Packer Update

The Packers owe veteran tight end Jermichael Finley a hefty roster bonus in March

Bob McGinn of the Journal Sentinel opined that Jermichael Finley would not return in 2013 “barring a shocking turn of events in the next month or so.” Well, if one of the country’s most respected football writers was correct in December, then the enigmatic tight end will no longer be a Packer by the middle of March.

Truth be told, there was no shocking turn of events when it came to Finley in the final few months of the season. The 25-year-old simply looked like a guy who suddenly realized that he was on the verge of blowing millions of dollars. So he kept his mouth shut and caught 31 passes in the final 7 games. Good for him, but would that classify as a shocking turn of events? More importantly, is that worth $8 million?

When I re-watched those 7 games, I saw better effort out of Finley, but I also saw a player who really struggled to block and who really struggled to separate from very ordinary safeties and linebackers. The majority of his 31 receptions came in the flat, and many were uncontested. Rarely did Finley make a play down the field. To be fair, Aaron Rodgers missed him a number of times, but that happens to all receivers.

Finley supporters argue that his numbers will never be eye-popping because he has to share the ball with so many other quality receivers. There’s some truth to that, but it’s not all about numbers when it comes to the former Texas star. It’s about making the most of opportunities – something he didn’t do nearly enough in 2012. His Ed West-like yards per catch average (10.9) and measly 2 TDs would attest to that.

So what will happen between now and the middle of March, when Finley is due a $3.5 million roster bonus? Probably nothing. With star wide receiver Greg Jennings on his way out of town, it’s difficult to imagine GM Ted Thompson allowing another weapon – albeit more a pop gun than a cannon – to leave as well.

And if Finley does return for another season, it won’t be due to a shocking turn of events. It’ll be due to his improved performance, his improved attitude, and most importantly, his good fortune to be playing for a team that will be losing its best wide receiver in a few months and has no proven backup plan at tight end.

Tight end Jermichael Finley hasn’t been the same since his knee injury

While most fans and members of the media have been focusing on Jermichael Finley’s drops for the past 21 games, I’m more concerned about his decreased athleticism. Ever since injuring his right knee against the Washington Redskins nearly two years ago, the fifth-year tight end from the University of Texas hasn’t looked anything like the physical freak who dominated defenses late in 2009 and early in 2010.

Finley is still a good athlete, but he’s not separating from defenders the way he did prior to the injury. I first noticed this last summer. Players he was leaving in the dust a year earlier were able to stay close and contest passes. That disturbing trend is continuing. Finley was targeted a total of 16 times against the 49ers and the Bears. After re-watching both games, I counted only a handful of times when Finley provided quarterback Aaron Rodgers with a sizable window. The majority of the throws were into tight spaces.

Finley hasn’t had any significant trouble with his knee since returning at the start of the 2011 season, so structurally it’s probably OK. But that doesn’t mean it’s 100 percent. I’m certainly not a doctor, but it’s difficult to come up with any other logical explanation for why a 25-year-old would suddenly lose explosiveness.

None of this is to suggest that Finley should be phased out of the offense. He’s still more talented than three-quarters of the players at his position. But the idea that he’s going to be the next Kellen Winslow, Antonio Gates or Tony Gonzalez is probably unrealistic. Of course, the Packers don’t need him to be a future Hall of Famer. They just need him to be reliable, and that’s something his right knee has nothing to do with. Dropping balls and missing blocks are all problems that happen about four feet north of the knee.

Finley has lost weight and plans on being a tight end in name only this season

Watching the Packers win the Super Bowl without him hasn’t humbled Jermichael Finley – at least not outwardly. The start of the 2011 season may still be almost two months away, but the fourth-year tight end’s mouth is already in midseason form. And while most of what Finley said to reporters after a recent workout in the Twin Cities was rather innocuous, I found his declaration that the offense will be “way, way different” to be a bit disconcerting. And something tells me the people at 1265 Lombardi Ave. weren’t thrilled either.

Here’s what Finley said when asked by Judd Zulgad of the Minneapolis Star Tribune what he expects his role to be in the offense (by the way, it says something when one of the more interesting stories on the Packers this offseason was initiated by a reporter who covers the Vikings): “I’m thinner right now. GB (is) probably not like me right now but I’m trying to stand up this year. I’m not going to sugarcoat it. I think (lining up in) a two-point (stance), I can get on the linebacker quicker, I can get on the safety quicker and it’s a win-win for me and 12 (Aaron Rodgers).”

According to Finley, he stood up “a good 60” percent of the time last year. “Standing up, I think that’s the best position for me,” he said. Asked if the coaches are comfortable with that, Finley replied, “They’re going to be comfortable with it.”

When reminded by Zulgad that he plays a position that requires the occasional block or two, Finley needed little time or prodding to come up with a response. ““We’ve got tons of guys (who can block), to tell you the truth and we drafted two of them. We drafted two tight ends this year,” he said. Asked if the selections of Williams and Taylor raised some eyebrows, Finley replied, “It did, but at the same time I know my ability and I see the ability they brought in and I guarantee you I’ll still be a focus.”

Granted, after listening to Steelers’ linebacker James Harrison call Commissioner Roger Goodell a “crook and a puppet” and Eagles’ wide receiver DeSean Jackson refer to gay people as “faggots” in the past few weeks, I’ll admit Finley’s quotes are no big deal. But it’s just another example of the former Texas star appearing to put himself before the team. Look, every tight end in the world would prefer to line up more often as a receiver and less often in a three-point stance at the line of scrimmage, but how many of them would say that publicly? And how many of them would say that at the age of 24 and with only 82 career receptions on their résumé?

It would be one thing if the coaches told Finley to lose weight and be prepared to line up at receiver on the majority of downs, but that doesn’t appear to be the case. For one thing, Mike McCarthy has only seen his players one time this entire offseason, and I doubt he broached this subject with Finley during the ring ceremony. And for another, just re-read the quotes. It sure sounds as if he made the decision to slim down on his own. The admission that “GB (is) probably not like me right now but I’m trying to stand up this year” is pretty telling.

As much as I admire Finley’s talent, I’ve always had a problem with his personality. Here’s the concluding paragraph of a story I wrote last August: “While there’s obviously a lot to like about Finley, there’s also enough red flags to be concerned. It’s easy to use his age as an excuse, but the truth is, some players never grow up. And don’t you have to worry about a player who can’t – or more accurately won’t – follow the rules on the night before the biggest game of his life? And we haven’t even broached the subject of fame and fortune and how Finley will deal with those two things. Look, maybe he’ll be fine and someday I’ll look back on this post and laugh. But my gut tells me something else. Check back in a few years and we’ll see if I was prescient or just gassy.” Pass me a Pepcid.