Jermichael Finley-Wide receiver or tight end?

Ok, limit it to playoffs.

It's not a simple decision and probably why it has taken a while. However, watching how the offense evolved with Finley off the field in 10-11; it becomes a little easier.

The fact that we won a SB without Finley proves he's a luxury, not a necessity. We can live without him, but it's nice to have him. As long as Rodgers is running the offense it will perform at a high level with or without Jermichael Finley.

It's a little deeper than physical talent and what a football player can do on the field. If that was the case, Randy Moss probably would have been a Packer a few years ago and TT would dive head first into free agency every off-season.

quote:

Originally posted by Orlando Wolf:
0-2 in playoff games when healthy.
4-0 in playoff games and Super Bowl Champion when he is out of the line-up.

Let him walk Ted.

Now that you mention it, I totally forgot how he single-handedly sunk the team in the Arizona Wild Card game.

Screw it, bring in Marshawn too.

I want to keep Finley. I don't subscribe to the notion that he's a "luxury"

I'm more of the belief he's part of the team and needs to stay part of the team to continue making the offense successful.

I'd love to keep him, he's a very talented player. We don't need him badly enough to throw huge money at him though. If he balks at a reasonable offer from Thompson and/or demands the WR franchise tag number then I would let him walk.

Jenkins played in the Super Bowl but is injury prone.

Which if these TE's is Finley more valuable than?

Clark, Colts
Daniels, Texans
Davis, Niners
Gates, Chargers
Gonzalez, Falcons
Lewis, Jacksonville
Miller Seattle
Miller, Steelers
Olsen, Panthers
Winslow, Buccaneers
Witten, Cowboys

Finley averaged 3.5 receptions and about 45 yards per game this past season. I realize he attracts attention and opens things up for others, but still 3.5 catches and 45 yards per game is pretty pedestrian.

quote:

Originally posted by Grave Digger:
I'd love to keep him, he's a very talented player. We don't need him badly enough to throw huge money at him though. If he balks at a reasonable offer from Thompson and/or demands the WR franchise tag number then I would let him walk.

is there anyone that disagrees with this?

The maddening thing about Finley is that he might figure everything out one day and be terrifyingly dominant. You're betting on the come.

What no one knows is what Finley are we going to see after he gets paid? More focused? Less?

The guy has built a legacy on possibility. His upside is worth a calculated risk. I'm sure TT will put an offer in front of him that assumes some risk from the Packers side but not so much that it hurts him long term if JF ends up being what he's shown so far. A talent freak that never really put it all together.

quote:

Originally posted by Hungry5:
Which if these TE's is Finley more valuable than?

Clark, Colts
Daniels, Texans
Davis, Niners
Gates, Chargers
Gonzalez, Falcons
Lewis, Jacksonville
Miller Seattle
Miller, Steelers
Olsen, Panthers
Winslow, Buccaneers
Witten, Cowboys

Daniels, Lewis, Miller, Miller, and Olsen.

I'd also take him over Clark as he is 32 and, IMO, will regress without Manning.

For those six, here are their contracts.

Avg (guaranteed)
Dallas Clark, Indianapolis, $6.96 million ($20.1 million)
Zach Miller, Seattle, $6.8 million ($17 million)
Mercedes Lewis, Jacksonville, $6.8 million ($17 million)
Heath Miller, Pittsburgh, $6.75 million ($12.5 million)
Greg Olsen, Carolina, $5.67 million ($2.5 million)
Owen Daniels, Houston, $5.5 million ($6 million)

Point is, and Silverstein blogged about it today, Finley has these deals to compare to when negotiating.


Here are the deals for the others.

Jason Witten, Dallas, $7.4 million ($18.5 million)
Vernon Davis, SF, $7.35 million ($23 million)
Antonio Gates, SD, $7.235 million ($20.4 million)
Kellen Winslow, Tampa Bay, $6.6 million ($20.1 million)
Tony Gonzalez, Atlanta, $6.25 million ($17.75 million)

Finley is going to get paid, and I hope it is Green Bay that shows him the money.

I don't envy Ted Thompson having to make a decision on Finley. There's so many variables with him it's unreal. The Pack did win a Super Bowl without him and yet that was also with a defense that was #2 in the NFL. With that defense no longer looking like a rock solid unit, you almost feel like you need an offense like what they had last year to have any sort of chance at playoff success.

Without Finley, I think that offense does drop off a little bit from all time great to merely great or very good. The defense is going to have be drastically improved to pick up the slack if the offense does go down a notch or 2.

quote:

I don't envy Ted Thompson having to make a decision on Finley.

I'll just keep repeating myself every so often... There is no decision to be made with Finley. He will either sign a deal with GB or be franchised as a TE. He's not leaving GB. Finley is ridiculously talented and he's still a young ascending football player. Some of you guys that claim to be Packer fans need to start paying attention to how TT operates. He builds his teams through the draft and keeps his young players with little, if any, exceptions to that rule.

There is so much focus on Finley's drops. Yea, he had way too many... however, according to Kareem Copeland, Finley was the 3rd most productive TE in the NFL last season (Only Gronk and Graham were better), even with all those grizzly drops. Finley's presence on the football creates headaches for opposing defenses that opens up opportunities for other players. Finley's physical skills are such that opposing defenses game plan for him week in and week out.

But yea, keep talking about drops, celebrations and his personality while ignoring his production... Finley is damn good now and I'd bet that he's going to get a helluva lot better as the years go by.

I think our O drops like 25% without him. It isn't only his production but how much easier it is for the rest of the guys with him being doubled all the time.

Link?

you want a link to his thought?

With the combination of:

1. Finley's young age, and,

2. Last season being his 1st following knee surgery,

. . . I don't think there is any choice but to re-sign him or tag him. Can't chance him ending up with a NFC rival. This upcoming season will be the telling one of his being boom or bust, imo. He says all the right things and with this upcoming 2nd season removed from surgery, we should see the real JF.

TT should give him another contract. If at the end of that we'll know if we have a perennial all-pro type, or one of unfulfilled potential.