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Be The GM: Peterson Vs. Raji
Authored by Andrew Perna - 15th August, 2009 - 11:45 am
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To be quite honest, I don't expect this matchup to be close. It's not a knock on B.J. Raji, or even the Packers, but Adrian Peterson is simply that rare of a talent.

Of the five matchups we have featured prior to this one, Thursday's battle between Seattle linebacker Aaron Curry and Rams offensive lineman Jason Smith is the most lopsided. The battle is still ongoing, but the Seahawks rookie had received 77% of the voting at the time of this posting.

We're knee-deep into the first round, so cast your vote and make sure to check out the opening article in order to catch up on matchups you may have missed.

Why Peterson Is A Franchise Player

A small essay could be written about why you should choose Peterson, but I don't think a lengthy explanation is needed. He's one of the game's best players, and just two years into his career many believe that he will go down in history as one of the greatest to ever take the field.

Peterson is a powerful runner, but also possesses an extra gear that allows him to break off exceptionally long runs. Watching him break one is similar to listening to your band's favorite song -- no matter how many times you hear it, it never gets old.

He sees developing holes well, cutting in and out of spots without losing much speed. There were questions about his durability heading into his second season, but he appeared in all sixteen regular-season contests in 2008. He carried the ball at least 17 times in each of those games en route to 1,760 yards and ten touchdowns.

Just get it over with and vote for A.P. He's got great initials.

Why Raji Is A Franchise Player

Raji has good speed for a defensive tackle of his size, but most of the speed comes on his initial move and then disappears. He's a strong guy and appears to be high on football intelligence, but he's yet to show his skills in the NFL.

RealGM colleague Jeff Risdon pointed out in his pre-draft assessment that Raji dominated a strong crop of guards/centers at the Senior Bowl, which was undoubtedly one of the reasons Green Bay took him with the ninth overall pick in April's NFL Draft.

He's a perfect fit for the 3-4 defense, which is exactly the scheme the Packers are now employing.


Click here to cast your vote and here to read the opening article


Andrew Perna is Deputy Editor of RealGM.com and co-host of RealGM's Radio Show. Please feel free to contact him with comments or questions via e-mail: Andrew.Perna@RealGM.com
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