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          Letroy Guion's signing could mean end for B.J. Raji with Packers

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          Packers' locking up Guion is a sensible move (2:01)

          ESPN NFL Insider Field Yates discusses the Packers' move to further shore up their defensive line by signing DT Letroy Guion, and whether Green Bay will bring back B.J. Raji as well. (2:01)

          • Rob Demovsky, ESPN Staff WriterFeb 12, 2016, 11:10 AM ET
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              Rob Demovsky is an NFL reporter at ESPN and covers the Green Bay Packers. He has covered the Packers since 1997 and joined ESPN in 2013. Demovsky is a two-time Wisconsin Sportswriter of the Year as selected by the NSSA. You can follow him on Twitter at @RobDemovsky.
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          GREEN BAY, Wis. -- The last time Letroy Guion and B.J. Raji were headed toward free agency, the Green Bay Packers found a way to keep them both.

          That will be harder this time around.

          Last offseason, both Guion and Raji came back for one-year deals, each worth $2.75 million.

          But on Friday, the Packers signed Guion to a three-year deal worth up to $11.75 million, which could make it more difficult to bring back Raji, who also is seeking a multi-year deal.

          However, re-signing him is not out of the question.

          Indications are that the Packers would entertain re-signing Raji if he's willing to come back for similar money. However, Raji may be seeking a significantly higher-priced deal. He will turn 30 this summer and is coming off his best season in three years, so he likely knows this is his last chance at a sizeable contract.

          That could explain why the Packers decided to do a deal with Guion now, nearly a month before he would have hit the open market as a free agent. They likely saw Guion, who is a year younger than Raji, as a better value.

          Both Guion and Raji can play nose tackle. In fact, Guion had the more productive season when he played nose in 2014 while Raji was out with a torn biceps. Guion had the best year of his career with 4.0 sacks and 41 tackles (including playoffs) that season.

          Last season, Guion's production dropped off upon Raji's return. Defensive coordinator Dom Capers moved Guion to defensive end and put Raji back at nose tackle. Raji recorded one-half sack and 22 tackles in 15 regular-season games, while Guion had no sacks and 20 tackles in 13 games. Guion was also slow to get back in the groove when he returned from his three-game suspension to start 2015.

          Guion returned without any assurances from the Packers about where he would play or whether Raji would be back, but he was pleased with the potential security offered by a three-year deal.

          “The Green Bay Packers are a phenomenal organization, and Troy is excited to be back with his teammates,” Guion's agent, Seth Katz, told ESPN.com shortly after the deal was completed Friday morning. “He looks forward to helping the Packers to another Super Bowl.”

          Capers said after the season that he liked the direction his defense was headed late in the year. Since then, the Packers have re-signed a pair of defensive linemen -- Guion and Mike Daniels. So with or without Raji, the Packers will have most of their defensive line intact.