Throughout the 2011 season, Jermichael Finley stressed his desire to remain a "Packer for life." The contract he signed yesterday is far from a lifetime deal, but it's a step in the right direction.
Finley inked a two-year contract extension last night worth $15 million, which appears to be a great deal for both sides. Aaron Rodgers keeps one of his favorite targets for at least two more years and Finley can hit free agency again as a 26-year old in 2014.
The 6-5, 250 pound tight end is one of the most athletic offensive players in the NFL. He has the size of a standard TE, but the quickness and cutting ability of a wide receiver. Together, those attributes have caused several defensive coordinators to lose sleep.
The former Texas Longhorn caught 55 balls in 2011 for 767 yards and eight touchdowns in an offense that routinely had 10 or more players catch a pass in any given game.
Finley's repeated cases of the "Dropsies" were a hot button issue all season. Angry fans expressed their displeasure via twitter and hurled insult after insult at him in each of Green Bay's two losses, where his drops seemed to play a key role.
The big man seemed to take it all in stride and did his best not to react negatively.
The underlying issue in all of this is that the Packers now have a decision to make about how to use the franchise tag, which can be applied to one unrestricted free agent each year.
That's where backup quarterback Matt Flynn comes into play. Flynn has started just two games in his NFL career, but shined brightly in each performance. Filling in for an injured Rodgers at New England in 2010, he completed 24 of 37 for 251 yards and three touchdowns.
Fast-forward to the 2011 regular season finale in which Rodgers, along with top weapons Greg Jennings and Jermichael Finley sat out, Flynn rewrote the Green Bay record books, a book that was first published 93 years ago. He threw for 480 yards and six touchdowns, setting the franchise record for both and becoming the subject of bar bets for decades to come.
In his two starts, both of which were against teams that went on to the postseason, Flynn has completed 68% of his passes for 731 yards, nine touchdowns, and just two interceptions. While his resume is far from complete, that won't stop many teams from trying to acquire Flynn should the Pack stick the tag on him.
Flynn would get a one-year deal worth about $14 million, which is about $6 million more than Rodgers makes. However, that gets wiped away as long as the Packers work out a deal.
The Redskins, Seahawks, Browns, and Dolphins are all in need of a signal caller and are sitting pretty in the draft. Joe Philbin, former offensive coordinator for the Packers, was hired as the head coach for Miami last month. Assuming at least two of those squads pursue him, that will certainly drive up the price and could easily land the Packers a top 15 draft pick.
Kevin Kolb brought the Eagles a good corner in Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and a second rounder a year ago. Flynn's stock is likely even higher than Kolb's was.
Green Bay desperately needs an outside linebacker to play on the opposite side as Clay Matthews. CM3 was doubled nearly every play as opposing defenses keyed in on him as the only real pass rushing threat in green and gold. The draft pick that Matt Flynn would likely bring in could certainly resolve some key issues for a defense that ranked at or near the bottom in every statistical category.
The franchise tag period began on Monday and will run through March 5th.
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