Start: Jermichael Finley Is The Starting TE
by Brandon on Aug 12, 2010 7:01 AM CDT
in Green Bay Packers Analysis
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PrintIt's been pretty clear for months now that the Green Bay Packers will be starting Jermichael Finley at TE in 2010. He'll never be much of a blocker, and Mark Chmura is not his biggest fan, but he has the highest ceiling of any receiver on the roster.
After him, there are four other TEs in training camp, and it's considered to be one of their deepest positions. It's likely that only two of them will make the 53-man roster (with maybe another on the practice squad), so there should be a real battle here this preseason. Another thing to consider is that all five TEs are similar stature (6'3" to 6'5" and 245 to 252 lbs.) so there is no real advantage/disadvantage for any of them in that regard.
TE Donald Lee. A former starter might seem to have the inside job, but he also had a poor 2009 season in which he dropped a bunch of passes. I don't have salary records handy for all of them, but since he signed a four-year extension in 2007, he's probably the highest paid one on the roster, which might be an additional reason to let him go. His biggest asset may be that he's the most consistent blocker, but he doesn't have a lot of upside.
TE Spencer Havner. The former LB made a splash as a TE in his first full-season on the active roster in 2009, but he began 2010 on a sour note by breaking his shoulder blade in a motorcycle crash. He appears to have fully recovered, but it kept him out of most offseason activities. It's hard to tell since he only had 7 receptions last season (4 TDs), but he seems to have good hands. He had some fantastic blocks around the goal line, but he also missed some too.
TE Tom Crabtree. It's still too early to tell, but he's been getting a lot of love so far in training camp. Apparently he's a heck of a blocker too, while they're "working his ball skills" as a receiver. Unless he really shines during the preseason games, he's a real longshot. I'm a little fuzzy on his past before he signed with the Chiefs in May 2009, but I think he has another year of eligibility for the practice squad, if the Packers want to keep him there.
TE Andrew Quarless. If you missed the Family Night Scrimmage last Saturday, you missed him drop a wide open TD catch as he was falling down in the end zone. I haven't read anywhere that he's a great blocking TE, but he's got the potential to be the best receiver after Finley, if he's not dropping TD receptions. He seemed like an odd choice in the 5th round last April, so it wouldn't be a shock if he doesn't make the 53-man roster. If he were released in September, it's very possible that he could be unclaimed on waivers and end up on the practice squad (as OL Jamon Meredith did last year). Of course the Packers eventually lost Meredith to the Bills, but they could always try and keep him if another team were offering him a contract.
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It really doesn’t matter if he can block…….they need the TE to be a 4th or 5th WR on the field. Worrying if he can block is liking worrying that Rodgers can’t tackle. If there is blocking that need to be done on a play they will put Donald Lee in.
by greenbay packers backer on Aug 12, 2010 7:19 AM CDT reply actions
Couple thoughts...
First, Chumura…really?? Really YOU are going to call HIM an idiot? The guy who lost his NFL career for screwing around with high school girls. ugh…I still don’t know if putting him in the hall was the right move but whats done is done at this point.
Second, the main point of the story was total non-news but I like the rest of the disucussion.
Third, I hadn’t heard of Crabtree, I’ll have to look into him some more. I can’t imagine that they’ll let Quarless and his endless potential go to some other team. I could totally see the Vikes grabbing him and stashing him behind Shank and that ugly Kleinsausser dude. He has SO much potential and we probably won’t see much of it this year but I think we regret it if we let him go. Give him some time. Move Havner back to LB so he can stay on ST and keep the other three. I think we HAVE to keep Lee as another experienced guy on the roster. We can’t go with two first year guys or even Havner and one of them in my book. Maybe next year though…
Chumura dislikes Finley.....
Yeah, it’s not really clear exactly what he has against him. Maybe it’s just jealousy that Finley may become a better TE than Chumura was. idk…. Finley was a hot head coming in as a rookie, but he seems to have matured over the past couple years.
"No player is greater than a team."
-Vince Lombardi
Yeah, I’m not sure where Chmura gets off criticizing Finley. Sure, he seems to be pretty full of himself but I’d still prefer that over hooking up with under age girls…
And it should be mentioned that Finley seems to be on the right path now. He’s not down in Texas with Young anymore going to parties and doing stupid shit. He seems like he is really giving his all to be the best player he can be.
by packallday555 on Aug 13, 2010 12:34 AM CDT up reply actions
I've never really understood
all this talk about can block, can’t block. Why can’t Finley block, is he stupid? We don’t have tight end coaches or offensive line coaches that can work with him on his blocking? Is he incapable of learning proper blocking technique?
Finley’s a heck of an athlete. I have to think he can do anything that Lee can do, as well as or better.
TE
If you don’t know about Crabtree, you might soon. He a smallish TE, but is a feirce blocker and should be a good ST player. Personally I would love to see him kept over Havner. But he does have a practice squad year left, so they’ll likely try to stash him there again. He went to Miami (OH) I believe… One of those mid-major schools in Ohio.
I don’t like the idea of keeping 4 TE, but that seems to be the direction the Packers are headed. Finley might be the worst blocker of them and he’s not really interested in blocking either, but you just can’t deny his ability as a reciever and that is the TE main job in this offense and in the NFL now!
I don’t see the Packers not keeping Lee for another year! His experience alone should get him a roster spot, and he’s having an excellent camp in his own right and has likely already won the #2 job.
I’m not a fan of Havner. I really don’t see him ever becoming viable NFL TE. Only reason he caught most of his passes last year was he was ignored and not played tight. This year teams will at least have to try to cover him and I don’t think he’ll have much success!
Quarless makes the team on abiltiy alone! He is the type of athlete the majority of teams are looking for as a TE. He was considered a good blocker in college and is more willing than Finley. Has some to learn as a blocker in the NFL, but it’ll come. He and Finley on the field at the same time would cause tremendous matchup problems for teams!!! He still has some work to do and likely won’t contribute much this year, but his potential alone will give him a year as a redshirt!
As I said, I really hope Crabtree makes it over Havner, but I doubt it happens mostly cuz Crabtree has practice squad eligibility left!!!
Haven't seen him play yet, haven't heard of him until this week via APC and Sporting News
He’s listed at 240 lbs which is rather small as you mentioned, but he has a solid reputation of being a solid blocker. Considering his size, one would think he’s fast. I’m not sure though. He’s listed at 6’ 4, which is about the same height as Quarless and Finley. We’ll probably see him in the first Preseason game this Saturday. At this point it’s all hype, but this will surely leave Havner out if he is performing well on Special Teams. If he is such a beast as a blocker too, Donald Lee’s job may also be in jeopardy. It’s early yet. We still have 4 Preseason games to figure out what to do with our TE’s. Finley and Quarless most likely have guaranteed roster spots, and Quarless simply because of his size and potential as you mentioned. Initially I thought it would be: Finley, Lee, Quarless. However, if this Crabtree guy is as good as he has been hyped this offseason, I think Lee is the odd man out. Lee is kept for 2 reasons: veteran presence and blocking. If Crabtree is just as good of a blocker as Lee, that makes Lee a little more expendable, especially considering his high salary as a backup.
"No player is greater than a team."
-Vince Lombardi
Crabtree
Ran the 40 in the 4.6’s. He’s not considered a solid blocker, but a feroucious blocker! Listed at 240, but blocks like a 260 lb TE! According to the article he needs work as a reciever, but has the speed, skills and athletic ability to become a good reciever. He’s already on some of the #1 units of ST.
I don’t see how Lee doesn’t make the roster!!! Who are you willing to put on the field full time if Finley gets hurt?! NOBODY else has any experience to do it! Lee MUST make the roster!
Lee has a roster spot for 2 reasons and only 2 reasons: veteran presence and blocking ability. When you think back to Rodgers’ 2008 season, he hardly even looked at the TE! Well, compared to the WR’s. So, if Crabtree is just as good of a blocker as Lee, we have someone with the same ability, maybe more upside, for a cheaper price. If Finley goes down, our game plan is changed. If he goes down, will Lee be one of Rodgers first targets to look for on the field? Definately not, in fact, one of the last.
So, again, it’s one of the what if scenario’s and we’ll see how it is played out in Preseason. I haven’t seen this Crabtree guy, so all this speculation and hype on him is based upon what I’m reading, not seeing. I’m just looking at possible options and possibilities. If we keep Lee, great. If we don’t, no biggie. If we keep him though, we will be overpaying a backup TE and keeping 4 TE’s on the roster. Lets see how they look through Preseason though before making any premature decisions or judgements.
"No player is greater than a team."
-Vince Lombardi
Lee is making plays!
Making some excellent catches too. I think he is over the case of the dropsies he had last year! He has clearly beaten all the other TE out. Of course our game plan changes if Lee goes out… He’s a unique talent. That doesn’t mean the TE is no longer an option in the passing game. 2M for a quality backup at any position isn’t overpaid… I would say its about right!!
We'll see in Preseason then
if Lee is worthy of a roster spot. If Lee earns it, great. I’m not ready to give him a guaranteed roster spot simply because he has been around a while. I seem to recall a common mistake we made on a few years ago in Bubba Franks.
"No player is greater than a team."
-Vince Lombardi
Very good argument- thanks
Nothing really new that I’ve already read, but extra clarification and more in depth. He has potential, is still a little raw in the receiving department, but has tremendous upside considering his speed and blocking ability. We do need a TE that can block, at this point, that guy is Lee.
"No player is greater than a team."
-Vince Lombardi
I agree with everything you said here.
Honestly, I don’t think I would change a thing from what you would do…
Havner
Deserves a little more credit for his 5 TDs including the one in the Arizona playoff game – I mean the one against Dallas he had a defender all over his back.
http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-game-highlights/09000d5d814381ac/Rodgers-to-Havner-TD
I’ve seen his highlites. The AZ game DRC was playing 8 yds off the ball, Havner had a clean release ran a short square in and caught the ball. DRC is not a good tackler, so beating him for a TD isn’t an accomplishment! The one vs Dal, we were on the 2, the DB lined up (inexplicably) again 7 yds off the line. Rodgers took a 1/2 step drop and threw before the DB could close. Havner ran a 2 yd stop route w/ NO coverage. Rodgers made a great read and fired the ball before the DB could get there!!! Havner did next to nothing on either play!!!
I think he deserves less than he's getting!
That is basically ALL he did. For most of the plays he was almost forgotten about cause our FB was almost a scarier target than he was. He’s basically the equivalent of when the Patriots used to throw out that LB of theirs to catch TDs. He’s NOT a good route runner and is completely ineffective at anything but catching short little button hooks.
I’ll concede that his highlights were basically gimmes. But he did add value to the team last year beyond special teams when Finley went down.
I agree…he had a nice value and really helped out when we lost Finley, I just don’t think you can put too much on the TDs. That was really the ONLY time he had an impact on moving the ball. Otherwise it was all blocking. I just think we can do much better and the other guys have WAY more upside as TEs than what Havner brings. I like him though, I hope he can stick around somewhere as long as he earns his spot.
What's with the hate for Havner
Don’t understand all the hate for Havner from everyone the guys a great athlete. If I remember right he was 1st team All American, finalist for Bednarik award, Lott Award the guy had a huge career as a linebacker. Go watch their training camp sometime the guy is a player. I think he sticks on the roster. He has made the transition from linebacker to tight end he may take quantuum leaps.
If he was such a good LB
then why did he have to switch to TE in the NFL? And I’m pretty sure TE takes more athletic ability than ILB!!! Nobody cares what awards he DID’T win in college!!! The only plays he made last year were when he was basically unguarded. Do you actually think a failed LT turned TE is going to be a good TE? Please tell me your smarter than that…
The hate is because we now have MORE talented guys than him. It was great that could step in last year and get some nice clutch TDs but his reason for playing the position was not due to his skill as much as it was a lack of talent at that position on the roster.
I beginning to think Lee’s days are numbered…
Finley starts, Crabtree, Quarless… Havner sticks too as a hybrid TE/LB/H-back… he did some nice work as a dump off H-back type at the goalline, and the Packers struggled mightly in short yardage.
by The Delivery Guy on Aug 12, 2010 10:04 AM CDT reply actions
And if Finley gets hurt what are you going to do then?
Start Havner? I DON’T THINK SO…. Lee is having a really good training camp! Apparently your not reading much!!!
if Finley gets hurt it doesn’t really matter who is behind him because no matter who it is they will not be more than a dump off option for Rodgers.
"I agree but dont agree"
by juggernaut400 on Aug 12, 2010 12:25 PM CDT up reply actions
I agree here
Finley is a one of a kind type of player. Quarless isn’t ready yet. Whether it is Lee, Crabtree, or even Havner, they would be doing nothing more then blocking and running delayed routes. Once in a while of course doing actually pass routes, but not nearly to the point where Finley does it. Havner will surely still be a backup if Finley goes down though. He’s versatile, good on Special Teams, but not elite at any specific position.
"No player is greater than a team."
-Vince Lombardi
In Chmura's Defense
They were talking about Finley saying:
“I have one word for you: Superbowl Dallas, Texas”
And Chmura was criticizing the team for making SB predictions in the offseason, which is true.
LOL
That comment at the scrimmage game from Finley was hilarious! No offense to him, but still…..
Chewy should have just changed his wording, not saying stupid, but saying perhaps “foolish” for such early predictions. It will only add on pressure. And saying it to the entire team, and not just one player.
"No player is greater than a team."
-Vince Lombardi
SB should be the goal
Playoffs? Don’t talk about playoffs. Are you kidding me? Playoffs?
I’d like them to show a little bit more respect for the competition and focus on winning every week. Any team can beat you in the NFL if you don’t show up and play hard, think of TB last year. The more we focus on SB the less we focus on the TBs of the world and the more we risk not making it.
The ultimate goal for every team is to win the Superbowl....well, unless your the Vikings!
LOL. jk.
But, the point is we need to be more focused on our week to week matchups as opposed to that game several months ahead. The focus is not just getting to the Superbowl, but what they plan to do not to reach the Superbowl. You have to admit, the Packers do tend to underestimate some opponents. Cough Bucs Cough It’s all about the journey with the ultimate goal being ahead of it all. It’s nice to know that is their intention this year, but they can’t get that feeling where it’s just going to come to them.
"No player is greater than a team."
-Vince Lombardi
I don't get the sense that the players are getting ahead of themselves!
Just my impression, but from interviews the press asks about the SB and the players are just affirming. I know McCarthy has already addressed the SB talk in meetings to open training camp… I’m sure he said to keep your focus on the game at hand!
Since the day he was hired,
Coach McCarthy has made no bones about the fact that winning the Super Bowl is his only goal.
There is no reason for him to ease up on that talk now, when the players are in place to make a serious challenge.
And, if the coach is going to alk about it, then I would be disappointed in the players if they didn’t.
Clearly, Chewy is envious that yet another Packers TE has a good shot at being considered to be better than he was.
-
The glass is more than half-full.
but right now its the preseason...
There isn’t really a next week to worry about right now. I like that he is putting our goal out there…I think these kind of comments get blown wAAAAY out of proportion. Every team has the SB as their goal, except maybe rebuilding ones. I guess they aren’t supposed to say it or something but if THAT gives other teams bulletin board material or something the other team has some serious motivation issues!
I don't know how old you guys are
I was at the Jim Rome show at the Stadium View Bar before the NFC Championship game against Carolina. I sat right up front drank in a line starting at like 6:30 in the morning. For Chumara to call out Finley on this is a little bit unbelievable. The smack Chumara was talking makes Finley seem tame. That year everyone had the feeling we were going to win the Lombardi trophy and everyone was saying their piece. Reggie White was talking more smack than Finley’They have a feeling so say what you feel teams before them did.
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