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Daniels seeking Super Bowl title with Bronco’s (AUDIO)

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Owen Daniels

Owen Daniels

Former Wisconsin Badger tight end Owen Daniels is preparing with his Denver Bronco teammates for a chance to win Super Bowl 50 on Sunday against Carolina.

Daniels is glad to have the opportunity with the Broncos, but believe it or not, he could have been helping the Green Bay Packers reach the big game instead.

At the end of the season, Mike McCarthy said the Packers needed more help at the tight end position and more big targets in general.  After losing Jermichael Finley, the Packers never did sufficiently come up with a solution at tight end. [Read more…]

Jermichael Finley announces retirement

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Jermichael Finley (Photo by Tom Dahlin/Getty Images)

Jermichael Finley (Photo by Tom Dahlin/Getty Images)

Jermichael Finley has retired from football.  The 28-year-old Green Bay Packers’ tight end bruised his spinal cord two years ago today, when he took a hard hit from a defender right after catching a pass in Green Bay’s victory over the Cleveland Browns.

Finley has not played since.

On Twitter on Monday, Finley wrote that he’s “forever grateful”  to play for the “best organization, the best coaching staff and the greatest quarterback alongside the best teammates” in the N-F-L.

Finley also thanked Packer fans for what he called “six unbelievable years and unforgettable memories.”

Finley ends his career with 223 catches for 2,785 yards and 20 touchdowns.

The Packers are in their bye week after starting their current season with a six-and-oh record.  Next up is a November 1st game against unbeaten Denver.

A busy day at Lambeau Field – Finley takes the next step

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A few hundred fans greeted the Green Bay Packers today as they team held its first “Open to the Public” OTA workout on Ray Nitschke Field,

Julius Peppers works during today's OTA

Julius Peppers works during today’s OTA

and it was a busy day both on and off the field.

Clinton-Dix Contract

Packers rookie first-round draft pick Ha Ha Clinton-Dix has reportedly agreed to a contract with the team.  While financial terms weren’t available, it’s likely a four-year deal and could include a club optional fifth year.

Clinton-Dix was taken with the 21st pick in the first round.  Last year’s 21st pick, Cincinnati tight end Tyler Eifert, sighed a four-year deal worth $8.256 million and received a signing bonus worth $4.38 million.

Jermichael Finley

While Jermichael Finley’s locker inside the Green Bay lockerroom still has his name plate above, Finley is an unrestricted free agent and after more tests, has been cleared for football activities.

Finley’s agent, Blake Baratz told ProFootballTalk.com that Finley has a team visit lined up for Friday, but declined to unveil that team. [Read more…]

Finley to undergo testing with Packers today

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Tight end Jermichael Finley is expected to undergo tests on his neck with the Green Bay Packers’ medical staff today.  The meeting between Finley and the Packers medical staff was reported today by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Jermichael Finley

Jermichael Finley

 

Finley hasn’t been cleared yet and the Packers may be giving him a final check in Green Bay.

Finley originally suffered a spinal contusion in the Packers 31-13 win over the Cleveland Browns last October.  He then had his vertebrae fused.

While the Packers have maintained optimism about Finley’s future, the Packers have moved on without him.  They re-signed Andrew Quarless, picked California tight end Richard Rodgers in the third round of the NFL draft and signed undrafted free agent Colt Lyerla.

Finley had 25 receptions for 300 yards and three touchdowns in five full games last year before the injury.

After the NFL Draft, coach Mike McCarthy was asked about Finley and defensive lineman Johnny Jolly.  He said, “I just want them to be healthy.  And then with that, they’re obviously our players and we have strong interest in.  We’ll see what happens after that.”

 

Packers giving TE Lyerla a second chance

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The Green Bay Packers signed talented but troubled rookie tight end Colt Lyerla on Monday, willing to give the former Oregon star a second

Packers GM Ted Thompson

Packers GM Ted Thompson

chance.

Lyerla was arrested for cocaine possession last fall and quit the University of Oregon football team.  He was suspended for a game in 2013 before eventually quitting.  Lyerla had his driver’s license suspended five days later and was then arrested for allegedly snorting cocaine in his car on Oct. 23rd.  After pleading guilty to possession of cocaine, he was sentenced to 24 months of probation, 10 days in jail and 40 hours of community service.  There was also a twitter post referencing the Sandy Hook Elementary mass shooting as a conspiracy.

Lyerla had an outstanding combine in Indianapolis, yet still went undrafted.  He had the third-best 40-yard dash (4.61 seconds), the best vertical jump (39 inches) and tied for the best broad jump (10-8).  His talent could have led to a first or second round selection in the draft, but no team was willing to take a gamble on a player with such major character concerns.

That didn’t mean teams weren’t interested after the draft.  The Packers were one of the teams and Lyerla decided Green Bay was the right fit for him. [Read more…]

Finley hoping decision on his playing future is close

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Jermichael Finley was scheduled to undergo x-rays on his surgically repaired neck yesterday (Monday) in Arizona.  It that checks out,

Jermichael Finley

Jermichael Finley

then Finley will move onto MRI and CAT scans to further evaluate his progress.

The 27-year-old Finley is an unrestricted free agent and has been training in Scottsdale this offseason.  He had neck fusion surgery in November for a spinal contusion that he suffered in a game last October against Cleveland.

Even if Finley is cleared, NFL team doctors must still do the same.  Green Bay Packers head coach Mike McCarthy has already stated that he wants Finley back in Green Bay, but he would need to be cleared by team doctors.  Of course there’s other NFL teams that are interested in Finley’s services as well.

Finley had 25 catches for 300 yards and three touchdowns in just six games for the Packers last season.  The teams other four tight ends combined for 45 catches, 462 yards and three touchdowns for the entire season.

McCarthy optimistic about Finley’s return to the NFL

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Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy told a group of reporters at the NFL Scouting Combine today that he’s optimistic about

Jermichael Finley

Jermichael Finley

tight end Jermichael Finley’s return to football after a season-ending neck injury with the Packers this past season.

Finley’s 2-year, $14-million contract with the Packers expired at the end of the season, but McCarthy said he’s hopeful the Packers can re-sign him.

Finley suffered a bruised spinal cord during the Oct. 20 game against the Cleveland Browns.  A short time later, Finley underwent surgery to fuse the C-3 and C-4 vertebrae in his neck.

A similar surgery ended safety Nick Collins’ career with the packers in 2011 and he hasn’t played since.

According to Rob Demovsky from ESPN.com, McCarthy said Packers physician Pat McKenzie views Finley’s injury and surgery differently than he did Collins’ situation.

McCarthy said, “Pat doesn’t feel the same way about Jermichael as he felt about Nick.  No I’m very open and optimistic about Jermichael coming back.  I think the specifics of their injuries are different.”

 

Jones not sure where his future is

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James Jones isn’t sure where his football future will take him, but he plans to spend a month or more decompressing with his family before he

James Jones

James Jones

starts getting back into the football swing of things.

Jones will be an unrestricted free agent and it’s uncertain just what the Green Bay Packers thought process is about having him remain a part of the outstanding Packers’ receiving group.

Jones is one of the higher profile players set to hit free agency, joining players like Jermichael Finley, Evan Dietrich-Smith, Sam Shields, B.J. Raji, Ryan Pickett and Johnny Jolly.  Add Mike Neal, John Kuhn and Andrew Quarless to that list as well.

AUDIO: James Jones not sweating free agency :17

Jones was an unrestricted free agent three years ago as well.  He returned to the Packers, but that was a totally different deal.

AUDIO: Jones said things are different this time :11

Jones is also a different player than he was three years ago, from the standpoint of numbers along.  He’s become more of a consistent, productive, go-to player.

Jones and the Packers almost had another week of playoff football to concern themselves with.  They took the 49ers to the wire and lost 23-20 when Phil Dawson booted a 33-yard field goal, his 3rd of the day, to win it for San Francisco.

 

Matthews draws fine for hit on Foles

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Green Bay Packers linebacker Clay Matthews has been fined $15,750 by the NFL for

Clay Matthews

Clay Matthews

roughing Philadelphia quarterback Nick Foles on Sunday.

Matthews was flagged 15 yards for roughing the passer with “a blow to the head and neck area” late in the first half.

It’s his second fine this season.  He was hit with a $15,000 fine for hitting San Francisco quarterback Colin Kaepernick as he ran out-of-bounds.

Friday practice update

Starting right tackle Don Barclay failed to practice again today, but head coach Mike McCarthy refused to rule him out of Sunday’s game at New York against the Giants.  Barclay missed all three practices this week after leaving the Eagles game with a knee injury. [Read more…]

Rodgers confirms collarbone injury

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Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers confirmed on his weekly radio show today (ESPN-Milwaukee) that he suffered a broken collarbone.  Rodgers suffered the injury while being sacked in Chicago’s 27-20 win over the Packers in Monday Night Football action at Lambeau Field.

Rodgers called it a significant injury but said there’s no timetable for his return.  It leaves Seneca Wallace to get ready to start against the Philadelphia Eagles this Sunday at Lambeau Field.

The Packers are expected to elevate QB Scott Tolzien to the active roster to serve as backup to Seneca Wallace, although no official move has been announced yet.  The Packers did activate tackle Derek Sherrod from the reserve/physically unable to perform list and placed LB Sam Barrington and TE Jermichael Finley on season ending injured reserve.

Finley played in six games with five starts this season and caught 25 passes for 300 yards (12.0 avg.) and three touchdowns.  Barrington appeared in seven games and recorded three tackles on special teams.