Redskins: Comparing Trey Quinn to other successful Mr. Irrelevant’s

It’s a well-known fact that I love fullbacks. And Jim Finn deserves a lot of credit for being one of the better ones in the NFL during the early 2000s. Finn didn’t do much as a runner (11 carries for 30 yards in his career) but his abilities as a blocker and a receiver did a lot to help the New York Giants out.

Finn’s main calling card during his NFL career was his blocking ability. In the final four years of his NFL career, Finn served as the main blocker in front of Tiki Barber. In each of those four seasons, Barber recorded at least 1,200 yards, and had three Pro Bowl seasons. And in 2004 and 2005, he led the league in scrimmage yards with 2,096 and 2,390 respectively.

While Barber deserves a lot of credit for those milestones, Finn definitely should get credit as well. He was a strong, solid lead blocker who helped to blast open those running lanes for Barber. Finn’s 6-foot, 245 pound frame made him matchup well against linebackers, and that helped spring Barber to the second level frequently.

Finn also was a good receiver as a fullback. He recorded 60 career catches for 423 yards and a touchdown. He had a couple of 100-plus receiving seasons and he did enough to ensure that he wasn’t just a blocker. He had a versatile skill set.

This versatility and willingness to do anything allowed Finn to stick around for seven seasons and become one of the better fullbacks in the league. Quinn can look to Finn and see a tough, hard-nosed player who is always wanting to play hard and do what it takes to win.

Finn never got the glory as a fullback. But he did a lot to help Barber out and he was a good teammate because of this. Winning games is more important than individual stats, especially at the fullback position. So long as a player wants to win, production and success will follow.