Thursday, February 28, 2013
Finley's contract stance
Jermichael Finley is due a $3 million roster bonus on March 27 and if the Green Bay Packers trade or release the tight end, they would save $8.25 million. That has left both parties in a tough spot, as the Packers have to decide whether it's worth investing that much money in a physically gifted but underachieving player like Finley.
As for Finley's take on the situation, he made it clear Wednesday to ESPN's Josina Anderson that he has no intention of meeting the team in the middle by taking a pay cut to stick with the Packers.
"I'd have to walk for sure, meaning I couldn't take a pay cut," he said. "Maybe I'd restructure if it's a deal that I like and it makes sense, but I'm not the guy that's just going to sign anything and let anything pass.
"I'm not that guy. Other than that, taking a pay cut or restructuring doesn't sound good to me at this time. I like my deal. I start training in Minneapolis [on Thursday] and I'm more inspired than ever to start next season off right and be the tight end I know I can be. It's all business at the end of the day. I just love what I do."
He also said that he has "barely" heard from the Packers this offseason and that they haven't asked him to restructure his contract. Of course, as ESPN NFC North blogger Kevin Seifter notes, you should always take public statements about contracts with a grain of salt:
Kevin Seifert
Jermichael Finley: 'I couldn't take a pay cut'"From a pure negotiating standpoint, it wouldn't make sense for Finley to do anything other than take an extreme public stance. He isn't going to make it easier for the Packers by announcing his intentions publicly. Things have a funny way of changing at the final hour, of course. We're a few weeks from that point."
