Brian Finneran

Receiver Brian Finneran, who is presently with the Atlanta Falcons, played his college football at Villanova. The Philadelphia Eagles signed him as an undrafted free agent in 1999. That season, he played for the NFL Europe Barcelona Dragons and was named All-NFL Europe. In 2000, he signed with Atlanta. He has been an active member of the Barcelona Dragons and the Philadelphia Eagles.

While at Villanova, Finneran caught 265 passes for 3,872 yards and 34 touchdowns. In his senior year, he received the Walter Payton Award, which is given to the nation's top offensive player at a Division I-AA school. He was also an AP All-American.

Finneran made his NFL debut with the Philadelphia Eagles, playing in three games. From 2000 through 2005, he played in 87 regular-season games with the Falcons, missing a total of 12. The wide receiver tore ligaments in his left knee on July 30th 2006. This injury caused him to miss that entire season. Also, he did not play in 2007 due to his tearing his reconstructed ACL.

The wideout’s stats as of 2008 include 208 receptions for 2,816 yards and 16 touchdowns. He's fumbled twice, losing both. Finneran has averaged 14.2 YPC and has made 131 first downs.

The pluses for Finneran include his football smarts and size as he stands six-foot-five and weighs 217 pounds. His body control is quite good and he possesses fine athletic ability. He ably utilizes his hands and body to create separation, but Finneran lacks speed and quickness. Still, he is a tough player, willing to make catches in traffic, offer his body up for blocks and extend to snag passes. His cuts are not crisp and he as a tough time picking up yards after the catch. His left knee is a concern. If he cannot stay healthy, 2008 may be his final NFL season.