Brandon broke the news, but it's news so nice, we can post it twice. After a two-week holdout that felt like two years, sources indicate that B.J. Raji will sign a contract on Friday.
(Note: if you're interested in Packer bashing by Vikings fans, I suggest you check out the comment section of the PFT post. It's as if the worst of Daily Norseman's commentariat cloned themselves.)
While it's later than we would like, it's still excellent news. Raji has the advantage of playing a position that doesn't require as much finesse as most other positions. His fundamental skills are sound, and his main job responsibilities are disrupting the line of scrimmage and breaking double teams. Not nearly as complicated as reading coverages, calling audibles, or learning to split double coverage.
The biggest drawback is that Raji will absolutely sit out on Saturday against the Browns. Two weeks is a lot of time to miss, even when your main job is to smash, shove, and devour offensive linemen and running backs alike. I was excited to "see" him in action (I put "see" in quotes because, without NFL Network, I won't be able to tune in. Lousy New York television market.)
Regardless, Raji should be able to see action during the next preseason game against Buffalo. More importantly, he'll take the field against Chicago in September, along with Ryan Pickett, Cullen Jenkins, Johnny Jolly, and maybe even Justin Harrell. Barring injury, that's a good group of defensive linemen.