NFL rumors: Jermichael Finley or Dustin Keller for New England Patriots?
The Patriots are seeking to deepen their tight end position on their roster. They have visited with both Dustin Keller and Jermichael Finley. So which one is a better fit?
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CSN New England’s Phil Perry delves into the issue by comparing the two players. The answer is simple. It’s Keller. While Finley is a much more exciting option for the Patriots because he was and perhaps still is an incredible athlete, the Patriots already have one tight end with a history of back injuries in Rob Gronkowski. They don’t need another. ACL injuries are still serious, and the recovery is not always as simple as giving a player an offseason to recover. Even gym-rat RG3 couldn’t pull off what Adrian Peterson did. That was herculean.
But Keller is a safer bet — so long as his knee checks out — and that’s what the Patriots need at tight end. They need a little bit of safety — they could also use another safety, but that’s beside the point. Keller provides a legitimate second option at tight end. Michael Hoomanawanui is fun to hear announcers stumble over on Sundays, but the Patriots would be best served to keep him as a backup.
While the financial demands for both players are unclear, it would be foolish to say the Patriots should sign both and see which one works out — although Patriots fans likely wish the team would. And the Patriots have yet to indicate they have any real interest in either players, so the most likely result of the situation will be that the Patriots sign neither.
But again, while Finley’s potential is tempting, Keller’s safety is desirable. He takes the cake.