Jermichael Finley's Feeling Much Better

by Brandon on May 13, 2011 10:00 AM CDT in Green Bay Packers News

I didn't have any reason to doubt that Green Bay Packers TE Jermichael Finley wouldn't fully recover from his 2010 knee injury, but he did have some initial setbacks after surgery. So it's good to read on Twitter, via Pro Football Talk, that "this knee feels brand new." The upcoming season is very important for his next NFL contract, and he still has a lot to prove. Here's what I wrote about him back in March:

Potentially he could be a great receiver, but at this point he's still looking towards the future. He's been injured in 2009 and 2010, and after three seasons, he barely has over 1000 career receiving yards.

Now that the Packers have just drafted two more tight ends, along with the continuing development of TE Andrew Quarless as a receiver, and TE Tom Crabtree as the blocking tight end, the Packers appear to have options at the position if Finley can't stay healthy, or costs too much.

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I hope he comes back healthy

Sure, the team could replace him because there is quite a bit of depth at TE. But I don’t know if they could fully replace him. Before he got hurt last year (on a Lee fumble no less, arg), he and Rodgers seemed to have quite a rapport between the 20s. If he also becomes the red zone threat we all know he can, the he may well be the best TE in the NFL next year.

I dispense B.S. and facts. It is up to you to figure out which is which.

by GMan83201 on May 13, 2011 11:05 AM CDT reply actions

I do love the way he out-muscles DBs in the Red Zone

by PhoenicianPakFan on May 13, 2011 1:16 PM CDT up reply actions

And outruns linebackers between the 20s

I dispense B.S. and facts. It is up to you to figure out which is which.

by GMan83201 on May 13, 2011 1:24 PM CDT up reply actions

glad he's healthy, he's much more important than the post seems to elude to

I know he’s been hurt and that has resulted in more of cautious optimism than belief in his abilities, but when the guy is healthy he is unquestionably one of the top 5 TEs in the league and a matchup nightmare that causes tons of problems for opposing defenses. He’s a TE with the rare blend of size, speed, and receiving skills that stretches the field and makes the defense really focus on the middle of the field and doesn’t allow them to key on the run

To me, he’s right in the mix with Vernon Davis, Antonio Gates, and Dallas Clark as elite receiving TEs when healthy. Even though we have a couple of other TEs on the roster, there isn’t another TE on our team (not many in the league) with his abilities – he’s crucial to our offense becoming truly elite and he is a great safety blanket for Rodgers.

by rip_city_swagger on May 13, 2011 11:49 AM CDT reply actions

I've been following the Packer player twitters...

It is actually semi-fun. I hate twitter with a passion, but hearing what they have to say is interesting somewhat. I just hate the people who are like, “LOL DRINKING A SODA RIGHT NOW!”

by Bush League All Star on May 13, 2011 3:26 PM CDT reply actions

I am with you on Twitter!

The Green Bay Packers...Putting bad coaches out of their misery since 2010

by TrevorR on May 19, 2011 12:29 PM CDT up reply actions

How do we really feel about Quarless?

Despite the fact he does have a great name (go ahead, say it with a New Orleans drawl), I’m not a big fan. It seemed like his blocking and route running improved, as you would expect, as the season progressed, but the important physical attributes required of a receiving tight end in this offense—specifically, the ability to catch—never developed. I think DJ Williams is a much bigger threat to Quarless’ playing time/roster spot than either of Finley or Crabtree.

by mpbMKE on May 13, 2011 4:35 PM CDT reply actions

Well

Nobody is challenging Finley. He is leaps and bounds better than any other TE. And Crabtree is a different TE all together. Mostly a blocker w/ a somewhat limited upside as a recieving TE. And lets remember that Finley looked terrrible a a rookie, and we didn’t really expect Quarless to be playing TE much at all. He got thrust into the starting lineup way before he was really ready for that role. Still can’t figure out why Lee wasn’t the starter, and why he was on the roster if he wasn’t the experienced backup to Finley. Quarless and DJ Williams are similar TE that are more recievers than blockers so it makes sense that Williams would be the threat to Quarless’s job.

You've been Stroh'd™!!!

by Strohman on May 13, 2011 7:17 PM CDT up reply actions

terrible

Yes, he did look terrible in the games that we saw, but recall that the coaching staff was in serious “like” with the guy and he earned his playing time by making big plays in practice. It just didn’t show up in the games at that point.

I don’t recall reading or hearing anything about Quarless last season that suggested anything remotely like what we heard about J Mike.

by gern blanston on May 13, 2011 10:01 PM CDT up reply actions

As a rookie Finley barely played.

He called out Rodgers for throwing a back shoulder throw to him. And practically was benched. He looked like he was in way over his head, and he was… Just like Quarless.

You've been Stroh'd™!!!

by Strohman on May 13, 2011 11:07 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs

Exactly, everyone forgets his rookie year

And he didn’t come on until the 2nd half of his sophmore season. I have a lot of confidence Quarless will be a good player. Our team is deep to the point that when taking a BPA he either doesn’t make the team or he is better than a good player. All teams wish to be so fortunate.

by the yooper on May 14, 2011 10:36 AM CDT up reply actions

The difference

was that Finley was a 21 year old rookie who barely played in college. He just didn’t know the game well enough. Quarless was a 4 year letterman at Penn State, which has a long history of producing well-coached players that don’t need as steep of a learning curve. And he was very nearly kicked off that Penn State team. Combine that with the fact he doesn’t look like he knows how to play football, and I think he’s got an uphill battle to stick with this team.

by mpbMKE on May 14, 2011 11:17 AM CDT up reply actions

And Texas doen't have a long history of putting players in the NFL?

College and age are kinda irrelevant to the discussion. Both had maturity issues coming out of college. After Quarless’ incidences at Penn St he spent well over a year cleaning his life up. But that has nothing to do w/ being ready to play in the NFL does it? Finley didn’t look like he knew how to play football as a rookie either. Once players get to the NFL, everything else that happened is wiped off the slate. A rookie, any rookie has a lot to learn about playing in the NFL! His age and college of choice doesn’t change that much at all.

You've been Stroh'd™!!!

by Strohman on May 14, 2011 12:19 PM CDT up reply actions

Wiped clean?

That’s silly. You are who you are. And Penn State is a disciplinarian school, I’ve never heard Texas confused for one of those.

by mpbMKE on May 16, 2011 5:35 PM CDT up reply actions

a disciplinarian school

Really? Quarless got into alot of trouble even before he finally almost got kicked off the team. Besides, what exactly does that have to do w/ getting players ready for the NFL? Does it mean they are ready for the physical and mental rigors that the NFL poses? I don’t think so… All it means if its true is that they will stay out of trouble… allegedly. WHich by itself is a huge leap. Far more highly drafted busts have come from that school than any I can remember.

You've been Stroh'd™!!!

by Strohman on May 16, 2011 9:49 PM CDT up reply actions

true...

my hope is that Quarl develops. God, he made me sick to watch a lot last year. I like the D.J. Williams pick…known for his hands. Two tight end sets? The days of Jackson and Chumara? Lol. I know that is asking way too much.

Life is too short to drink bad coffee...

by Jeigh AK on May 15, 2011 9:47 PM CDT up reply actions

I was agreeing with you

Finley played poorly in the games he was in as a rookie. Yet he made plays in practice. That’s why/how he got into the games. I recall that there was all kinds of buzz about how he’s going to be a special player even during his rookie year. We just didn’t see it on Sundays until his second year.

My point with regards to Quarless is that yes he got more playing time than Finley did as a rookie (primarly due to injuries) but he still didn’t do much with it and yet I didn’t hear anyone saying “oh this kid is going to be great.”

by gern blanston on May 16, 2011 9:06 AM CDT up reply actions

I dont remember hearing a great buz about Finley's practices.

I thought they knew what kinda athlete and potentially what kinda player he could be and when he knew the offense well enough they tried to get him in some game situations.Doesn’t mean there wasn’t one, just that I don’t remember it. Either way Quarless was thrust into the lineup way before he was ready.

You've been Stroh'd™!!!

by Strohman on May 16, 2011 10:27 AM CDT up reply actions

I do remember hearing a buzz about Finley

Some of it was the same type of things that we were hearing about Quarless. i.e. Raw Talent, Immature, Huge Potential.

I think that Quarless can still be a special player, he’s just too raw still. He’s probably one of the ones most hurt by the lockout.

"I'm tired of pretending I'm not a rock star from Mars."

by Kuhl on May 16, 2011 12:44 PM CDT up reply actions

Like Quarless

But I don’t think special is a word I would associate w/ him. Speed and size are fine, but he doesn’t have Finleys ability to go up and get the ball. ANd he doesn’t have great hands like Finley. He has some potential tho, no doubt about it. He’s being hurt alot by the lockout too. Rookies usually miss alot if not all of OTA’s anyway, so they aren’t hurt, but 2nd year players betweeen the rookie and 2nd season they get alot of individual attetion from position coaches working on technique and doing film study. Quarless is missing out on that, so I’m not sure how he’ll develop in his 2nd season. All last years rookies are the guys most affected by the lockout…

You've been Stroh'd™!!!

by Strohman on May 16, 2011 1:59 PM CDT up reply actions

with how big of a jump finley had frm year 1 to 2 im expecting the same from quarless

Finley couldn’t do anything right year 1 either, with quarless’s athletic ability I expect a similair progression from quarless. Maybe not though cuz I heard great things about DJ Williams before the draft

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by Marcus Allen Krause on May 13, 2011 9:21 PM CDT via mobile up reply actions