The Packers avoided a potentially nasty contract dispute with tight end Jermichael Finley by working out a two-year deal Wednesday, as Florio reported here.
The structure of the deal gave protection to both sides. According to Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, Finley will make more than the tight end franchise number in 2012 ($5.75 million) before getting a sizable bump to $8.25 million in 2013.
Finley is due a $4.45 million roster bonus on the 15th day of the 2013 league year. So Packers could cut ties with Finley before that point without any cap damage.
Of course, cutting Finley would free him up to finally hit the open market and find a long-term deal in a place like Miami where his former coordinator Joe Philbin works.
It’s hard to imagine the Packers not picking up that bonus next year unless things go terribly wrong this season. Green Bay has done a nice job keeping their young offensive core together and Finley seems very likely to remain in the mix for at least two more years.