Is Jermichael Finley still in play for the Seahawks?
Mar 18, 2014, 1:05 PM | Updated: 1:11 pm
By Brady Henderson
When last we heard about Jermichael Finley, the free-agent tight end had concluded a visit with the Seahawks. There was mutual interest, according to a report that charactered a deal as likely should Finley be medically cleared following neck surgery.
This was last week, several days before starting tight end Zach Miller agreed to a pay cut that ends any speculation about his spot on Seattle’s roster. Miller was considered a candidate to be released because of his $7 million cap figure in 2014, which was reduced with his restructured contract.
One question remains, though, which is what that means for Finley, who remains unsigned.
Let’s consider the two possibilities:
Seattle is still interested. The Seahawks ranked 27th in terms of receptions from tight ends last season with the trio of Miller, Luke Willson and Kellen Davis. Could they still view Finley as someone who could be primarily a receiving threat – assuming he receives medical clearance – while Miller remains the starter? Willson was Seattle’s No. 2 tight end last season, and the Seahawks also re-signed Anthony McCoy last week.
Seattle is no longer interested. Was Finley a Plan B in case Miller balked at a pay cut? Seattle would need some sort of fallback option if Miller was released, and Finley was a starter with Green Bay. The one problem there, though, is that he has been known more for his skills as a receiver than a blocker, and Seattle’s run-first offense would require a starter with the latter. That makes it hard to imagine that the Seahawks viewed Finley as a replacement for Miller if they were to part ways.
Bob Stelton and Dave Grosby share their thoughts on Miller, Finley and the Seahawks in the video above.