Jimmy Graham - Pro Football Rumors

FA Rumors: Tatupu, Graham, Shaughnessy

March 4th, 2014 at 3:06pm CST by Luke Adams

Former Seahawks linebacker and three-time Pro Bowler Lofa Tatupu is working out today for the Broncos, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter). Knee and pectoral injuries derailed the career of Tatupu, who hasn’t played a regular season game since 2010, but he’s still just 31 years old, so a comeback isn’t out of the question. The former All-Pro linebacker is an unrestricted free agent right now, but the rest of the players in this roundup will have to wait another week before getting the chance to hit the open market. Let’s dive in and check out the latest….

While Jimmy Graham will have the ability to field offers from suitors in free agency, the franchise tag will limit his options. In any case, Saints GM Mickey Loomis is confident that his club will find a way to reach a long-term deal with the star tight end, as he said today on SiriusXM NFL Radio (link via Pro Football Talk). “I had hoped and I’m sure he had hoped we’d come to some conclusion on a longer-term deal before this,” Loomis said. “But we haven’t yet, and hopefully we will…. We’ll just let it play out, and I’m sure we’ll get something resolved.”
The Cardinals are in talks with Matt Shaughnessy‘s agent Rick Rosa in hopes of signing the free agent DE/LB to a new deal, according to Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic. “They are actively trying to re-sign him,” Rosa said. “He wants to be there, so we’ll see how it goes.”
Although cornerback Alterraun Verner acknowledges that he loves Tennessee and his Titans teammates, he sounds lukewarm on the idea of giving the club a “hometown discount” in free agency, as Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean writes.
The Broncos have the cap room in 2014 to bring back prospective free agent Eric Decker, but future obligations to Demaryius Thomas and Julius Thomas will make the team wary about investing too heavily in Decker, says Mike Klis of the Denver Post, who spoke to the wide receiver about his impending free agency.

Saints Use Franchise Tag On Jimmy Graham

March 3rd, 2014 at 4:05pm CST by Luke Adams

MONDAY, 4:05pm: Graham has officially been tagged as a tight end, says Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). That had been expected, and sets the stage for Graham and his reps to file a grievance.

SATURDAY, 9:15am: The Saints tagged Graham with the non-exclusive designation, adds ESPN’s Chris Mortensen (via Twitter). Calculated based on the average of the non-exclusive franchise numbers at a player’s position over the last five years and their percentage of the salary cap, the designation allows Graham to sign an offer sheet with another team, at which point the Saints would have five days to match or accept two first-round picks as compensation.

FRIDAY, 4:58pm: The Saints have formally used their tag on Graham, a source confirms to Pro Football Talk (Twitter link).

12:43pm: The Saints will use their franchise tag on Jimmy Graham before Monday’s deadline, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Schefter’s tweet suggests that a long-term agreement isn’t close, though the two sides could still work out a multiyear contract after Graham has been tagged.

As Ian Rapoport of NFL.com noted earlier this week, when an NFL team tags a player with the franchise designation, the club doesn’t specify a position. That decision is left to the league office. In this case, the team and player are expected to disagree on Graham’s position, with the Saints preferring to consider him a tight end, while Graham’s camp will push for a wide receiver designation. The difference between one-year franchise salaries for the two positions is expected to be nearly $5MM.

Assuming a grievance is filed, as expected, an arbitrator will be tasked with determining Graham’s position. Considering he lined up as a receiver for about two-thirds of his snaps in 2013, Graham and his reps will argue that, by the letter of the law, he should receive the franchise salary for a receiver, which is expected to be about $11.5MM. The CBA dictates that a franchise player’s position is the one “at which the franchise player participated in the most plays during the prior league year.”

Of course, this process could be avoided if the Saints and Graham agree to a long-term deal. But as of Tuesday, the two sides were said to be several million dollars apart on an annual salary, which likely stems from that disagreement on the 27-year-old’s position. The club is reportedly willing to make Graham the NFL’s highest-paid tight end, exceeding Rob Gronkowski‘s $9MM annual salary. However, Graham is said to be seeking a salary that would pay him like a top-five receiver, in the neighborhood of $12MM per year.

In recent years, Vincent Jackson, Dwayne Bowe, and Mike Wallace have inked deals whose annual salaries range from $11-12MM, and you could make a strong case that Graham has a more significant impact as a receiver than any of those players. In 2013, Drew Brees‘ favorite weapon recorded 86 catches, 1,215 receiving yards, and a career-high 16 touchdowns.

For a refresher on the franchise tag, be sure to check out our glossary entry and our list of candidates to be tagged.

FA Rumors: Spikes, Jackson, Mack, Graham

March 3rd, 2014 at 12:04pm CST by Luke Adams

With the 2014 free agent period now eight days away, we’re starting to get a clearer idea of which players will actually be available when we turn the calendar to March 11, and a new league year begins. Plenty of free-agents-to-be will still be locked up between now and then, but many more will hit the open market, and perhaps change teams. Here’s the latest on a number of current or prospective free agents:

The Patriots and Brandon Spikes aren’t discussing a new deal, meaning the linebacker appears likely to become a free agent and sign elsewhere, writes Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald.
Having met with the Broncos and Titans already, linebacker D’Qwell Jackson is on his way to Miami today to visit the Dolphins, according to Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean (via Twitter). The former Brown has a leg up on this year’s class of free agent linebackers, since he’s free to sign prior to March 11 if he so chooses.
The Browns‘ brass met with center Alex Mack this weekend, and are serious about mending fences with Mack that may have been torn down by the old regime, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
In the view of ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link), the Seahawks and Packers should be open to the idea of signing Jimmy Graham to an offer sheet and giving up two first-round picks to snatch him away from the Saints. However, Peter King of TheMMQB.com doesn’t think giving up a pair of top picks for the right to pay Graham $12MM per year is worth it.
Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com takes a look at the Saints‘ perspective when it comes to negotiating a new deal for Graham.
Chris Murray, the agent for defensive back Marcus Sherels, is optimistic that he and the Vikings will complete a deal for his restricted free agent client before March 11, tweets Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
The Giants will be bringing back exclusive rights free agent OL Dallas Reynolds, says Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News (via Twitter).
Pro Football Focus has released a list of its top 75 free agents.

NFC Notes: Suh, Bethea, Ware, Graham

March 2nd, 2014 at 3:56pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh is going to be the next player to break the bank, writes Joel Corry of the National Football Post. Suh is under contract through the 2015 season; however, that year is a player option, which Suh will likely decline. 2014, then, is effectively the last year of his current deal. If the Lions do not sign the star lineman to a new contract before next season, the franchise tag will probably not be an option, as his tag figure would be an untenable $26.87MM.

Suh has restructured his contract twice in as many years in order for the Lions to gain more cap space. An extension would serve the same purpose, as well as lowering Suh’s cap number, which is second in the league at approximately $22.4MM. The Lions are still feeling the effects of selecting high in the draft under the previous collective bargaining agreement, when rookie salaries were much higher. The rookie deals of Suh, quarterback Matthew Stafford, and receiver Calvin Johnson have put the team in an unenviable position. Extending Suh, as the Lions did with both Stafford and Johnson, would help to alleviate some of that cap strain.

More items from the NFC:

Safety Antoine Bethea could be an option for the Falcons, writes Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com. The team is expected to release Thomas DeCoud, and has been linked to free agent Louis Delmas. Jairus Byrd could also be intriguing, but both he and Delmas might be too expensive for Atlanta’s tastes.
Demarcus Ware, due $26MM over the next two seasons, is too expensive to be traded, but he could brought back to the Cowboys at a lower salary, argues Todd Archer of ESPN.com in a recent mailbag.
Mike Triplett of ESPN.com believes the Saints’ Jimmy Graham is a tight end, writing that lining up in the slot is simply part of that position’s job description in today’s NFL. Triplett thinks the murky situation could be resolved with a long-term contract in excess of $10MM annually.
The Rams could add two quarterbacks to backup Sam Bradford, according to Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com. Kellen Clemens could return, and the team figures to draft a quarterback somewhere in the third-to-fifth-round range.
In a mailbag segment, Bill Williamson of ESPN.com says receiver will be a priority in the draft for the 49ers, and singles out Oregon State WR Brandin Crooks as an option. He also writes that running back LaMichael James could be used more in the slot and on screens as the teams aims to get the speedy back more touches.

Jimmy Graham’s Next Contract

March 1st, 2014 at 3:49pm CST by Rob DiRe

Now that Jimmy Graham has been officially hit with the franchise tag, his next contract could go in a number of different directions. In normal situations, a franchised player has two options: either play the next season under the tag number for your position or continue to work on a long-term agreement.

However, for the Saints’ pass catcher, it is not so simple.Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk outlined ten key points about the Graham situation, including the obvious controversy about which position Graham should be franchised as. Graham will argue that he lined up as a receiver more often than as a tight end, and the Saints will argue that all tight ends move around the formation, and no receiver actually lines up next to the tackle during a play.

Florio also notes that the two sides have until July 15 to come to terms on the long-term deal.

In signing a long-term extension, Graham will likely also argue that he should be paid like one of the most productive receivers in the NFL. Andrew Cohen of OvertTheCap.com sees Rob Gronkowski‘s six year, $54MM deal as the baseline for his long-term negotiation. Still, he sees that Graham has better leverage as Gronkowski had two years left on his deal, with a much longer injury history and a smaller salary cap to work under.

Cohen also sees the possibility, while unlikely, that a team offers Graham a contract in the hopes that the Saints will not match. Though the team will have to send the Saints two first-round draft picks for the opportunity to pay Graham, he believes this could be a worthwhile decision for either the Dolphins or the Jets. Both teams have the salary cap space to offer a frontloaded contract with a big signing bonus, and he writes that they are unlikely to find a better offensive weapon in the draft.

NFC Notes: Foles, Pettigrew, Young, Gerhart

March 1st, 2014 at 8:57am CST by Matt Feminis

Eagles quarterback Nick Foles is the team’s unquestioned No. 1 entering 2014, but the team has yet to publicly declare its belief in the third-year passer as the team’s long-term solution, points out Philly.com’s Jeff McLane. Some believe the team still has doubts and is leaving itself some wiggle room, acknowledging the possibility (likelihood?) Foles regresses this season. There is a business element at play, too. Because Foles’ rookie contract cannot be renegotiated until after 2014, it’s prudent for the club to hold off on making any long-term declarations.

In light of recent transactions, Eagles GM Howie Roseman demonstrated he paid attention to the successful and unsuccessful aspects of the Joe Banner/Andy Reid era, says Philadelphia Inquirer columnist Mike Sielski, who believes the previous regime undervalued the importance of veteran leadership. “[Roseman] recommitted the Eagles to rewarding homegrown talents such as Kelce and Cooper, and he’s acknowledged that certain older players are special cases.”
With Jimmy Graham franchise tagged and Dennis Pitta re-signed, the Lions‘ Brandon Pettigrew is potentially the most attractive free agent tight end, says ESPN.com’s Michael Rothstein.
Meanwhile, the Lions have another free agent worth prioritizing, according to mlive.com’s Kyle Meinke, who says defensive end Willie Young‘s pending free agency “has hardly been discussed.” Plagued by inconsistency in the past, Young took a step forward in 2013, collecting 47 tackles and three sacks and ranking 16th in the league amongst 4-3 defensive ends, according to Pro Football Focus.
It is expected that Vikings backup running back Toby Gerhart will leave in free agency, according to ESPN.com’s Ben Goessling.

Extra Points: Ware, Packers, Graham, Smith

February 26th, 2014 at 10:25pm CST by Zachary Links

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said recently on ESPN’s SportsCenter that it’s possible the club will part ways with DeMarcus Ware to avoid a sizable cap hit. Meanwhile, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (on Twitter) hears that Dallas has yet to ask Ware to take a pay cut and there has been no communication between the two sides. Here’s tonight’s look around the league..

The Packers would like to have restricted free agent linebacker Jamari Lattimore back on the roster next season, but don’t appear ready to offer him the right-of-first-refusal tender, according to Pete Dougherty of the Green Bay Press-Gazette. With Green Bay likely willing to offer a salary closer to the minimum, Lattimore figures to test the open market.
There’s a lot of debate over whether Saints star Jimmy Graham should be designated as a tight end or a wide receiver when it comes to the franchise tag, but Ian Rapoport of NFL.com rightfully notes that it’s a decision made by the league office, not the team.
The Saints have reached out to running back Pierre Thomas to discuss his future with the club, writes Larry Holder of The Times-Picayune.
Panthers general manager Dave Gettleman recently acknowledged that the club could conceivably cut ties with Steve Smith this summer and the wide receiver is less than thrilled about hearing that second hand, writes Jonathan Jones of the Charlotte Observer.
The Rams plan to take a wait-and-see approach with their backup quarterback situation, writes ESPN.com’s Nick Wagoner.
Raiders free agent defensive tackle Vance Walker has signed with A3 NFL agent Tommy Sims, according to Liz Mullen of Sports Business Journal (on Twitter). He was formerly repped by 5 Star Athlete Management.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Saints, Jimmy Graham Several Million Apart

February 25th, 2014 at 5:39pm CST by Zachary Links

The Saints and star tight end Jimmy Graham remain several million dollars apart per season in contract negotiations, sources tell Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (via Twitter). Sources indicate that New Orleans is willing to make Graham the highest paid tight end in the NFL while Graham wants roughly $12MM per year (link). The Saints have told Graham that they’ll eclipse the $9MM per year that Rob Gronkowski got from the Patriots, but that’s not enough for the 27-year-old.

Despite the sizable gap in talks, there’s next to zero chance of Graham hitting the open market. The Saints are expected to extend the franchise tag to Graham if they cannot come to terms on a brand-new multi-year pact. The franchise tag, however, could leave Graham with a bad taste in his mouth. Even though Graham is widely regarded as a tight end, he believes that he should be paid as a wide receiver given that he lined up at WR for nearly two-thirds of his snaps last season. It’s also worth noting that with 86 catches for 1215 yards in a season where he was dealing with injury, he certainly offers wide receiver-type production.

A recent PFR poll showed that most readers believe Graham should be tagged as a TE if he does not reach agreement on a new contract with the Saints.

Extra Points: Roberts, Fitzpatrick, Steelers

February 19th, 2014 at 2:58pm CST by Luke Adams

Andre Roberts doesn’t sound bullish about the possibility of returning to the Cardinals for 2014, suggesting during an appearance on SiriusXM NFL Radio that there may not be “enough balls to go around out here” (link via Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com). Roberts will be looking for a four- or five-year contract this offseason, but will be willing to sign a one-year, make-good deal, according to Weinfuss. The receiver also sounds like he’s looking forward to testing the open market.

“I’m pretty excited about the whole free-agency process,” Roberts said. “I’m looking forward to seeing what’s coming for the rest of my career.”

Here’s more from across the NFL:

Titans backup quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick could be cut this offseason if the team wants to create a little cap flexibility, but he tells John Glennon of the Tennessean that he’s not worried about that possibility.
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk believes there’s at least an outside chance that a grievance over Jimmy Graham’s franchise-tag position could result in the Saints star becoming an unrestricted free agent, as he explained in a piece this morning. Taking that possibility into account, Florio thinks the Saints ought to tag Graham and push for resolution sooner rather than later.
With a grievance over Graham’s position likely looming, Pat Kirwan of CBSSports.com takes a look at how the NFL could make franchise-tag positional designations more logical. In Kirwan’s view, the league and the NFLPA should agree on several adjustments to the system, including adding new designations for fullbacks and kick returners, and dividing offensve linemen and wide receivers into multiple groups.
Appearing on 93.7 The Fan in Pittsburgh, Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert echoed comments made by team president Art Rooney II last month, suggesting that the franchise wants to re-sign Ben Roethlisberger and ensure that he remains a Steeler for the rest of his career. ESPN.com’s Scott Brown has the quotes and the details.
In an interesting piece for the National Football Post, Jack Bechta explains how agents help their clients prepare for the draft combine.

Free Agent Rumors: Decker, Graham, Bell

February 18th, 2014 at 11:24am CST by Luke Adams

Appearing on Sirius XM Radio today, Eric Decker discussed his free agency and didn’t rule out the possibility of a return to the Broncos. However, the wide receiver’s comments suggested that Denver will likely just be one of the many options he’ll consider — Decker indicated that he’d “welcome a call” from the Broncos, but said he’ll need to make the decision that’s best for his family (Twitter link). The free-agent-to-be added that it’s not all about the money, and that he’ll be looking for a spot where he’ll have fun and enjoy going to work every day (Twitter link).

Here are a few more updates on free agents around the league:

While there has been no real progress in contract talks between Jimmy Graham and the Saints, expect Graham to immediately file a grievance to be considered a receiver if and when the team designates him as its franchise player, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
In a piece for CBSSports.com, Joel Corry examines the free agents who could be designated as franchise players for each of the league’s 32 teams, and also touches on Graham’s looming positional battle.
As both Corry and Robert Mays of Grantland point out, there’s a precedent for a positional grievance related to the franchise tag. In 2008, Terrell Suggs challenged his designation as a linebacker, contending that he spent more time at defensive end. Suggs and the Ravens ultimately compromised on the average of the two positions’ salaries. If Graham and the Saints were to reach a similar agreement, it would have to be considered a win for New Orleans, since Graham will likely be seeking top-five wide receiver money, according to Corry.
Justin Rogers of MLive.com attempts to project the cost of a long-term deal for Lions running back Joique Bell, who will be eligible for restricted free agency next month. Rogers concludes that a four-year contract that starts at around $3-3.5MM per year could make sense for both sides.