Packers show interest in Jermismatch Finley

[Bretsky]

http://youtube.com/watch?v=28fZ0_-q1bA

I like his fire

[Joemailman]

Sporting News WarRoom says Keller has good speed, is a downfield threat, does not have great hands and is not a good blocker. They rate him a 3-4 round prospect, with the potential to move up. He is a little short for a TE at just over 6-2. He definitely has a burst though.

[RashanGary]

Not to get caught up in measurables, but he might be 6'2" but I havn't seen a definitive height.

That's a position where you like them a little taller.

[b bulldog]

I like the potential from a guy I've seen play quite a bit, the TE from Mich St, Kellen Davis.

[RashanGary]

I like the potential from a guy I've seen play quite a bit, the TE from Mich St, Kellen Davis.

They say it's a good draft for TE's. Maybe the NFL gets a nice infusion of TE talent this year.

[Joemailman]

Sounds like Keller had a good day.

http://www.packersnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080223/PKR01/80223069/1989

[Lurker64]

They say it's a good draft for TE's. Maybe the NFL gets a nice infusion of TE talent this year.

It's a weirdly shaped draft overall. Great draft for OTs, CBs, TEs, and RBs. Very topheavy at DT, and quite weak at OG, C, and S. No elite QBs or WRs either, everybody in either of those positions has some major questions about their NFL potential.

At least, am I the only person getting this impression?

[HarveyWallbangers]

Finley ran a 4.83 at the combine today--according to JSO.

[b bulldog]

JSO has all the times for the TE's on their site

[KYPack]

Re: Stud

This dude is a stud!

Catches the ball with his hands. Great YAC. Reads blocks well. Goes up for the ball likes James Jones. Fits the packers mo for receivers.

On another board someone posted he ran a 4.82 forty at the combine. Immaterial. Dude plays fast.

Hope he is available in the first round. Maybe a trade down in the second round.

Wow, the return of Chewy&Jackson!

Sounds like you've seen this kid play. I've seen the highlight reel and I'm hoping he falls with a slower 40 time. He's smooth and from what I see he adjusts great to the football.

I agree. The 40 is the most overrrated statistic going. How often does a TE run 40 yards? 2 or 3 times a year? I love it when guys that are good prospects run slow 40's. You can then steal 'em with a low pick.

Terrell Davis ran a 4.65 40 and fell to the 6th round. 2 Superbowls later, he's lookin' pretty good.

That said, that Carlson from ND ran a 4.9+ 40. That's a worse time than Bubba had.

He'll be real "stealable".

[b bulldog]

That is why the combine is a joke

[ND72]

I like J. Finley from Texas a lot. He's a bit of a project in my mind, but I think he could be somethign special.

I do like Carlson from Notre Dame. He's a big, athletic guy. He blocks well, he catches well, he runs well. He reminds me A LOT of a Mark Chmura type guy. He's played in a west coast style offense, and in that scheme they use the TE as a way to stretch out the field and let the WR's cut under and make those solid comeback/out patterns that McCarthy likes.

Between the 2 I would probably prefer Carlson mostly because I know him better than Finley.

[Patler]

I like J. Finley from Texas a lot. He's a bit of a project in my mind, but I think he could be somethign special.

I do like Carlson from Notre Dame. He's a big, athletic guy. He blocks well, he catches well, he runs well. He reminds me A LOT of a Mark Chmura type guy. He's played in a west coast style offense, and in that scheme they use the TE as a way to stretch out the field and let the WR's cut under and make those solid comeback/out patterns that McCarthy likes.

Between the 2 I would probably prefer Carlson mostly because I know him better than Finley.

Carlson catches the ball like a basketball player, with his hands away from his body. Probably because he was a big time basketball player in high school and was on the Notre Dame varsity basketball team as a Freshman (didn't play but a few minutes). However, because of his basketball background he has very good feet and balance. Catching is very natural and easy for him, using just his hands. He catches on the run very well, and catches throws that are not on target. I have seen most of his games the last two seasons, but I don't pay attention to how well a TE blocks other than on an occasional play. However, my general impression is that he played quite physical, when needed.

I think he would be a nice fit for the Packers, but not in the first round. I doubt he will be that much of an impact player. Just a good steady one. I suspect there will be a more "impactful" (ie higher ranked) player available in the first round.

[RashanGary]

I like that Finley ran a poor 40. I'm always hoping a taltned player runs slower than expected so they drop.

Finley does look like a bit of a project, but he has a suddeness to his game that stands out. He did get run down from behind in his highlight vid when he was running long distances but I don't know that you need a TE who is going to turn a 10 YD catch into a 90 YD TD. I don't know how many of those there are in the NFL.

Anyway, what I liked about Finley was his short area explosion. He seemed to really accelerate in and out of cuts. For a guy that size, I think that skill makes him very hard to cover. James JOnes is liek that too. He's not a burner in a straight line, but he's big and he accelerates really hard out of cuts. That's the explosion that seems to make separation. I also think it's rare that real tall guys have that short area burst. It's a combination that I think would be make a real mismatch in the NFL.

[ND72]

I like J. Finley from Texas a lot. He's a bit of a project in my mind, but I think he could be somethign special.

I do like Carlson from Notre Dame. He's a big, athletic guy. He blocks well, he catches well, he runs well. He reminds me A LOT of a Mark Chmura type guy. He's played in a west coast style offense, and in that scheme they use the TE as a way to stretch out the field and let the WR's cut under and make those solid comeback/out patterns that McCarthy likes.

Between the 2 I would probably prefer Carlson mostly because I know him better than Finley.

Carlson catches the ball like a basketball player, with his hands away from his body. Probably because he was a big time basketball player in high school and was on the Notre Dame varsity basketball team as a Freshman (didn't play but a few minutes). However, because of his basketball background he has very good feet and balance. Catching is very natural and easy for him, using just his hands. He catches on the run very well, and catches throws that are not on target. I have seen most of his games the last two seasons, but I don't pay attention to how well a TE blocks other than on an occasional play. However, my general impression is that he played quite physical, when needed.

I think he would be a nice fit for the Packers, but not in the first round. I doubt he will be that much of an impact player. Just a good steady one. I suspect there will be a more "impactful" (ie higher ranked) player available in the first round.

Oh, I agree there. Carlson would be a nice 2nd round pick, but I don't know if he'll still be there when we pick in the 2nd round.