On the roster: Evan Moore, Travis Dekker, Donald Lee, Jermichael Finley, Carson Butler, Tory Humphrey.
How many theyll keep: 2 or 3.
Best guess (*=starter): Lee*, Finley, Butler.
Breakdown: A year after Lee had one of the more productive seasons by a tight end in Packers history (48 receptions for 575 yards and six touchdowns), his numbers dropped (39-303-5) along with the rest of the position group. Tight ends accounted for lower percentages of receptions (16.3 percent, down from 17.8 percent in 2007), receiving yards (13.3, from 16.1) and TD catches (21.4, from 30) with Aaron Rodgers passing than they did in 2007 with Brett Favre. Lees drop was most pronounced, as his yards per catch dipped from 12.0 to 7.8 and he didnt have a reception longer than 29 yards.
Humphrey (11 catches for 162 yards) was a non-factor as a receiver in most games, while Finley (six catches for 74 yards, one TD) had all sorts of problems before flashing the last two weeks. Lee (6-4, 248) remains the most versatile tight end on the roster, a physical blocker with good hands, but doesn't scare a lot of people downfield. He almost certainly will remain the No. 1 tight end because Finley (6-5, 247), for all the physical talent that made him a third-round pick last year, remains young (22), raw and at times undisciplined.
Finleys size and athletic ability gives him a high ceiling as a receiving threat, particularly in the red zone, and hes a lock to make the team. As I wrote earlier this month, the likely third spot comes down to Humphrey (6-2, 255) who re-signed for one year and $460,000 after getting non-tendered as a restricted free agent and a couple players who never have appeared in a regular-season NFL game.
Moore (6-6, 247) has a big frame and flashed some athleticism in training camp last year, and hes had a year to study the offense while rehabbing a knee injury that landed him on injured reserve. If his knees OK, the biggest question with him is blocking.
Butler (6-4, 255) received a $6,000 signing bonus, tops among the Packers undrafted rookie signings on offense, and has an intriguing combination of size (7-foot-plus wingspan), speed (4.6 40) and hands. But he never lived up to his potential at the University of Michigan while repeatedly landing in the doghouse with two coaches, then leaving school a year early. Dekker (6-4, 256), undrafted out of Air Force, will sit out at least one season while completing his military obligation. The guess here is the Packers waited out Humphreys injury issues, didnt get a ton from him last year and are willing to take a chance if a younger player stands out in camp. Whether Butler or Moore will do that is impossible to say.
"packers gazzette.com" wrote: