Match Made In Heaven: McCarthy and Finley

[Brandon494]

I still have to laugh at fans who think we should let Finley walk.

[channtheman]

There is no denying Finley's talent but the more I follow him the more I think he's gone next year. Last year we proved we could win an SB without him and this year he's disappeared in several games and it's not due to double teams. To be honest, the team was almost worse last year when he was clicking. In that I mean early in the season last year his stats were going through the roof and Jennings and the rest of the WR's were suffering and it almost seemed the Rodgers had tunnel vision for Finley to the cost of the rest of the offense.

I think without him we're more balanced and that one of the four other TE's (Quarless, Crabtree, Williams, or Taylor) will step up enough that the cost of resigning Finley is just too high with new contracts on the horizon for Matthews and Raji. Plus resigning Wells should be a high priority as we don't seem to have anybody slated to replace him unless we take one high in the 2012 draft.

If he goes via FA we'll likely get a 3rd or 4th for him based on contract and if we franchise him for the year and then trade him we might get even more.

Bolded portion times 1000. Jennings (NOT Finley) is the difference maker in this offense (other than Rodgers of course).

[channtheman]

I still have to laugh at fans who think we should let Finley walk.

Did we or did we not just win a Super Bowl without him?

I mean, I think he was on the team, but I just don't recall him being a gamechanger or having any impact on our 6 game winning streak to end the season. Hmm, am I forgetting something?

[Joemailman]

The Packers are a better team with Finley. It wasn't Finley's fault that Rodgers had tunnel vision toward Finley last year and seemed to be forgetting about Jennings. That said, if the Packers had to go without Finley, I think they would adjust quite well. You would see more 4-5 WR sets than you are seeing now. Quarless would be getting more opportunities than he is getting now.

The question, in my opinion, is not so much whether the Packers want Finley as it is whether Finley wants to stay here. Can't rule out the possibility that Finley will want to go to a team that doesn't have the varied receiving options the Packers have. I could see the Packers franchising Finley and trading him out of the division if they can't come to a contract agreement.

[Brandon494]

Did we or did we not just win a Super Bowl without him?

I mean, I think he was on the team, but I just don't recall him being a gamechanger or having any impact on our 6 game winning streak to end the season. Hmm, am I forgetting something?

Your smarter then this.... I hope

[channtheman]

Your smarter then this.... I hope

Well I just figured since he is such a difference maker and this team needs him so much that there is no way we could have possibly won a Super Bowl without him.

You didn't answer the question though. I'll simplify it for you. Did we win the Super Bowl last year without Finley? (hint: yes.)

[Packers4Glory]

we won pretty much w/o Woodson playing as well. lets cut him.

[steve823]

All this talk about Finley ,but signing Wells is more important than signing Finley. Wells has been playing great and we have nobody else besides him. Plus he does help protect the best player in the league. For Finley, at this point I don't care..if he wants crazy money screw him, if not we keep him.

[channtheman]

we won pretty much w/o Woodson playing as well. lets cut him.

I don't remember the part where Woodson got put on IR.

[channtheman]

All this talk about Finley ,but signing Wells is more important than signing Finley. Wells has been playing great and we have nobody else besides him. Plus he does help protect the best player in the league. For Finley, at this point I don't care..if he wants crazy money screw him, if not we keep him.

This. He is not some pivotal player that makes this offense go and without him we are screwed. We did just fine without him. If we can get him for what he is worth to us great. I don't think we will because he wants more money and more spotlight.

[Lurker64]

Is everybody forgetting that we can just franchise Finley?

You're not going to franchise Wells, because that means you'd be paying him LT money when you can pay him C money and get him for more than one year. Who else are we going to use the tag on? Nelson is resigned, Sitton is resigned, Matt Flynn will certainly not be franchised (as that puts the Packers at risk for having to pay him the tag fee, which is like $17m, or trade him for peanuts)...

[pbmax]

Don't Free Finley!

Can anyone get a deal on T-Shirts for this?

[Spaulding]

Is everybody forgetting that we can just franchise Finley?

You're not going to franchise Wells, because that means you'd be paying him LT money when you can pay him C money and get him for more than one year. Who else are we going to use the tag on? Nelson is resigned, Sitton is resigned, Matt Flynn will certainly not be franchised (as that puts the Packers at risk for having to pay him the tag fee, which is like $17m, or trade him for peanuts)...

Barring a cap issue I think we do franchise him and see if we can sign him for a reasonable contract (assuming we pay him like a top 5 TE and not THEE top TE which is what was hinted at this prior offseason). My point earlier though is I don't think you break the bank for a player that you've proven you can win without and where some the defensive studs (Raji and Matthews) will be due a new contract the following year and where you have no current replacement for a solid center in Wells that is also a free agent.

[Brandon494]

You guys need to realize that big contracts like Clifton, Driver, Grant, Woodson, and possibly Collins will be off the books by the time those guys will need to be resigned. Just because don't dislike Finley stop denying his talents and acting like resigning him will handicap our team.

Did we win the SB without him? We sure did but you must be Ray Charles if you cant see that having him makes us a better team.

[denverYooper]

Check out the Jennings TD play. 3 defenders again go toward Finley.

http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-game-highlights/09000d5d823669a5/Rodgers-Jennings-connection

That's the second play I've seen on record where Finley effectively took out 3 guys and left Jennings open just by being there.

Jennings should be asking for Finley to get paid. I don't think Finley is going anywhere.