For one, there were no brash pronouncements. His answers during a Q&A session at his locker with reporters were brief. And when the topic of his weight was broached, he didn’t want to discuss it, even though coach Mike McCarthy had just praised him for it moments earlier.
“I think Jermichael looks excellent. He’s put weight back on. He’s back where I like to see him, the playing weight that he’s playing with, and he’s stronger, he’s playing with more confidence,” McCarthy gushed after practice. “I thought he was excellent in the 2-minute drill today. I really like the offseason that Jermichael has put together so far.”
Finley, who’s officially listed at 6-foot-5 and 247 pounds, shrugged off the praise, pointing out that it’s only June.
“It's only minicamp right now. I like to hear that from him, but it's minicamp,” Finley said of McCarthy’s comments. “I feel good, man. That's all I can say. I put on some weight, I'm moving well and I appreciate Coach for the confidence.
“I look back to the 2009 and 2010 seasons and saw that I was playing well, moving well and my hand strength was pretty strong. I wasn't focused on it, but I felt good at it, so why not move up (on the scale)? I feel strong right now, healthy. I feel confident. I'm just excited.”
Jason Wilde wrote: