The Facts: Following up on the previous item. ... The Packers are interested in signing Finley to a long-term deal and would rather not use the franchise tag on the tight end, Finley’s agent said Thursday. “We’ve been speaking and they’ve made it clear they would like him to be back there and Jermichael’s made it clear he would like to be back there,” Blake Baratz said. “Now that the season’s over there’s a little more time to time to focus on the particulars.”

Diehards Line:According to Press-Gazette staffer Kareem Copeland, the two sides had several discussions throughout the season, though there is no immediate time frame from either side on getting a deal done. The primary issue seems to be finding a number acceptable for a young player (Finley will be 25 on March 26) who has yet to reach his potential and has an impact on the offense that isn’t measurable by stats. If the sides cannot agree on a long term deal, the Packers have the option to place the franchise tag on Finley. FootballOutsiders.com predicts the tight end franchise tender to be between $5.416 million and $5.624 million. The transition tender is expected to be in the $4.673 million to $4.852 million range, but the Packers are unlikely to use that option. At that point, Finley’s camp could request being franchised as a receiver since he plays out wide and in the slot nearly as much as with his hand in the dirt. The receivers’ franchise is predicted to be between $9.443 million and $9.806 million with the transition tag between $8.477 million and $8.802 million. ... Stay tuned.