Jimmy Graham - Pro Football Rumors

Deadline Looming For Saints, Jimmy Graham

July 14th, 2014 at 8:31am CST by Luke Adams

Four months after most of this year’s top free agents landed new deals, Jimmy Graham remains unsigned, having been franchised by the Saints. After a dispute over his position, which resulted in Graham receiving the tight end tag ($7.035MM) rather than one for a wide receiver ($12.312MM), the two sides are working toward a long-term agreement, but are running out of time to reach a deal. Here’s a breakdown of what to expect from the Graham situation this week and beyond:

Appeal deadline:

Graham had 10 days to appeal the decision made by arbitrator Stephen Burbank, who ruled that the Saints star is a tight end rather than a wide receiver. It was believed that deadline would be on Saturday, since the ruling broke on July 2. However, as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reported last week, Graham’s camp believes the deadline is actually today, since they didn’t receive the decision until July 3, and the NFL’s office is closed on Sundays.

Presumably, Graham’s camp would have double-checked to make sure that today is the actual deadline, so we’ll assume for now that they’re right. In that case, an appeal could still come by 3:00 central time today. In that event, Graham’s case to be considered a wide receiver would be put before a three-person appeals board. If the appeals board decided to overturn Burbank’s decision, Graham’s franchise tag would be worth $12.312MM rather than $7.035MM.

Long-term contract deadline:

Here’s one deadline we know for certain: Graham and the Saints have until Tuesday at 3:00pm central time to strike a long-term contract agreement that will keep the tight end in New Orleans for multiple seasons. If they don’t work out a deal, Graham will only be eligible to sign a one-year deal this summer. He’d be eligible for a contract extension again following the final game of the regular season.

Last we heard, discussions between the two sides were moving slowly, with no indication that the Saints had upped their offer of about $9.5MM per year, and no indication that Graham would be inclined to accept that proposal. Still, the team has long expressed optimism about getting something done, and there’s a precedent for talks going down to the wire — the same thing happened two years ago when the Saints used their franchise tag on Drew Brees and ultimately agreed on a multiyear extension.

If no long-term agreement is reached:

If Tuesday comes and goes with no long-term extension in place for Graham, the most likely scenario would see him play out the 2014 season on his one-year franchise salary, then having the same process repeat again in 2015 — a second franchise tag would be an affordable $8.442MM.

Of course, there are other possibilities in play here. If Graham’s camp does indeed file an appeal at some point today and ultimately wins it, he’d play out the ’14 season at a much higher salary, making it significantly more difficult for New Orleans to franchise him again next year, when a second franchise tag would cost $14.774MM. That’s not the most likely outcome, of course, but it’s one the club must consider as it negotiates a long-term deal.

Additionally, since Graham was tagged with the non-exclusive franchise designation, he remains a free agent, meaning a rival team could sign him to an offer sheet. As Joel Corry wrote for The National Football Post earlier this month, there’s nothing in the CBA which suggests the July 15 deadline applies to offer sheets from rival teams as well as multiyear extensions with a franchise player’s own club. So if a team is willing to part with two future first-round picks to sign Graham, it could still sign the 27-year-old to an offer sheet, which the Saints would have five days to match. There are rumblings that a few teams are still considering this, though I’d be surprised if any team actually went all-in on such a move, considering the exorbitant cost in both salary and draft picks.

Prediction:

While I’ve been expecting Graham and the Saints to ultimately compromise and reach a long-term agreement, the lingering possibility of an appeal on Burbank’s decision complicates matter. If an appeal is filed today, it would seem to reduce the likelihood of a multiyear extension, since there’d be little reason to challenge Graham’s one-year franchise salary if he’s playing under an entirely different contract.

Still, I think a long-term extension remains the likeliest outcome, with Graham and the Saints agreeing to a contract at some point within the next 30 hours or so. Something in the range of five years, $50MM+, with between $15-20MM in guaranteed money, would make sense to me.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Extra Points: Dreessen, Cutler, Ferguson

July 12th, 2014 at 1:11pm CST by Matt Feminis

Speaking with Vic Carucci & Dan Leberfeld on SiriusXM NFL Radio, Broncos tight end Joel Dreessen weighed in on the Jimmy Graham ruling, saying the decision struck a nerve and that he agreed with Tony Gonzalez’s take on the situation: “It’s kind of frustrating that guys who get asked to do probably the second most after the quarterback is kinda down there on the pay scale.”
Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune listed 12 NFL training camp storylines to watch, including Jay Cutler‘s new deal. “The Bears signed quarterback Jay Cutler to a $126 million contract extension that is essentially a $54 million deal for the next three seasons before it goes year-to-year,” says Biggs. “It’s a huge payday that general manager Phil Emery based on future performance, as Cutler’s resume includes only one postseason victory.”
Last year was an “uncharacteristically bad year” for Jets left tackle D’Brickashaw Ferguson, says the New York Post’s Brian Costello, who believes 2013 will prove to be “an aberration and not a sign of decline.” However, Costello does caution: “Ferguson has the highest salary cap figure on the team at $11.7 million. After a few restructurings to help the team gain salary cap space in 2012 and ’13, the bill is now coming due for the Jets. Ferguson’s cap numbers are huge for the next four years. If Ferguson’s play slips, the Jets might have to consider releasing him before the 2016 season, when they could save $9 million in cap space by cutting him.”
Branden Albert of the Dolphins and Jairus Byrd of the Saints topped ESPN’s list of free agents who will transform teams. The last three seasons, Albert has allowed just 4.6 pressures per 100 pass blocks, good enough for third in the league over that span. As for Byrd, he allowed a paltry 0.23 yards per coverage snap last season, third-best in the league.
Answering questions about the Eagles’ projected roster, PhillyMag.com’s Tim McManus said he doesn’t expect many “curveballs,” i.e. surprises, when the team’s 53-man is finalized. McManus expects LeSean McCoy, Darren Sproles and Chris Polk to serve as the running back trio, and he expects Brad Smith to stick as the fifth receiver. The one mild surprise could be Travis Long forcing veteran Brandon Graham out, though that would mean employing two backups at defensive end (Long and first-rounder Marcus Smith) with no NFL experience.
Entering training camp, 49 Patriots players are “sure-fire locks” or “near locks,” in the estimation of ESPN New England’s Mike Reiss, who breaks down the projected roster.

NFC Links: Saints, Cowboys, Cardinals, Rams

July 11th, 2014 at 10:05pm CST by Ben Levine

Saints tight end Ben Watson was keeping tabs on the franchise tag situation regarding his team and the player he backs up, Jimmy Graham. However, the 33-year-old is confident that both sides will be able to move on and told ESPN.com’s Mike Triplett that heated moments accompany any contract negotiation…

“I’m very confident that it’ll be resolved the right way and guys can move forward. Obviously it’s always tough when you go through litigation with somebody, and it can probably get heated. And I’m sure there are emotions on both sides. But that is the business side of the game.

“And it’s unfortunate that it came to that and that it was so public. But I really think – I know, I don’t think – I know that Jimmy loves New Orleans and I know that he loves our team and the organization and he loves playing here. And we love him, everybody wants him here, coaches included. So when it comes down to contract situations, that’s just a necessary evil…not even evil, but just a necessary progression of getting a player here.”

Let’s check some more NFC notes…

Nick Hayden had a great comeback last season with the Cowboys, but Brandon George of the Dallas Morning News writes that free agent addition Terrell McClain will push him for the starting defensive tackle gig.
Cardinals linebacker Ernie Sims is hoping to play ten seasons in the NFL, the veteran told Jim Henry of the Tallahassee Democrat. The 29-year-old has played for four teams during his eight-year career.
Count Will Witherspoon as a Kenny Britt fan. The former Rams linebacker thinks his former Titans teammates will flourish in St.Louis, the free agent said on SiriusXM NFL Radio (via Chris Wesseling of NFL.com). “I think the addition of Kenny Britt will be a huge boost for the Rams offense,” Witherspoon said. “I expect him to blossom into a star.”

Jimmy Graham Contract Talks Moving Slowly

July 11th, 2014 at 12:37pm CST by Luke Adams

While all eyes in the sports world this week have been on a certain NBA free agent, one of the top 2014 NFL free agents technically remains on the market, and two important deadlines are looming for Jimmy Graham and the Saints. The two sides have until July 15 to work out a long-term agreement for the franchise player. If no multiyear contract is agreed upon by that point, Graham can only sign a one-year deal with New Orleans.

Additionally, Graham has a 10-day window to appeal the decision made by arbitrator Stephen Burbank, who ruled that he is a tight end rather than a wide receiver, meaning his one-year franchise tag is worth $7.035MM rather than $12.312MM. Burbank’s decision came down on July 2, which would suggest Graham and the NFLPA would have to file an appeal by tomorrow, prompting a three-person appeals board would review the case. However, a source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk that Graham’s camp believes the deadline actually comes on Monday, since the Saints star received the ruling on July 3, and the league office is closed on Sunday.

We heard on Monday that contract talks between Graham and the Saints were expected to resume this week, and it seems that has indeed happened. However, according to Florio, those discussions have been moving slowly, and the two sides don’t appear on the verge of reaching a deal.

The pair of deadlines could provide an interesting predicament for both sides as Tuesday’s deadline approaches — if Graham’s camp files an appeal by Monday (or by tomorrow, depending on when that deadline actually arrives), a final decision on his positional designation likely won’t be made until after July 15. As such, if the two sides don’t come to an agreement by Tuesday, the Saints risk Burbank’s decision being overturned, meaning they’d be on the hook for a much larger franchise salary for Graham in 2014.

Complicating matters further is the fact that, since he received the non-exclusive franchise tag, Graham is still technically a free agent, albeit a restricted one. If another team is willing to give up two future first-round picks, it could sign the 27-year-old to an offer sheet and hope New Orleans decides not to match it, and recent reports have indicated a few teams haven’t ruled out this possibility.

At last word, according to Florio, the Saints’ offer to Graham was in the $9.5MM per year range, which would be enough to make him the highest-paid tight end in the league, but is nowhere near the $12MM annual figure he was initially seeking. We’ll have to wait to see whether the two sides find a common ground by Tuesday, and also whether Graham’s camp appeals last week’s franchise positional ruling, which would throw another wrench into the negotiations.

Extra Points: Graham, Jones, Cowboys

July 8th, 2014 at 10:30pm CST by Zachary Links

Earlier today, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk got his hands on testimony from the Jimmy Graham franchise-tag grievance hearing. One of the more interesting highlights: former Buccaneers special assistant to the head coach Butch Davis said that the team’s draft strategy in 2012 was fueled directly by a desire to stop Graham. “We took [safety] Mark Barron in the first round simply because of Jimmy Graham,” Davis said of the team’s decision with the eighth overall pick that year. Unfortunately for Tampa Bay, the Saints have gone 4-0 against the Bucs since then. Here’s more from around the league..

In former Ravens defensive end Arthur Jones, it’s clear that the Colts got the type of player and personality that they’ve been looking for, writes Kevin Bowen of Colts.com. Indianapolis pried Jones away from Baltimore this offseason with a five-year, $33MM deal that includes $10MM in guaranteed money.
Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com looks back to see what could have been for the Cowboys had they gambled on certain players. For example, if they put in a higher bid in the 2012 supplemental draft, they could have won top prize Josh Gordon, who is suspended for the 2014 season. The Cowboys would also look rather different if they went with Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel in this year’s draft. While both athletes are talented, right now it seems like the Cowboys were better off steering clear of both of them.
Brandon George of the Dallas News writes that the Cowboys have depth but very little experience at the left defensive end spot.

Werder On Graham, Saints, Josh Gordon

July 7th, 2014 at 10:11am CST by Luke Adams

ESPN NFL insider Ed Werder reported earlier today that the Saints are expected to resume contract negotiations with tight end Jimmy Graham this week, but that wasn’t Werder’s only morning update. He has a few more details on Graham, as well as a note on troubled Browns receiver Josh Gordon, so let’s round up the highlights….

Sources tell Werder that Stephen Burbank’s decision to consider Graham a tight end rather than a wide receiver made the Saints star more appealing to other teams around the NFL. Somewhat lost in the dispute over Graham’s position is the fact that he’s still technically a free agent, albeit a restricted one — if another team is willing to give up two future first-round picks, it could sign the 27-year-old to an offer sheet and hope New Orleans decides not to match it.
As Werder notes, clubs expecting to draft in the 27-32 range in the first round next year could be top candidates to pursue Graham, since the draft-pick penalty wouldn’t be so harsh. Werder identifies the Patriots, Colts, and Falcons as possible teams to watch. However, he doesn’t believe the Packers would consider such a move since they value their draft picks highly and want to maintain room to re-sign Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb.
Of course, as Joel Corry of CBSSports.com tweets, many teams expecting to pick late in the first round don’t have the cap space to make Graham an offer that the Saints would have trouble matching. Of the teams mentioned by Werder, the Colts – with $13MM+ in room – are best positioned from a cap perspective.
As for Gordon, sources tell Werder (Twitter link) that some people close to the Browns wideout have been urging him “to seek professional assistance for substance-abuse issues” since high school. Gordon’s former Cleveland teammate, D’Qwell Jackson, is among those imploring those around him to reach out. “He needs help, he really does,” Jackson said, according to James Walker of ESPN.com. “He needs people to extend themselves and probably have to do more than they wanted to do. But if [the Browns] care anything about the kid, they have to do it.”
More Jackson on Gordon: “[He] was a big piece of the Browns‘ future; It’s just unfortunate he didn’t view it that way. He is so valuable. He doesn’t understand how valuable he is to an organization. He has no clue.”

Graham, Saints Expected To Resume Talks Soon

July 7th, 2014 at 8:30am CST by Luke Adams

Talks between the Saints and Jimmy Graham appeared to be essentially nonexistent leading up to Graham’s grievance hearing on his positional designation, but the team’s previous contract offer to the tight end still stands, as we heard last week. And with next Tuesday’s deadline looming, the Saints are expected to resume negotiations with Graham’s camp at some point this week, sources tell Ed Werder of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

While the 27-year-old could end up playing the 2014 season on his one-year franchise tag, it seems to be in both sides’ best interests to work out a longer-term deal that will keep the star pass-catcher in New Orleans for several years. However, the deadline for franchise players to reach multiyear agreements with their respective teams is July 15, so talks between Graham and the Saints will have to accelerate within the next week if the two sides hope to meet that deadline. Graham’s camp also still has the option of appealing arbitrator Stephen Burbank’s ruling to a three-person board, which would further complicate the chances of meeting that deadline.

According to multiple reports, the Saints are willing to make Graham the highest-paid tight end in football, exceeding Rob Gronkowski‘s $9MM annual figure. Although Graham almost certainly won’t attain the $12MM average annual value he was initially seeking, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the two sides ultimately compromised on a per-year figure in the neighborhood of $10MM.

NFC Notes: 49ers, Seahawks, Cowboys

July 6th, 2014 at 7:57pm CST by Peter Sowards

Even though the San Francisco 49ers are one of the two best teams in the NFL, and even though they’ll be better this year than last, the problem is that the No. 1 team is in their division, and they’re improved, too.

National Football Post’s Greg Gabriel previews the 2014 49ers and says that the team’s top priority is, obviously, getting past the Seahawks, who are riding high after a 43-8 throttling of the Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII. At quarterback, San Francisco is set with Colin Kaepernick, but Gabriel notes that there isn’t much behind him in the way of depth, even with the team’s recent acquisition of Blaine Gabbert.

Overall, Gabriel loves the talent on each side of the ball as well as head coach Jim Harbaugh, though the statuses of Aldon Smith and NaVorro Bowman will be key.

Extra Points: Titans, Jags, Graham, Broncos

July 5th, 2014 at 4:57pm CST by Rob DiRe

The Titans have a number of veterans that are coming to the end of their contracts after 2014, and Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean gives his opinion of who the Titans should work to extend and who they should wait until after next season to decide on. Wyatt wants the team to extend Jurrell Casey and Brett Kern sooner rather than later, but asks the team to show patience with some of their other veteran players.

Here are a few other stories from around the NFL:

The Jaguars‘ pass rush is set to be much improved in 2014, and Ryan O’Halloran of Jacksonville.com is absolutely buying into they hype. His reasoning for believing in this unit is simple. The pass rush can’t get any worse, and the key additions should be able to make a difference immediately. Although Dekoda Watson only had three sacks in 60 games for the Buccaneers, the Jaguars believe he has unique pass-rushing skills, and Chris Clemons will be able to provide some pressure as well. While Red Bryant is not known as a sack artist, his contributions in the running game will put the team in better shape on passing downs, another area where they struggled recently.
While there has not been a lot of positivity surrounding Saints‘ tight end Jimmy Graham since losing his grievance regarding his franchise tag, Drew Brees hasn’t forgotten Graham’s value to the league, writes Julie Boudwin of NOLA.com.“Jimmy Graham has revolutionized the position,” said Brees. “He’s a guy who is so talented at so many things you know and obviously he’s a big part of our offense and I hope that they’re able to reach a long-term agreement here sooner than later. At the end of the day, this is part of the process and I think we all understand that.”
The Broncos had the best offense in the NFL by a wide margin in 2013, and the only pieces not returning this season are receiver Eric Decker who signed with the Jets, and tailback Knowshon Moreno who is now with the Dolphins. Even still, Sayre Bedinger of PredominantlyOrange.com has highlighted five dark horse candidates to impact the offense in 2014. His top five are tight ends Virgil Green and Gerell Robinson, rookie wideout Cody Latimer, and running backs Ronnie Hillman and C.J. Anderson.

Saints’ Offer To Jimmy Graham Stands

July 4th, 2014 at 8:46am CST by Rob DiRe

The biggest fallout from Stephen Burbank’s ruling that Jimmy Graham is a tight end for franchise tag purposes is the leverage that the Saints gained from this decision. While the team suddenly has the additional leverage of holding a $7.035MM franchise tag over his head, the Saints have not withdrawn or reduced their offer which would make him the highest paid tight end in NFL history, reports Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.

The Saints reportedly had this offer ready back in February, but it was not even close to the $12MM average annual salary Graham was hoping to obtain. If Graham had won his grievance, the dollar figure he would have been franchised at would have been $12.3MM. Even if the arbitrator ruled a settlement in between the tight end and wide receiver, it would have provided Graham with significant negotiating power.

Florio writes that the team is still confident in its ability to get a long-term deal finished, despite the July 15 deadline. He believes Graham would have a hard time turning down an offer that paid him an average of $9.5MM per year with $15.4MM or more guaranteed.

Graham still has a chance to appeal Burbank’s decision, and has 10 days from his ruling to do so. However Florio still expects a long-term deal to be reached within the next 11 days.