Green Bay tight end Jermichael Finley visited the New England Patriots last Friday, and the prospect of him lining up opposite of Rob Gronkowski has New England fans salivating.
Both Gronkowski and Finley are coming off injury-plagued seasons with Finley coming off surgery that fused two of his vertebrae together. Gronkowski will be returning this season from a complete ACL reconstruction.
The Green Bay Packers have yet to put Finley through a full battery of medical tests, but he has reportedly been cleared by the doctor who performed the surgery to fuse his vertebrae.
Finley sustained a bruised spinal cord after a vicious hit in an Oct. 20, 2013 game against the Cleveland Browns. At the time of the injury, he was in the final season of a two-year contract worth $14 million.
The damage left him temporarily paralyzed, but he appears committed to making an NFL return despite the risks. Finley also has the option of collecting on a $10 million insurance policy should he not play football again.
The 27-year-old Finley was a third round draft pick for Green Bay after playing his college ball at Texas. Over 70 games played with Green Bay Finley has 223 receptions, 2,785 total yards receiving, and 20 touchdown catches.
The Patriots could certainly use finley's talents, especially if Gronkowski does not return to form this season. There aren't any huge names under Gronkowski on the depth chart.
The only tight end veterans on the team are D.J. Williams and Michael Hoomanawanui, and combining the stats of both men they only account for 46 receptions and 544 yards with Hoomanawanui having all four touchdowns among the two. Rookies Justin Jones and Asa Watson are the only other tight ends currently signed to the team.
