Extending Finley...

I'd like him back, but I believe he believes he is worth more than GB is willing to offer (rightly so).  The Vikings will certainly overpay. 

I think he walks. GB will not give him what he wants, because he just isn't that good. He's another candidate for the Vikings. 

Considering that Raji, Jones, Nelson, I believe, and a host of others have expiring contracts, plus the fact that Cobb needs a new contract soon, Finley will probably be expendable.

agree with Boston Jim.  He's had ample time and opportunity.  Jimmy Graham is lightyears ahead of Finley.  Heck even ol' Witten is far more reliable, and that almost retired Gonzalez in Atlanta runs better and quicker routes.

Time to move on.  Worth $3-4mil per season tops.  Just not tough enough nor consistent enough.  You're supposed to be able to rely on your TE catching that 7 yard pass for 1st down like you count on the sun rising.

Have a hard time with his contract so far this season.  Compared with some of the top TEs in the league, he is playing like a decoy. 

 

Watching Denver and how they utilize Demaryius Thomas, that is how I envision Finley in this offense.  Realize Thomas is a wide receiver but an athletic TE like Finley certainly has all the potential to do those type of things.  If he can't stay on the field physically or mentally, then would be nice to get someone in that can be that type of player.

Finley's good, but that's it. We've seen enough of him to know what kind of player he is. So has Ted. Unless he's willing to take a reasonable deal, I'd let him walk. Finding an adequate replacement shouldn't be that difficult.

I'd let Finley leave. He's not worth the money he's paid. He shows how good he could be(in spurts then disappears). He's very immature & has iffy catching ability & is a poor blocker. The PACKER $ is needed elsewhere.

Agreed. He seems to have his mojo back somewhat this year, but doubt that we'll ever see that level of play from the AZ playoff game some years back. I just have never seen him on the same level as a Jason Witten or Jimmy Graham. 

But that pendulum swigs both ways doesn't it? If the common view is he is good but not great, if he doesn't find suitors in his desired price range, perhaps he doesn't walk. Maybe he's shown the door like Jennings- doesn't it appear to be that way? If they dot extend, they aren't going to keep him...

I'd only want to see him re-signed if it was a bargain contract, and I have a feeling that Finley wouldn't accept that.

 

we shouldn't have resigned Clay Matthews because he's not the best rush linebacker in the league. shouldn't have resigned Morgan Burnett because he's not the best FS in the league. shouldn't have resigned Brad Jones because he's not the best ILB in the league.

 

If we don't resign Finley it will be because he asks for too much money, not because he isn't Jimmy Graham. 

I wasn't the one that said he was the best TE in the NFL and was gonna YOTTO....

The money would be better spent elsewhere. The drops keep coming, and he hasn't matured much at all. Seeing him do a celebration dance after a first down and then follow it up with a drop the next time he's targetted is getting really old.

Jimmy Graham currently has more drops

If they can get a mid range contract on him, I'd be fine with that. I just don't want to see him get a big contract when more valuable players are up for FA next year.

Just off the top of my head without looking at a list of TEs, I'd think Finley is somewhere between the 10th and 15th best TE in the NFL.  That's without me really doing any research, just sort of a gut feel on what I see out there.  

 

I've always been a Finley defender, but at this point, it is clear he will never be an elite TE like I thought he could.  I can't really put my finger on it, but he just seems to fall a bit short at times of what a top TE would accomplish.  He's definitely pretty good, but does pretty good deserve a huge contract?  I think not.  Something like 3 million a year sounds about right to me, but I would imagine to him that would be a major insult. 

May very well have won the game at Cincy had he not been injured and I wouldn't underestimate what he brings to the team. I'd love to have him back if a reasonable price can be agreed upon which could be unlikely.

If they paid him like he plays:

 

He would get flashes of huge cash followed by some anemic paychecks and then some that get lost by the USPS and then a huge check again, followed by some anemic checks and a few that get lost in the mail

 

 

 

 

 

Hell NO...

 

They guys production does not outweigh his baggage.  Even if he tests the market and gets the James Jones treatment, I don't want him back.   He is a top 15 pass catching TE, bottom 15 blocking because he simply chooses not to do it half the time.

 

Athletic guys at TE are becoming more and more common.  I would rather take a shot with AQ and a rookie than pay him and risk the cancer spreading.  The money could be put to much better use. 

 

 

The team would have saved itself a significant amount of money and cut him loose if he was a locker room problem (cancer). I understand some people just don't like him but no need to create an issue that isn't there.

If he was paid like he plays, the check would bounce.

 

Ted would drop the check, then quickly run to the sidewalk and point to the bank in a first down manner

Using Graham as a barometer for tight ends probably isn't the best approach.  Graham is head and shoulders the best pass catching TE in the league IMO.  

 

I think Finley is a lot more talented than given credit for.  Sure, he could be a bit more productive but the roster is pretty damn dismal behind him...which is why we saw TT pay Finley such a high salary for this season.

 

Often forgotten is the fact that Finley set the Packer franchise record last year for most catches by a Tight End.  Finley is also 3rd in franchise history with most receiving yards at his position.  

 

As for this season, Finley is on pace to break his own record for receptions (68), another 600+ yard season and 8 TDS.  That's pretty damn good.  Is he Jimmy Graham good?  No, but there's only so many "Peyton Mannings" in the business.  

 

At 26 years of age, a TT draft pick and a guy that's on pace to be the most productive Tight End in franchise history, I would fully expect TT to make Finley a priority as the season winds down.  

". I understand some people just don't like him but no need to create an issue that isn't there."

Yes, the media doesn't like him and puts words in his mouth.  Come on' man.  He has a laundry list a mile long of stupid statements and actions.  If he was on the Viking, he would be the preferred source of comedy. 

Stupid statements? You mean like his YOTTO schtick? What else would you classify here? Other than having kids with more than 1 woman, what stupid actions?

 

If he was on the Vikings he'd be lucky to get 30 - 300 - & 5.

Must be lot's of Colorado residents in the place with the short term memory loss.

1 - Calls #12 scared.
""He’s got a lot to think about. I would be scared, too, if I was getting hit like that.”"
http://profootballtalk.nbcspor...mistry-with-rodgers/

2 - His agent is the one who started the Leadership bit about #12 that Jennings then carried on this offseason. "@Joe_Smith07 ARod is a great QB he isn't a great leader. There's a major difference. Leaders take the blame & make every1 better. He doesn't"  No public statment from Fin saying his agent should STFU.

3 - The Super Bowl photo PR stunt.

4 - After getting injured says he will never tackle again,

5 - Calls out Rogers his rookie year. 

The whole season of "Chemistry" bullshtick that Rodgers had to indure / ignore. 

1. What's the whole context of that statement? Saying he called Rodgers scared is stretching it.

 

2. He publicly disagreed with his agents comments.

 

3. Finley said it was "not cool." Then softened his criticism later in the day. None of the players on IR (all eleventy-billion of them) were in the picture - it was a numbers thing.

 

4. Don't recall this. Would like to read that quote.

 

5. A 20 year old shooting off his mouth? What's this world coming to. The guy has matured.

 

Read your own link in #1, Finley talks a lot about himself not having chemistry with Rodgers. I never had an issue with Finley's comments about chemistry. 

And still, Ted resigned him.  

 

teamates seem to like him, he seems to have matured from the diarrhea of the mouth a few years ago (that might be free agency talking).  Not taking the field has been the biggest issue lately which will bring his tag down.  

 

I think Ted gives it another shot, but another team overpays.  

I tend to agree.  I think TT is going to attempt to sign Finley and it wouldn't surprise me if talks are already happening.  The issue at hand is going to be how big a piece of the pie Finley is worth to the Packers.  He is one of many UFA's coming up and there's going to be some tough calls ahead.  If Finley "walks", it won't be because TT didn't try to sign him.  On the flip side, I can't blame a player for taking more money elsewhere.  The NFL is a business... and that business works in both directions.  

Count me in the camp of TT makes a FAIR offer, but another team overpays.

 

And that offer TT makes will have everything to do with his on-the-field production. I don't see Finley as a cancer type player. Does he say stupid sh** sometimes? Yes.

 

But when think of a player who's a cancer it's one who's arrested multiple time or who commits personal foul penalties time and again costing his team the game, or who constantly bitches about not getting the ball  enough or openly whines about their contract etc. None of that is Finley.

 

The only argument I could see him making (particularly to a team as a FA) is that with the talent of WR's GB has that's why he didn't produce like a Graham, Gronk, Gonzalez etc. And a team like the Vikings I can see them buying that hook line & sinker.

 

 

As for Finley saying stuff, he was on being interviewed on a show before TC and gave very short answers to questions.  The one thing he said that stuck with me was "every time I say something people take it the wrong way" - that's the GOL paraphrase.  Since then he has avoided the media.  I believe that admission and action is a sign of growing maturity.

 

As for if TT re-signs him?  I'm with the rest of you. 

I thought your comments were interesting, OW. It made me recall the time discussions were made about applying the franchise tag to Finley and he/his agent wanted to use the WR tender instead of the TE. Their argument was the number of snaps he lined up as a WR 'qualified' him at that tender.

This made me wonder when the last time was he was doing this? It had to be pre-injury, as I don't recall him lining up in a formation in a receiver position. Considering that, he doesn't have much more value that Quarless, if at all. He could, but I think we've seen his peak.

 

 

Finley is the best tight end on the team and if you let him go we may not have anyone like him for years.   But, at what price do we keep him?

I actually DON'T think Finley gets a fair offer from TT, but that's not gonna really be TT's fault. Given other "core" players TT will need to sign, I don't see there being much $$ for Finley. He'll get fairer offers elsewhere, but someone (Vikes) will overpay. Doesn't seem like the type of guy to give a "hometown discount".

Which other players have contracts up or contracts that need to be extended?  I'm sure there is a list but not sure who they are.

I don't know the complete list off the top of my head but it includes some really good players...

 

Finley, Pickett, Jones, Raji, Burnett... I think Jolly and Shields too.  Money has to be saved to extend Cobb as well.  

UNRESTRICTED (15)
Name	Position	Age	Seasons	Accrued '13 Base Salary
*Ryan Pickett	NT	33	12	$5,400,000
*B.J. Raji	DE	27	4	$4,490,000
*Jermichael Finley	TE	26	5	$4,450,000
*James Jones	WR	29	6	$2,950,000
*Sam Shields	CB	25	3	$2,023,000
*John Kuhn	FB	31	7	$1,800,000
*Evan Dietrich-Smith	C	27	3	$1,323,000
Marshall Newhouse	T	24	3	$1,323,000
Andrew Quarless	TE	24	3	$1,323,000
Seneca Wallace	QB	33	9	$840,000
*Johnny Jolly	DE	30	4	$715,000
Rob Francois	LB	28	3	$630,000
Mike Neal	LB	26	3	$630,000
James Starks	RB	27	3	$630,000
C.J. Wilson	DE	26	3	$630,000
RESTRICTED (2)
*M.D. Jennings	S	25	2	$555,000
Jamari Lattimore	LB	24	2	$555,000
EXCLUSIVE RIGHTS (1)
Chris Banjo	S	23	0	$405,000

 

 

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Man, that's a tough group of players to prioritize.  I'll give it a go:

 

1- Shields

2 - Neal

3 - Finley

4 - Raji

5 - Jones

6 - EDS

 

I left off Pickett and Jolly because I think both of them will sign team friendly deals with GB.  Pickett loves it here and I think Jolly feels obligated (As he should) to hang around GB.  

 

If I had to guess, I think this is Tramon's last season in GB.  His money will go to Shields.

 

For the rest of the UFA class, I can take them or leave them.  Newhouse would be nice to keep as a solid backup.  Wilson has been a healthy scratch a few times this season so I think he's being phased out.  Kuhn is about done.  Starks can't stay on the field.  Francois is coming off a big injury.  Quarless is ok....

Shields, Raji, Finley, Jones, Neal

 

Not completely sold on Neal yet, but I like what I see

You're all wrong.

 

Shields, Raji, Neal, Jones, Finley.

 

I agree with what seems to be the consensus here...Finley is a good to very good TE from week to week. He's just never going to replicate that very brief stretch of brilliance he displayed in 2009-2010. Draft a guy in the first few rounds next April, and see if Quarless develops from here on out.