Tag: Jimmy Graham

The Saints might need one more year from Jimmy Graham after all

The Saints might need one more year from Jimmy Graham after all. The tight ends on their roster aren’t getting the job done:

Maybe the New Orleans Saints were too quick to give Jimmy Graham a polite “thanks, but no thanks” when he expressed interest in running it back this summer. The team lacks a big-bodied target in the red zone, and that flaw has stood out in their recent losses. He’s well past handling a starring role on offense, but Graham can help a team in a bit part.

Graham was bafflingly efficient last year, especially in the red zone. He was thrown to 7 times and caught 6 passes for 39 yards, either converting a first  down or scoring a touchdown every time. All four of his touchdowns were scored inside the opposing 20-yard line.

The Saints could have used that kind of efficiency against the Atlanta Falcons last Sunday. Derek Carr attempted six throws inside Atlanta’s 20-yard line. Here’s how they turned out:

  • 1st and 10 from the 20: Pass complete to Rashid Shaheed for 5  yards
  • 2nd and 2 from the 17: Pass incomplete intended for Alvin Kamara
  • 3rd and 2 from the 17: Pass complete to Chris Olave for 16 yards
  • 3rd and 5 from the  15: Pass complete to Mason Tipton for 6 yards
  • 4th and 7 from the 7: Pass incomplete intended for Rashid Shaheed
  • 2nd and 5 from the 5: Pass incomplete intended for Rashid Shaheed

So that’s three completions and two first downs on six tries in scoring position. That’s clearly not good enough. Five of those passes were thrown to wide receivers; neither Juwan Johnson nor Foster Moreau are getting open and making plays in the passing game, which is really concerning when the Saints only have two viable wideouts working in a run-first offense. Moreau caught a touchdown pass in Week 1 but since then he and Johnson have combined for just three catches and 16 yards through three games.

What’s the answer? Getting Graham out of his kayak and back into town? Giving the rookie Dallin Holker some reps? Lining up Johnson out wide, where he played in college? Using Taysom Hill more often as a receiver than a runner? Any of those solutions would be more affordable and more realistic than a big-time trade for someone like Baltimore Ravens decoy Mark Andrews, but it’s still a problem the Saints need to solve. Let’s see what answer they come up with.

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Deuce McAllister’s record-breaking TD is the Saints Play of Day 54

Deuce McAllister’s record-breaking touchdown run against the Green Bay Packers in 2008 is the New Orleans Saints Play of Day 54:

There are 54 days to go until the New Orleans Saints kick off their 2024 regular season, and our pick for the Saints Play of the Day countdown is something special. The play itself isn’t what stands out so much as what it represents: Deuce McAllister’s record-breaking touchdown run back in 2008.

He’s had flashier plays, including a 54-yard touchdown run against the Atlanta Falcons as a rookie in 2001. But this one capped a career full of hard work and adversity. McAllister followed his blockers left and crashed into the end zone for six points. It was the 54th touchdown McAllister scored in his career, breaking the record set by his predecessor Dalton Hilliard. McAllister would find the end zone one more time before hanging up his cleats, extending his record to 55 touchdowns scored in a Saints uniform.

Of course he himself was later surpassed by other great players — first Mark Ingram II (57) and Marques Colston (72), and now Alvin Kamara (78 and counting). Jimmy Graham returned to the Saints and tied McAllister’s total in 2023. But that doesn’t diminish what McAllister accomplished. That he put so many points on the board without playing with a future Hall of Famer at quarterback for so many years speaks volumes.

He gave fans someone to root for during a tough time in franchise history before passing off the torch to the next generation of star talents. He’s one of the greatest players to ever suit up for the black and gold, and fans who got to see him go to work in his prime were lucky to do so.

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Jimmy Graham’s 66-yard touchdown is our Saints Play of the Day

Jimmy Graham’s 66-yard touchdown is our Saints Play of the Day. The only problem with this play is that he scored too soon:

There are 66 days left until the New Orleans Saints kick off their 2024 regular season, and Jimmy Graham’s 66-yard touchdown catch is our Saints Play of the Day. Graham came through in a huge spot when the Saints needed it most, which you can view here.

The only problem with this play is that Graham scored too soon. Facing a 29-24 deficit against the San Francisco 49ers in the 2011 divisional round, Drew Brees took the snap out of the shotgun deep inside his own territory with 1:48 left in regulation. He threw a lob to Graham down the middle of the field with two 49ers defenders around him (and a third closing in fast), but Graham came down with the football and spun himself free into the open field. A stiff arm shoved Carlos Rogers away from him and Graham ran into the end zone, giving the Saints the lead with 1:37 left to play.

And it was too much time. The 49ers marched downfield unchallenged by Gregg Williams’ defense, which had no answers for Vernon Davis; the veteran tight end flipped the field with a 47-yard catch, and capped it with a 14-yard touchdown reception. Brees and the Saints offense took the field with only seconds remaining, but it proved futile.

Before the NFC championship game no-call, and before the Minneapolis Miracle, this was the most painful Saints playoff loss in recent memory. And ever since fans have dreaded scoring with too much time left for the other team to counterattack. But individual efforts like Graham’s field-crossing touchdown catch shouldn’t be forgotten. Plays like this one were the only reason the Saints were competitive in this game so late in regulation.

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Drew Brees’ 69-yard TD pass to Kenny Stills is the Saints Play of the Day

It’s a throwback to 2013. Drew Brees’ 69-yard touchdown pass to Kenny Stills is the New Orleans Saints Play of the Day:

We’re taking the time machine back to 2013 for our New Orleans Saints Play of the Day while counting down to kickoff in 2024. Facing the Buffalo Bills at midseason, Drew Brees found a mismatch in coverage and hit rookie wide receiver Kenny Stills with outside linebacker Jerry Hughes trailing him down the sideline.

It wasn’t much of a footrace after that. Stills streaked ahead of Hughes to walk into the end zone untouched for a go-ahead touchdown, and the Saints poured it on. Jimmy Graham caught back-to-back touchdown passes, and Stills scored again from 42 yards out to seal a 35-17 blowout win.

While he was only targeted four times on the afternoon, Stills finished the game with three receptions for 129 yards. Brees was in vintage form; his final passing line included 26 completions on 34 attempts, gaining 332 yards with five touchdown passes. He was sacked four times (including once by Hughes) but remained cool under pressure, and the Bills couldn’t keep pace with him. We’ll see a couple of those throws in his highlight reel when Brees is inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in a few years.

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Countdown to Kickoff: Dallin Holker is the Saints Player of Day 85

Dallin Holker is the New Orleans Saints Player of Day 85 as we count down to kickoff. The rookie tight end has a big opportunity in front of him:

It’s always exciting to see an undrafted rookie drawing attention in the spring, and Dallin Holker has earned it. The former Colorado State tight end signed with the New Orleans Saints after the 2024 draft and has already begun making plays at spring practices.

But what are reasonable expectations for him in his rookie year? We’ll seek to answer that while highlighting Holker as our Saints Player of the Day while counting down to kickoff with the Carolina Panthers in Week 1, which is 85 days away. So let’s get to know Holker a little better:

  • Name (Age): Dallin Holker (24)
  • Position: Tight end
  • Height, weight: 6-foot-3, 241 pounds
  • Relative Athletic Score: 7.36
  • 2024 salary cap hit: $798,333
  • College: Colorado State
  • Drafted: Undrafted in 2024 (New Orleans Saints)
  • NFL experience: Rookie

The Saints have experienced a lot of injuries at tight end this spring. Juwan Johnson is set to undergo foot surgery that will sideline him until the start of the regular season. Veteran backups Michael Jacobson and Tommy Hudson both missed time at minicamp after getting banged up. So Holker has been a big beneficiary of the extra practice reps to go around.

Now, that doesn’t mean he’s a lock to make the roster. Saints head coach Dennis Allen said the staff wants to know where Holker is as a blocker, characterizing the missing gap in their evaluations as coming from “a physicality standpoint” after minicamp. But between the positive early returns in passing drills, Holker’s obvious movement skills, and what’s been invested in him (his $235,000 in guarantees were more than two of their draft picks) it’s tough to see him not making the 53-man roster.

As for what Holker can achieve this season? If he does make the team he’ll be playing behind Johnson and Foster Moreau. But Jimmy Graham showed last year that the team’s third tight end can still make plays. It’s unfair to expect Holker to make such an outsized impact as Graham, who either converted a first down or scored a touchdown on all six of his receptions, but Holker should get some opportunities to make plays. Getting bumped up the depth chart over the summer with Johnson on the mend will only help speed up his development.

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Jimmy Graham is not opposed to returning to football, and the Saints may need him

Jimmy Graham is not opposed to returning to football, and the Saints may need him with a significant injury to Juwan Johnson:

The New Orleans Saints have been put in a tough position with the injury to Juwan Johnson during the offseason. While there is hope he could return by week 1, there is also the chance that he does not or is not fully into the new scheme by then. This leads to the Saints having to make a decision quickly, and with Jimmy Graham still on the free agent market, he could be someone they look to consider.

According to Katherine Terrell of ESPN, Graham “hasn’t closed the door on football yet” and that “when he does retire, it’s going to be as a Saint.”

Graham played in 13 games for the Saints last season, grabbing only six receptions but four of which scored touchdowns. He previously shared his plan to row across the Arctic Ocean during the offseason, and later during the process posted on Instagram regarding the Saints and his appreciation for everyone. At the time it almost felt like a retirement speech, but now with the Saints down a tight end and in need of someone they can rely on for red zone touches, Jimmy Graham could be the guy they call on in the coming weeks.

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Undrafted Saints rookie Dallin Holker given good odds of making the team

Undrafted Saints rookie Dallin Holker was given good odds of making the team. Between his contract guarantees and strong scouting report, he might make the cut:

It’s a hard life for undrafted free agents — about 500 rookies sign with NFL teams after the draft each year, but maybe 50 of them will make the cut and earn a spot on the 53-man roster for Week 1’s kickoff games. And one stands apart when looking at the New Orleans Saints’ undrafted crop: former Colorado State tight end Dallin Holker.

Wide Left’s Arif Hasan studied the rate of undrafted rookies who made the cut for teams over the last three years, and found a good correlation between two factors determining their changes. NFL teams show us how they regard undrafted free agents by guaranteeing a portion of their contracts. And draft analysts’ rankings in Hasan’s consensus board can play a part, too.

We’ll let Hasan explain his methodology:

When accounting for the high correlation between Consensus Big Board rank and guaranteed money (a correlation of -0.48) one can construct a simple model that projects likelihood for undrafted free agents. The base make rate is about nine percent, and a higher consensus board rank and/or a higher guaranteed salary have an equal chance of helping or hurting those odds in the model, from a maximum of 33 percent to a minimum of 4 percent.

So even if a best-case scenario for an undrafted rookie gives them a 33% chance of making the team (not counting practice squad slots; just those who start out on the 53-man roster outright). Keep that 33% number in mind, because this is all relative. Hasan’s model gave Holker a 23.7% chance of making the cut with the Saints this summer, which is seventh-best among the hundreds of undrafted players who signed with NFL teams a few weeks ago.

The Saints guaranteed $235,000 of Holker’s contract. That’s more than any other undrafted free agent they signed this year by a considerable margin, and it ranks among the highest guarantees for these players around the league.

While saying that Holker’s odds of making the team is less than 24% may not be too inspiring, it’s still better than the dozen or so other undrafted rookies who came to New Orleans this offseason. But this is all speculative. At the end of the day it’ll be Holker’s performance at practices and training camp and preseason games that determines whether he joins Juwan Johnson and Foster Moreau on the 53-man roster.

And the early returns have been positive. He has clean feet and great movement skills in a small space. Teams aren’t allowed to do many blocking drills or full-contact work this early in the offseason calendar, but Holker has helped himself by catching the ball cleanly and turning upfield in a hurry. He was known as a run-after-catch threat at Colorado State and those skills appear to be translating, though of course defenders aren’t allowed to tackle him with a head full of steam just yet.

Holker needs to keep that momentum going into the summer. He’s competing with veterans like Tommy Hudson and Michael Jacobson, both of whom were on the practice squad last year. Jacobson has stood out in passing drills early on and he won’t make Holker’s quest for a roster spot easy. There’s room for a third tight end with Jimmy Graham training to row across the Arctic Ocean, and the lackluster production the Saints got out of Johnson and Moreau last year should open up a real role for someone like Holker or Jacobson. This might shape up for an entertaining training camp battle after all.

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Saints made a hefty investment in rookie free agent Dallin Holker

The Saints made a hefty investment in rookie free agent Dallin Holker. The former Colorado State tight end has mile-high potential:

Don’t say the New Orleans Saints aren’t willing to spend big to get the players they covet. The Saints guaranteed $235,000 of their contract with rookie Dallin Holker, per ESPN’s Katherine Terrell, making the former Colorado State tight end their highest-paid undrafted free agent this year. The deal includes a $10,000 signing bonus. He’s essentially guaranteed a spot on the practice squad, but the expectation should be for him to make the 53-man roster outright.

So why is he such an appealing prospect? The raw numbers aside (Holker caught 64 passes for 766 yards last season, scoring 6 touchdown receptions), he’s dangerous with the football in his hands. Pro Football Focus charting found that Holker drew an average depth of target at 8.9 yards, while gaining 5.9 yards after the catch per reception. He forced 15 missed tackles and picked up 38 first downs.

Holker’s times in agility drills at the NFL Scouting Combine were also impressive, with the second-best numbers in the short shuttle (4.21 seconds) and three cone drill (6.83). There aren’t many players this light on their feet at 6-foot-3 and 241 pounds.

But back to on-field performance. Here’s how each of the Saints’ non-Taysom Hill tight ends stacked up in those same per-target and per-catch stats:

  • Juwan Johnson: 8.0 ADOT, 4.0 YAC/R (58 targets)
  • Foster Moreau: 4.7 ADOT, 4.8 YAC/R (25 targets)
  • Jimmy Graham: 8.3 ADOT, 0.7 YAC/R (7 targets)

The jump to the NFL from Colorado State is significant, but he has the physical gifts to succeed. Holker is an early favorite to take Graham’s place as the team’s third tight end. He’ll need to earn bigger opportunities over the summer, but the Saints could use more production out of the position.

Johnson was late to the party last year with Derek Carr under center and didn’t make a consistent impact until the last four games, catching 19 of his 37 passes and gaining 216 of his 368 yards while scoring 3 of his 4 touchdowns and converting 15 of his 23 yards. Moreau was miscast as a blocking tight end and averaged his fewest routes run per game (10.7) since his rookie year.

It’s worth noting both Moreau and Johnson dealt with injuries during the season, but they didn’t make the most of their opportunities, either. If Klint Kubiak has a better vision for the players, great, but they still need to execute when their numbers are called. They can’t afford to slip up with Holker waiting to get his chance.

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Jimmy Graham pens heartfelt speech to New Orleans in cryptic Instagram post

Jimmy Graham’s Instagram post to Saints fanns and the city of New Orleans had all the makings of a retirement speech without saying the words:

https://www.instagram.com/p/C5HMtzGOH9X/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

This might mean goodbye. Jimmy Graham did everything short of saying he was retiring in a recent Instagram post. The New Orleans Saints legend thanked Saints fans and penned a heartfelt message to the city and the team, which is customary when a player is leaving a team. Seeing that Graham is 37 and already spent a year away from football, this feels like an implied retirement. Graham is also preparing to row across the Arctic in July 2025, so stepping away from the game to prepare for that adventure seems logical.

After a seven-year hiatus, Graham returned to the team that drafted him back in 2010. It took the entire season to learn how to use him, but Graham excelled in his limited role once the Saints called his number. His 6 catches on the year all went for touchdowns or first downs. His impeccable effectiveness feels like a proper send off even though he didn’t even hit 100 yards receiving.

For clarification, Graham never said he was retiring. The message does feel eerily similar to a retirement speech. Maybe he left that out on purpose to keep us on our toes.

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Saints TE Jimmy Graham part of rowing event across Arctic Ocean in 2025

Jimmy Graham is part of a team that will row across the Arctic Ocean in 2025

New Orleans Saints tight end Jimmy Graham is going to be involved in quite the challenging endeavor in 2025.

Graham will take part in The Arctic Challenge. His role on the team will be as lead navigator.

Per Neworleanssaints.com:

Graham will be one of four rowers united by a passion for adventure. He will be joined by former Navy SEAL Andrew Tropp, who will serve as captain for the mission, former member of Team USA’s rowing team and a New Orleans native Hannah Huppi, who will serve as project manager, and former rower for Team USA and Team Switzerland John Huppi, who will serve as equipment manager.

Per TheArcticChallenge.com:

The team will start their journey in Tromsø, Norway. They will row 1,000 Kilometers across the Arctic open ocean, landing in Longyearbyen, Svalbard.

With 18 months of preparation and training under their belt, the team will push away from land in July 2025. The journey is expected to take between 10-20 days

The team will row non-stop in 9 meter ocean rowing boat, alternating in 2 hour shifts, 24 hours a day. They will bring all supplies on-board, rowing completely unsupported.

Jimmy Graham is part of a 4 member team that will row across the Arctic Ocean for 15 days non stop 🤯in July 2025 for a good cause 👏 https://t.co/B65mJc2zHX pic.twitter.com/FMOBk95mH9