BJ Raji Anyone?

[TKO]

I think he could be a force inside playing in a 4-3 instead of the Packers 3-4. He's young and a stout defender that can move. If Wilfork comes back healthy and you have Raji inside...they dominate. If Wilfork can't play like he did, Raji is insurance.

 

[JDM]

How much will he cost?

He's a solid player, for sure, but I don't really see us willing to pay for him unless Wilfork isn't going to be able to play at all and we take a chunk of that money to make it work.

 

[TKO]

How much will he cost?

He's a solid player, for sure, but I don't really see us willing to pay for him unless Wilfork isn't going to be able to play at all and we take a chunk of that money to make it work.

NESN went through some scenarios...it can be done:

If the Patriots extend guard Logan Mankins and Wilfork, McCourty and Gostkowski and cut guard Dan Connolly and Wilson, Kelly and Sopoaga, they can save around $15 million on top of the $3.8 million they already have in cap room. If they cut Wilfork and Gregory, it would save another $6.1 million. If they can get rid of Aaron Hernandez’s cap figure, the Patriots will be rolling in cash. Hernandez is on the books for $7.5 million. In a perfect world, the Patriots would have more than $30 million in cap room. That’s extremely unlikely, but it’s obvious the Patriots have plenty of flexibility on the books for 2014.

I wouldn't cut Wilfork or Connolly and I'd try to keep Kelly if it works.

 

[Drawmeomg]

I think, assuming they're coming back from injury on schedule, I'd take Wilfork and Kelly over cutting either of them to bring someone else in. They're both very good, have proven they can play in the Patriots defense and are motivated.

But yeah, say Wilfork isn't coming back, I could see a scenario like that playing out.

 

[molsaniceman]

only way wilfork stays

Patriots NT Vince Wilfork carries an $11.6 million cap number in 2014, the final year of his current contract.
The Patriots will likely ask Wilfork to renegotiate. He's coming off a torn Achilles' tendon at age 32. The Boston Globe suggests a long-term extension that brings Wilfork's 2014 cap number into the $4 or $5 million range

 

[molsaniceman]

doubt raji becomes a pat

ESPN Packers blogger Rob Demovsky writes DE B.J. Raji reportedly turned down a contract offer from the team that averaged $8 million annually.

 

[TKO]

doubt raji becomes a pat

ESPN Packers blogger Rob Demovsky writes DE B.J. Raji reportedly turned down a contract offer from the team that averaged $8 million annually.

That figure is what Wilfork got when he signed in 2010 but Raji is younger than Vince was when he signed that deal. Wilfork is also free agent in 2015 so I'd rather see them pay Raji a little more because he's a longer term answer. I think they could probably fit them both in for one year by making other moves. In any event, I don't see them getting a better interior player out of the draft.

 

[cdumler7]

That figure is what Wilfork got when he signed in 2010 but Raji is younger than Vince was when he signed that deal. Wilfork is also free agent in 2015 so I'd rather see them pay Raji a little more because he's a longer term answer. I think they could probably fit them both in for one year by making other moves. In any event, I don't see them getting a better interior player out of the draft.

Usually all it takes is back loading the contract a bit. Since Wilfork's Cap Hit comes off the books after this next season just give Raji a huge signing bonus that is prorated over the contract so that the bigger cap hits come a year or two down the road while keeping this year very manageable. Now where teams get in trouble is if they do this too often but doing it for a player or two isn't a bad deal. The Broncos are probably going to be doing this over the next couple of years so that the big cap hits happen when Manning retires as well as Champ freeing up close to $30 million just from those two alone.