Did the Packers Get Good Value in Re-Signing Letroy Guion and B.J. Raji?

While the Green Bay Packers eliminated an immediate need at nose tackle by re-signing Letroy Guion and B.J. Raji on one-year deals, it's probably fair to question the nearly $7 million general manager Ted Thompson needed to pay to retain both players. 

According to Adam Caplan of ESPN, Guion's one-year deal will be worth $2.75 million. Meanwhile, Raji agreed to an incentive-laden contract worth up to $4 million, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. 

Guion secured a significant pay bump over the one-year, $1 million deal he signed with the Packers last spring. On the field, he earned the raise. Guion started all 16 games for Green Bay in 2014, giving the Packers a steady presence inside while also setting new career highs in tackles (32) and sacks (3.5). 

Raji will be back on another "prove-it" deal. He signed a similarly valued $4 million deal last March, in hopes that a position change back to nose tackle would help re-establish his market. Raji never got the chance after a torn biceps injury ended his season after three preseason games. 

By bringing the pair back, Thompson can probably cross the defensive line off his list of pressing needs for next month's draft. The Packers now have a comfortable level of depth up front, which should allow Thompson to pursue other, more obvious needs at inside linebacker and cornerback. 

The prices for each just appear above market value. 

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Guion lost most of his negotiating leverage back in February, when he was arrested for felony possession of marijuana and a firearm in Florida. While not prosecuted for the original charges, according to Tyler Dunne of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Guion is still open for punishment from the league office under the NFL's personal conduct policy. 

The arrest all but eliminated the possibility of a multiyear deal, but did not keep Guion from getting a sizable raise. It's possible Guion's visit to Seattle last week—as reported by Rapoport—helped leverage the Packers into agreeing to a little more than Thompson wanted. 

The price of Raji's deal is far more puzzling. 

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Again, the fit is fine. Raji appeared to be embracing the transition back to nose tackle last August, and he'll add another big (and familiar) body along a defensive line that wasn't deep enough last year. If healthy, Raji is low risk and high reward. 

But it's hard to imagine how he's worth $3.5 million—with the possibility of $4 million—in 2015. 

Raji found a depressed market last spring and signed for nearly the same amount. Despite missing the entire season, he still managed to squeeze another decent payday from the Packers. 

Several years of marginal impact (last sack was back in 2011) and a lost season due to a major injury should have been no way to create leverage, especially when his interest outside Green Bay was almost nonexistent. 

Comparing Raji's deal to others signed this offseason understates the point.

	Team	Years	Average
T. Knighton	WAS	1	$4.45M
V. Wilfork	HOU	2	$4.5M
N. Fairley	STL	1	$5.0M
H. Melton	TB	1	$3.75M
R. Starks	CLE	2	$3.25M
K. Langford	IND	4	$4.3M
B. Raji	GB	1	$3.5-4.0M

If he earns the full value of the deal, Raji will make roughly the same amount as Terrance Knighton in Washington and Vince Wilfork in Houston. 

Knighton's deal with Washington is for just under $4.5 million, while Wilfork's two-year deal with the Texans will pay him $5 million in guaranteed money. Essentially, Thompson could have signed either Knighton or Wilfork and paid less in 2015 than he now will for both Guion and Raji. 

Knighton was one of the premier defensive tackles in football last season. When in shape and properly motivated, he's a wide-bodied terror against the run. Wilfork's championship credentials need no emphasizing. 

Then again, this is how the Packers operate. Thompson will always prioritize re-signing his own over picking off the scrap heap, and signing Knighton would have played into next year's compensatory pick equation. 

But there's certainly some level of risk. 

Guion is facing potential discipline from the league, and Raji is coming back from a serious injury. The two possessed very little leverage but still managed to secure deals worth almost $7 million combined. 

The money will be a nonfactor over the long run if Guion stays out of trouble and Raji can return healthy and productive. Those are still slightly worrying ifs. The Packers were obviously content to pay a decent price to see if the pair can hold down the nose tackle position in 2015. 

Zach Kruse covers the NFC North for Bleacher Report. 

Follow @zachkruse2