Green Bay Packers defensive lineman B.J. Raji will reportedly miss the upcoming season after suffering a torn right biceps in Friday's preseason game against the Oakland Raiders.
Green Bay could look to free agency to find a replacement for Raji. Ryan Pickett and Johnny Jolly, who started on the Packers' defensive line last year alongside Raji, both remain unsigned. Pickett will turn 35 in October and Jolly just turned 31 and is also coming off neck surgery, so the Packers might look to get younger instead of bringing in an aging veteran.
Second-year nose tackle Josh Boyd replaced Raji after his injury in Friday's game, so he looks to be the frontrunner for the position. Reports say that Green Bay is also high on undrafted rookie Mike Pennel.
Raji was poised to have a bounce back season after moving back to nose tackle, his position during his most productive seasons 2009 and 2010. He re-signed with the Packers this offseason to a one-year, $4 million contract after little success on the free agent market.
The Packers drafted Raji ninth overall in 2009. His best season came in 2010 when he recorded 39 total tackles and six and a half sacks. Raji's production slipped over the past three seasons after switching to defensive end. He failed to record a single sack in each of the past two seasons. This injury will definitely hurt Raji's stock in the long run, as he was hoping to put together a strong season to get a bigger deal next offseason.
© Copyright 2024 Sports World News, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
