the middle last season, but Raji has a chance to be one of the NFL’s premier nose tackles and it was almost sad to see him flailing away at end as a rookie. Here’s some more news and notes from practice:

-In another position change, Will Blackmon will move from cornerback to safety. This makes sense for a couple of reasons. One is that the former Boston College star has undergone surgery on his foot and his knee, so he’s probably lost some speed and quickness. The other far more important reason is that he couldn’t cover anybody at corner.

-Journeyman Brady Poppinga lined up ahead of second-year man Brad Jones at left outside linebacker. The guess here is that the defensive coaches simply want to see if Poppinga is worth keeping around for another season. If the former BYU star is starting on Sept. 12 at Philly, general manager Ted Thompson will have a lot of explaining to do.

-Rookie Morgan Burnett started alongside Nick Collins at safety. The former Georgia Tech star has a chance to keep that job if he performs well. Don’t think for a second that the coaches are satisfied with Atari Bigby’s play or his decision to stay away from the OTAs.

-Patrick Lee was back on the field. The oft-injured cornerback saw most of his work in the nickel packages, but he’ll move ahead of Jarrett Bush, and perhaps even Brandon Underwood, by the time camp opens in late July. When healthy, Lee’s skill-set is far more impressive than that of any other young corner on the current roster – including Williams.

-While both punters were OK, neither one jumps out at you. There are some punters who you just know are going to be quality pros the first time you see them kick, but that’s not the case with either second-year man Tim Masthay or former Australian star Chris Bryan. For what it’s worth, ex-Packer Jon Ryan was more impressive upon first glance.

-It’s amazing how much bigger the offensive line has gotten over the past two or three years. Instead of a bunch of bulked-up tight ends masquerading as tackles and guards, players like Josh Sitton, T.J. Lang and rookies Bryan Bulaga and Marshall Newhouse actually look like players who could physically whip the opponents lined up across from them.

-Green Bay can develop Breno Giacomini for another 10 years and he still won’t be a quality tackle. He lacks functional football-playing strength, he’s not quick enough to stay with speed rushers and he’s not strong enough to stymie power rushers. Other than that, he’s fine.

$28 MILLION MEN IN THE MIDDLE

Posted by Michael Rodney at 11:00 am 1 Response »

Mar 152010

EXPENSIVE BACKUP

The surprisingly lucrative contract extension given to veteran nose tackle Ryan Pickett last Friday made two things very clear. The first is that the Packers think more highly of the former Ohio State star than other teams do. The second is that if given the chance to go back in time, general manager Ted Thompson almost certainly wouldn’t have used the ninth overall pick in last April’s draft on B.J. Raji. “I was kind of surprised when Green Bay placed the franchise tag on Pickett,” said a scout for another team. “I was even more surprised when the terms of his new deal were announced.” The four-year extension is worth $28 million, with $10 million being paid out in the first season. That’s as good a contract, if not better, than the one five-time Pro Bowl nose tackle Casey Hampton received from Pittsburgh a few weeks ago. “The numbers are very surprising – both in monetary value and length of years,” said the scout. “That’s one heck of a commitment to a player who averaged only 27 snaps per game last season and whose backup is also making $28 million.”

That brings us to said backup. Raji was drafted to be the team’s nose tackle of the future, but it’s fairly safe to assume that nobody associated with the Packers expected the future to be closer to 2013 than 2010. So what happened? According to a person familiar with the situation, three things occurred since last April that changed the way Thompson viewed the nose tackle position entering into this off-season. One was the lack of a collective bargaining agreement. With no salary cap in place, the team could now afford to keep two very high-priced players at the same position. Another was the surprisingly smooth transition Pickett made to the new defense. Nobody, including the coaches, expected him to be so effective in the 3-4 scheme. And the third thing was the mediocre play of Raji. The 335-pound rookie struggled all season to consistently hold his ground against interior offensive linemen – even when pitted against mediocre ones.

While there’s no question that Raji’s first season was a bit disappointing, it’s hard to be overly critical. And it’s not because he played on a bad ankle for about two months. The reason is because the former Boston College star was asked to take the majority of his snaps at defensive end – a position that doesn’t best fit his particular skill set. “He was considered a legitimate top-10 pick as a nose tackle,” said the scout. “He wouldn’t have gone nearly so high as a 4-3 tackle and he may not have been drafted on the first day as a 3-4 end.” Amazingly, that’s exactly where Raji figures to spend the bulk of his time in 2010. “He’ll do OK there, and it’s certainly never a bad thing to have quality depth on the defensive line,” added the scout. “But this young man was born to play in the middle of a 3-4.” Maybe that’s true, but at least according to Thompson’s checkbook, so is Pickett.

SHHH…HERE’S WHAT WE’RE HEARING

Posted by Michael Rodney at 7:10 am 1 Response »

Feb 192010

Remember all the people who criticized GM Ted Thompson for signing Aaron Rodgers to a six-year, $65 million extension after only seven career starts? Well, according to one agent, the Pro Bowl quarterback would command at least $30 million more if negotiations were held today….. Of Green Bay’s eight restricted free agents, fullback John Kuhn is the most likely to be wearing a different uniform next season. The former Shippensburg star could look to sign with a team that will offer him a better chance to play (i.e., less competition). The Packers already have Korey Hall and promising second-year man Quinn Johnson at the position….. Defensive lineman B.J. Raji will be asked to drop a few pounds between now and the start of training camp. That’s because the coaches believe that last year’s top draft pick will be more effective as a nickel pass rusher at a lighter weight. He played at 335 as a rookie….. We have no idea what Thompson thinks of Antonio Cromartie, but we’ve been told that his counterpart in San Diego, A.J. Smith, would have little interest in trading the former Pro Bowl corner for Ryan Grant. While the Chargers are definitely in the market for a back, Smith wants that player to be closer to 25 than 30. Grant turns 28 in December.

SUCCESS IS ALWAYS A TEAM EFFORT

Posted by Packer Update at 10:29 am 1 Response »

Dec 092009

Stepping up

The Packers have won four consecutive games and the players most responsible are obvious to pretty much everyone. Aaron Rodgers is playing at a Pro Bowl level. Chad Clifton and Mark Tauscher have solidified the offensive line by squeezing every last ounce out of their aging bodies. Clay Matthews has blossomed from an impressive rookie to a legitimate stud at outside linebacker. Charles Woodson is making a serious run at being named defensive player of the year. And Nick Collins is producing enough big plays to quite possibly earn that megabucks extension he’s been looking for since the spring. But when a team starts to win on a regular basis, it always takes more than great play from a few great players. It takes good play from a lot of players, and that’s exactly what Green Bay has been getting over the past four games.

With the help of a former scout, here are a few of the team’s unsung heroes who deserve to be recognized for their inspired play over the past month:

BRANDON JACKSON: “The offensive line is doing a much better job in pass protection, but don’t overlook just how important a role Jackson has played in the turnaround. He’s become incredibly dependable in blitz pickup. And he’s not just getting in the way of linebackers, he’s taking them on and often winning the battle.”

JAMES JONES: “Like the team itself, Jones was a disappointment in the first half of the season. He wasn’t getting much separation, and even when he was able to extricate himself from a defender, he wasn’t making plays. But that was then and this is now. He’s caught 15 passes in the past four games and is beginning to look like the receiver who showed so much promise as a rookie.”

JOSH SITTON: “He was solid in September and October; he’s been very good in November and December. It took him a while to get comfortable, but now he’s playing with the type of aggressiveness and physicality that this offensive line so desperately needs. He still makes some technique mistakes, but it’s important to remember that he’s still learning how to play inside.”

B.J. RAJI: “He took some criticism early in the season, and that was very unfair. Do you know how hard it is for a 340-pounder to play on a high ankle sprain? Now healthy, Raji’s showing why the Packers took him at No. 9. He’s using his strength and surprising quickness to disrupt opposing offenses on a much more consistent basis. Plus, his quality work is allowing the starting defensive linemen to stay fresh by playing less snaps.”

A.J. HAWK: “He still isn’t making enough big plays, but he’s been more aggressive as of late and that’s one of the big reasons why the run defense has been so good. Give [assistant coach] Winston Moss a lot of credit. He stopped coddling Hawk a few months ago and finally started holding him accountable for his mediocre play. That proved to be a much-needed kick in the ass.”

ATARI BIGBY: “He won a starting job based on his intimidating hits, but those have been few and far between this season. Instead of looking for the KO, Bigby’s playing a more controlled brand of football and it’s working. He’ll never be a great cover safety, but he’s no longer a liability. He’s playing a more cerebral game these days and that’s exactly what Dom Capers is looking for.”

We listed only six unsung heroes, but there are plenty of other players who deserve credit as well. “Guys like Ahman Green, Spencer Havner and Desmond Bishop don’t play much from scrimmage, but they’ve been a part of the turnaround,” said the scout. “Green has added a little juice to the running game, Havner did OK when forced into action at tight end, and there are times when Bishop looks like the only member of the special teams who gives a shit.” Football is the ultimate team game and right now the Packers are playing like a team – a winning team.