What are your feelings on the Packers keeping Jermichael Finley? Over the last two seasons, he has 116 receptions for 1,434 yards and 10 touchdowns. He is schedule to make $4.45 million this season, with a bonus of $3.5 million due in March.

I think I'd rather he restructure a long deal that puts him around the $4-5 million per year range. Long range as in 3 or 4 year deal with incentives.

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Let's see how Quarless is coming along.

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If he is willing to restructure I say they can't loose. I can not imagine he or his agent are willing to swallow their pride and take the pay cut. I am sure they think there is 10 teams out there just begging JerMike to come and play for them for a ton-o-dough.

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Jennings is gone.

let's not muck up our passing game more than it already is.

we have nobody to replace him *yet*

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With the way Jermichael Finley has been talking about wanting to be a Packer for life, why not take the chance and try to restructure for a little less money?

With the departure of Jennings about to happen, it makes Jermichael Finley 1000x more important to this offense.

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Finley had a nice final month of the season, so I understand arguments from both sides.

Nevertheless, I think it's time to phase out the last four years in favor of James Jones, Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb, and an improving running game. Finley is an underachiever. It is what it is. I wish he'd fulfill his potential, but the Packers have other priorities. It starts with locking up Clay Matthews and B.J. Raji. I’d also rather hang onto Charles Woodson, who I think is more important to the defense (not to mention locker room) than Finley is right now.

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If Jermichael Finley were a true TE, I would try to keep him.

I love the idea of a long term deal around $5 million. It's not going to happen. I think Finley and his verbose agent view $6.5 million as the floor. I would be fine with that... if Jermichael Finley were a true TE.

The problem as I see it, is Finley is not a good receiving TE when he is lined up inline. He's not a good blocker regardless of where you start him. (Add those last two together and you have a TE who is ineffective as an inline TE) What you have, is an over-sized WR. I just don't see the value in paying the money it will take to keep him for what he really brings to the table. If he could play inline, then you keep him at top TE money. Maybe - over time - Finley becomes an inline TE, but it's hard to ignore his past attitude about it.

Here is what he said in 2011,
“I’m thinner right now. Green Bay probably not like me right now but I’m trying to stand up this year. I’m not going to sugarcoat it. I think a two-point, I can get on the linebacker quicker, I can get on the safety quicker and it’s a win-win for me and 12 .”
“Standing up, I think that’s the best position for me,” he said.

Asked if the coaches are comfortable with that, Finley replied, “They’re going to be comfortable with it.”
“We’ve got tons of guys (who can block), to tell you the truth and we drafted two of them. We drafted two tight ends this year.”

And then of course, there was this...
“The next step is take my game to the next level. Detail everything, and just play my ball. I feel like I’ve been playing like a robot lately. I just need to get out there and freestyle it.”

I just can't see the guy becoming a real inline TE.

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Agreed. He is a decent player but way overpaid this year for his current contract. He is a $5m/year player but I don't see many players are going to take that kind of pay cut.

His contract gives packers an out. Cut him, let someone else over pay him.

JSOnline has a story titled... Jermichael Finley sees it as "50/50" whether he'll stay with Packers  As a side note: The title is an unfair one, considering the context of the article (not that anyone at the Journal Sentinel would try to sensationalize it).

Here is the crux of the conundrum...

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I hope they keep him. I think his arrow's starting to point up for the first time since his injury.

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