Bedard article on Finley (yikes)

[RashanGary]

http://www.jsonline.com/sports/packers/93864379.html

[RashanGary]

I'm a little surprised to see Jermichael had such a bizarre offseason.

Just reading this article, putting the timeline together in my head. . . I get the impression Finley got a little distracted this offseason, fired his agent and went with an enabler, then the Packers talked to him and got him back on track.


I'm a little worried about Finley right now. He sounds like a bit of a liar and a shady character.

So F-in talented though. I really hope he finds a way to keep it together.

[Tony Oday]

I'm a little surprised to see Jermichael had such a bizarre offseason.

Just reading this article, putting the timeline together in my head. . . I get the impression Finley got a little distracted this offseason, fired his agent and went with an enabler, then the Packers talked to him and got him back on track.


I'm a little worried about Finley right now. He sounds like a bit of a liar and a shady character.

So F-in talented though. I really hope he finds a way to keep it together.

I read it is he was being an idiot, got the wake up call, got his head on straight and now is ready to be a Packer Person

[Lurker64]

He was a 23 year old kid, being an idiot. The thing to notice is not that he was an idiot at 23 (who among us wasn't? I was in graduate school... and still an idiot), but that he's realized that he was an idiot (faster than I probably did) and took steps to correct this matter.

The fact that he was candid and conciliatory at all about this with the media is really rather remarkable for a player his age.

[Joemailman]

What makes me a little nervous is that he seems to be a guy who goes through periods where he won't listen to people who tell him what he needs to hear, only what he wants to here. Hopefully, he's growing out of it. The offseason can be a dangerous time for these young guys. Just ask Johnny Jolly. Too much free time, and too many shady characters who want to attach themselves to someone with the potential to make tons of money.

[RashanGary]

It's weird, the lying, followed by contrite. . . . It just doesn't make sense. Usually liars are too dishonest, to themselves even, to come out of it.

The fact that the Packers got their Head Coach, VP of Football operations and chief contract negotiator and General Manager in one room with Finley to talk about his future says a lot.


I don't know if they came right out and said it, but Finley is the type of unique talent I think the Packers would love to pay fairly and pay early. And Finley, with the young family, is the type of guy who could really benefit his young family if he got paid early and fairly.

If they're sketched out about his character, again, I'm not sure if they said this directly, but they will have tags they can use for several years. He'll get the Albert Hayensworth treatment of the uber talented but sketchy character.



I'm so excited about Finley. We've all seen the circus catches he makes and makes them look easy. He's nearly impossible to defend with one guy. Jennings obviously gives more of a vertical threat, but Finley's size, his down right amazing hands, his ability to track the ball and use his body to get in position. . . He's a unique talent, maybe the most unique Packer talent I've seen since Reggie White or a young Brett Favre. Like the article said, there is a chance he's the #1 TE in the whole NFL and he's 23 years old. He has NFL HOF potential. You can see that already.

That pow wow they had with the top people in the Packer organization. . .You know they think they have something special. It sounds like he might have gotten some humility. He is great, but if he realizes the true greats do it the right way, he's going have an amazing career and be a legendary Packer.

[Tarlam!]

Good points, Joe.

JH, what I am encouraged about is that Finley sat the Packers brass down and talked to them. Owned up to stuff they may not have even known about. Apologized and promised to be professional going forward. It wasn't the Packers that sat Finley down. It was the other way around, and over a period of weeks, if one may believe the article.

[RashanGary]

Good points, Joe.

JH, what I am encouraged about is that Finley sat the Packers brass down and talked to them. Owned up to stuff they may not have even known about. Apologized and promised to be professional going forward. It wasn't the Packers that sat Finley down. It was the other way around, and over a period of weeks, if one may believe the article.

I'm hopeful. This has a chance to work out really well.

Just the instablity though, there is a part of me that worries that this will pop back up and be a nightmare.

[Tarlam!]

Just the instablity though, there is a part of me that worries that this will pop back up and be a nightmare.

OK, but go back to Charles' first season in Green Bay. We're talking about a multi Pro Bowl participant coming off a couple of injury riddled/ruined years that has only one team bidding for his services.

Chuck HATED the idea of playing in GB. He avoided ALL voluntary stuff and was only gonna punch his timecard and get out.

By his own admission, the organisation blew him away with its class and professionalism. It occured to us all that M3 & TT had won over Chuck's passion by the following off season, because he was amongst the first into camp for things voluntary thereafter and is himself a huge fan of the city, the team and their followers. It's all on the Wiki page to read.

With role models like Charles Woodson, Al Harris and by recognizing the rewards given to the diligent players he named in his quoate, Finley has turned the maturity corner IMO.

Further, when we mention the Packer players that have had a run in with the law or are guilty of misconduct, the list is pretty short. Barnett in a bar room squabble, Jolly with a strong brew and the 3rd TE breaking his shoulder prolly doin' doughnuts in front of his house.

The ambient environment of Green Bay seems to travel into off season domociles pretty well for most Packer players.

I think Finley will be fine with his work ethic. And the new guy Quarter Horse has similar measurables and is reportedly an excellent blocker coming out. That'll keep Finley looking over his shoulder.

[RashanGary]

It could work out. I'm not arguing that. He could be a great Packer.


If Finley shows up this year, then has a good, stable offseason next year, I could see the Packers giving him a 3 or 4 year extension sometime around the start of training camp next year.

[pbmax]

The only good thing in that story, if true, is that he realized he was doing himself no good in Austin and needed to change his agent. If those two things are true, then he stands a good chance of realizing his potential.

[green_bowl_packer]

This kind of shows what an "air tight" organization the Packers are information wise, if GB press knows about this stuff they would have buried the kid. Did the Pack learn how to do this from Ari Fleischer or the Vatican?

Refreshing to see Finley showing the accountability and responsibility that McCarthy always talks about, whatever his motives he's put him self out there to publicly to walk his talk. Seems though he still had a lost off season, which would explain his boxing training regimen, he had nothing better to do - maybe it will help; who knows.

I wonder if his awakening wasn't closer to the end of April when Quarles was drafted. Competition is a beautiful thing. He's pretty much telling Packer fans that he's the typical “a tell you what you want to hear kind of guy”, we should be used to that by now. What he does on the field is really all that matters, especially if he can replicate his last nine games of 09 over 16+ games in 2010.

This seems to be kind of a "OK starting now . . ." sort of reset on his immature stuff to date and if putting it out there publicly is his personal check - go for it, more power to him.

[Scott Campbell]

None of this should be much of a surprise. Whenever you hear comments about "immaturity", there are usually these kinds of things going on behind the scenes. And we've been hearing comments about Finley's immaturity since he got drafted. At least he appears to have an appreciation for the people around him who are not enablers. Some guys grow up, and some just grow worse. Time will tell.

Nice job Bedard.

[RashanGary]

Agreed, SC. Nice job by Bedard here. He gave us a bunch of information about Finley that we didn't already know. None of it felt contrived, fabricated or stretched to make a story. It was just straight forward information.

[RashanGary]

And this is a part of McCarthy I like. He's developing a little history here being able to handle difficult but talented players. He seems to have a good, healthy rapport with these players where he can get through to them without alienating them.