Jimmy Graham is a tight end

Arbitrator rules for Saints, making franchise tag worth $7.05 million instead of the $12.3 million it would have been worth for a receiver.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/saints/2014/07/02/jimmy-graham-ruled-tight-end-for-franchise-tag-by-arbitrator/12046925/

We had an interesting debate on the NFL thread about what it means to line up in the slot -- obviously the arbitrator saw that it was not the exclusive domain of WRs, which I think is the right call. Kind of weird that X's and O's strategy is part of the contract process, but this is the system they want.

Can't imagine Vernon Davis and some others are all that happy about this one.

 

Yeah, this definitely takes away some of the power from top tight ends in free agency, because if they don't agree to certain deals, teams can threaten to slap them with the tag, which would make a handful of them a bargain at that price.

 

This is an interesting case to me, and for the longest I lined up behind Graham, because he is clearly better than any receiver on his team. But while it sucks, I think this is the right call. If you side with Graham, then you are essentially eliminating the TE position. There is no way to put a limit on the # of times you line up in the slot/backfield/etc. So if you come in as a tight end, you have to deal with being paid less. Now, I think the Saints should throw Graham a bone and bump his pay up, just because of how valuable he is, but they are under no obligation. And if they don't do that, I'd see who would give me that on the open market when the time came, or hold out until they did.

 

Oh, really now?

 

I wish somebody would slap me with a franchise tag. Poor Jimmy.

 

He should refuse to line up wide or in the slot all season.

 

The judge made the right ruling, but Graham still should be getting a deal worth around $10M a year. He's more than earned that and if he was a true free agent, he would get that in a heartbeat. I think Gronk's deal was $54 million over six years. It's a no-brainer that Graham would get a similar deal.

I continue to be stumped as to why the Saints feel the need to treat their superstars in this manner before they inevitably re-sign them. They did this to Brees and now Graham.

 

When you become the berst tight end in the league you just might get your wish.

 

Yep. What an asinine comment. Par for the course with some folks in these parts, unfortunately.

Definitely. I am not at all a fan of holdouts, but I would not begrudge him at all if he held out for closer to WR money.

 

I agree Graham is a tight end. But this is an outstanding example of things that are wrong with the current CBA. It shouldn't matter whether he's a tight end, wide receiver or left tackle. Not all offenses are identical to begin with. Some teams throw to the tight end more than others. So what?

Graham (or most anyone) is equally as valuable to all teams. It's how a player fits into the system.

 

I don't know why Benson continually gets a pass from that fanbase for having once shopped the team.

 

He doesn't. It's just that winning papers over a lot of things that would otherwise bother the fans. Trust me, Saints fans still don't trust Benson as far as they can throw him, but they've come to tolerate him because he's hired a real good coach/GM team and left them alone to do their thing.