Jermichael Finley was a Packer, technically still is a Packer and wants to remain a member of the Packers. If that doesn’t happen, perhaps there will be a place for him with the Giants, a team in need of a dynamic tight end, which Finley has shown himself to be.
“Right now he is a Packer and I know he would love to play his entire career there,’’ Finley’s agent, Blake Baratz, said in an email to The Post. “For the next five weeks or so they have his exclusive negotiation rights. If it doesn’t work out in Green Bay for whatever reason then I believe there are a number of teams that could use a talent like Jermichael.’’
There’s a connection between Finley and the Giants that might be interesting to see develop. It makes sense the Giants will add a player or two with a history with newly hired offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo. For six years, McAdoo coached the tight ends in Green Bay, and he was credited with aiding Finley’s development.
“I have a tremendous amount of respect for him and think he was a fantastic hire for New York,’’ Baratz said of McAdoo. “He is very detail-oriented from a schematic standpoint, but also has the ability to relate to his players.’’
Finley spent six years with the Packers and is just 26 years old. He played in six games in 2013 before a severe neck injury in Week 7 against the Browns ended his season. Finley needed spinal fusion surgery to fuse together the C-3 and C-4 vertebrae and is still recovering from the procedure. The Packers might not give Finley medical clearance to play after the spinal fusion and any team with an interest in him will have to be assured he can withstand the punishment required of an NFL tight end.
“Jermichael is doing great, is working out, running routes, catching balls, and feels no different than he did pre-injury,’’ Baratz said. “His fusion has to fully heal before he is 100 percent ready for contact, but we are all anticipating that occurring in the coming weeks. Jermichael is a rare breed that creates a mismatch for defenses. Whenever you have a player that can do that he is a valuable asset.’’
Finley had cartilage reconstruction to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee five games into the 2010 season but came back strong, catching 55 passes for 767 yards and eight touchdowns in 2011.
Tight end is a position of flux for the Giants. Brandon Myers was a disappointment in his first season with 47 catches for 522 yards and four touchdowns. Myers is a free agent and is not expected to return. Longtime tight ends coach Mike Pope was fired. The only tight ends on the roster are Adrien Robinson, Larry Donnell and Daniel Fells.
The Finley-to-the-Giants bandwagon got cranked up this week when Antrel Rolle revealed he watched some of Super Bowl XLVIII with Finley and admitted he tried to recruit him to play for the Giants.