Tag: Jimmy Graham

Bears have been exploring potential trades at tight end

If there’s one thing that’s clear, it’s that the Bears are doing everything to ensure that tight end won’t be an issue in 2020.

The Bears are doing their due diligence when it comes to the tight end position this offseason. This after a season where Chicago’s tight ends collectively failed to make any positive impact in an overall disappointing season.

There have been reports that Chicago is interested in pursing free-agent-to-be Austin Hooper, who is certainly the best tight end set to hit free agency. While the Bears would certainly love to bring in one of the game’s best to fix a position integral to Matt Nagy’s offense, it doesn’t seem likely.

Given the Bears’ salary cap situation, it’s unlikely that they’ll be able to afford someone like Hooper, whose going rate looks to be around $10 million per season in what’s poised to be a competitive market.

But that doesn’t mean Chicago’s options at tight end are completely off the table. According to The Athletic‘s Adam Jahns, the Bears have been inquiring about potential trades at tight end.

One of those names that Jahns mentioned could be available is former first-round pick Hayden Hurst. He’s competing with Mark Andrews and Nick Boyle for playing time with the Ravens, and perhaps the Bears could get Baltimore to listen to a possible offer.

Other names mentioned as possible targets include Tampa’s Cameron Brate, Denver’s Jeff Heuerman, Pittsburgh’s Vance McDonald, Tennessee’s Delanie Walker and Green Bay’s Jimmy Graham.

Chicago has already added Demetrius Harris, who has experience in Nagy’s offense. Harris’ one-year $1.15 million deal gives the Bears some financial leeway to bring in another veteran acquisition given their salary cap limitations.

The Bears have also spent plenty of time talking to tight end prospects, and it wouldn’t be a surprise for Chicago to select a tight end in the NFL Draft.

If there’s one thing that’s clear, it’s that the Bears are doing everything to ensure that tight end won’t be an issue in 2020. But that remains to be seen.

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TE Jimmy Graham could be a great add for Patriots

If Jimmy Graham is moved, New England could be the spot for him.

Behind quarterback, tight end has probably been the second most-discussed position in New England this offseason. After a season where the Patriots tight end group was 32nd in receptions, 30th in yards, and 32nd in touchdowns, it’s evident a change needs to be made. And a new tight end may have just found his way on the market.

Jimmy Graham was one of the premier tight ends in the NFL just a few years ago. He spent his first five seasons with New Orleans as one of Drew Brees’ favorite targets. It was during those times when he was constantly compared to former Patriot Rob Gronkowski. Graham and Gronk were the top-two in the league, and it was clear. Over the next five years, he’d split times with Green Bay and Seattle where he still put up solid numbers, but not exactly at the level he was before.

Now, it looks like Graham is going to be on the move again. His cap hit, currently just under $11.7 million, is too high for the player he is today. If he were to be traded, his cap hit to the team acquiring him is only $7.45 million which is much more manageable. And it likely wouldn’t cost more than a mid-round draft pick because other teams are aware that Green Bay wants to move on.

There’s also the chance that Graham gets cut. At 33, he probably won’t fetch top dollar, but he can still perform for a contender. If New England can get their quarterback situation straightened out, they should be in the mix down the stretch.

While Belichick loves blocking tight ends, he’s also had his fair share of finesse talent. Graham could slide in and be a tremendous red-zone target and great on the seam route that was so productive for Gronkowski in New England.

He wouldn’t fix everything, and they should still draft a tight end even if they bring him in, but Graham would be a great addition to the 2020 Patriots.

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Recent history suggests a Jimmy Graham-Saints reunion can’t be ruled out

The Green Bay Packers aren’t expected to retain Jimmy Graham in 2020, per NFL Network. Could the New Orleans Saints explore a reunion?

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Here’s a blast from the past: NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that tight end Jimmy Graham is not expected to return to the Green Bay Packers, meaning that a release is likely in the cards. The Packers can create $8 million in salary cap space by cutting or trading Graham. So, we have to ask: could he make up with the New Orleans Saints?

Graham’s trade to the Seattle Seahawks back in 2015 sent a shockwave throughout the NFL, and was the culmination in a fractured relationship with the Saints. Graham bristled at Saints coach Sean Payton’s involvement in franchise tag arbitration hearings, and coaches in turn grew frustrated with Graham’s inconsistent effort level in games late in his tenure. It’s a shame that things ended on such a sour note after his star-studded debut, having caught 54 touchdowns in 82 games with the Saints (including the playoffs).

The big tight end dealt with injuries and struggled to make an impact in the run-first Seahawks offense, reeling in just 19 touchdown passes in 45 games despite being paired with Russell Wilson. His performance continued to trail off in Green Bay, connecting with Aaron Rodgers on just five scoring plays in 36 games. Touchdowns aren’t everything, but in this case, they’re emblematic of Graham’s decline. By every measure, Graham is probably nearing the end of the road in the NFL.

But we shouldn’t dismiss the idea that the Saints might give him another shot. They were interested in Graham before the 2018 season (though he ultimately signed with the Packers), suggesting that the hatchet’s been buried, the beef has been squashed, and amends have been made. Or close to it.

The Saints have brought back a number of retreads later in their careers in the Sean Payton era, including Graham’s former mentor, Ben Watson. Others included Robert Meachem, Patrick Robinson, Chase Daniel, Jonathan Goodwin, Stephone Anthony, Manti Te’o, and Jahri Evans (who also shared a cup of coffee with the Packers). Graham returning for a year would follow that pattern.

However, the role he might play wouldn’t resemble the one-man highlight reel fans remember. Graham would be a luxury addition as a third-stringer behind Josh Hill (40.6 snaps per game in 2019) and Jared Cook (35.9 snaps per game), classified somewhere between a veteran band-aid and a situational “break glass in case of red zone drill” option. Graham doesn’t offer much as a blocker, and he struggles to stretch the field vertically after a series of lower-leg and foot injuries. But his one-of-a-kind catch radius could pair well with Drew Brees’ accuracy, especially when the field shrinks down inside the opposing 20-yard line.

So, this is a situation to monitor. In a perfect world, the Saints would land a young, athletic tight end who can pick up Hill’s blocking-oriented playbook in 2020 before replacing Cook as the primary receiving threat in 2021 (when Cook’s two-year contract is set to expire), like, say, LSU prospect Thaddeus Moss. But that’s not something they can count on, and it might be smart to add Graham as a veteran experienced in their system until that long-term fix is identified. As long as Graham is willing to accept such a bit part in the offense, and at the right price, of course.

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Jimmy Graham failed to turn biggest strength into real impact with Packers

It was easy to envision Jimmy Graham catching a lot of TD passes from Aaron Rodgers. It never happened in Green Bay.

Jimmy Graham’s brief career with the Green Bay Packers is likely going to end without the future Hall of Fame tight end ever taking advantage of what many assumed would be his biggest strength in Green Bay.

The idea was nothing if not intriguing. Give Aaron Rodgers a big, touchdown machine at tight end and the red zone touchdown passes would come pouring in. In March of 2018, it was easy to envision Rodgers and Graham, a prized free agent, dominating inside the 20-yard line, with Rodgers’ creativity in the scoring area providing the perfect point guard to match with Graham’s size and receiving ability in or near the end zone.

The connection never really got off the ground. As disappointing as Graham’s two-year run with the Packers has been, his lack of production in the red zone stands out as the biggest failure. Graham’s top strength as a player never resulted in any true impact.

Over 34 games playing with Rodgers, Graham caught exactly five touchdowns in the red zone (and five touchdown passes total). It wasn’t due to a lack of trying; Rodgers attempted 18 passes targeting Graham in the red zone between 2018 and 2019, including 11 inside the 10-yard line. He had chances. His conversion rate was low.

With the Seattle Seahawks in 2017, Graham caught a league-high 10 touchdown passes in the red zone, including eight inside the 10-yard line. It was an inefficient season overall for Graham, but he made a big impact in the scoring area. His saving grace never showed up in Green Bay.

For comparison’s sake, consider that running back Jamaal Williams caught as many touchdown passes during the 2019 season (five) as Graham had during his entire two-year career in Green Bay.

The Packers are expected to release Graham at some point this offseason, saving $8 million in cap space. The move will provide an unceremonious end to what can only be considered a bust signing from GM Brian Gutekunst. Projecting Graham and Rodgers to create fireworks in the red zone was easy. Actually producing the big scoring moments proved increasingly difficult for the veteran pair, creating the defining failure of Graham’s Packers career.

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Report: TE Jimmy Graham expected to be released by Packers

The Packers are expected to keep TE Jimmy Graham, according to NFL Network.

The Green Bay Packers are not expected to retain tight end Jimmy Graham for the 2020 season.

According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Graham is expected to be released this offseason, though nothing has been made official yet.

Graham, who turned 33 in November, is entering the last year of the three-year, $30 million contract he signed back in March of 2018. Cutting Graham would save the Packers $8 million in cap space.

Releasing Graham before the start of the new league year on March 18 would leave just three tight ends on the Packers roster: Jace Sternberger, a rookie third-rounder in 2019, Evan Baylis, who spent most of last season on the practice squad, and James Looney, a former defensive end who is transitioning to tight end. Robert Tonyan is scheduled to become an exclusive rights free agent, while Marcedes Lewis is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent.

In his two seasons with the Packers, Graham recorded 93 receptions for 1,083 yards and five touchdowns in 32 games played.

Should Redskins target Packers’ TE Jimmy Graham this offseason?

Some expect the Packers to move on from Jimmy Graham this offseason, and the Redskins could wind up targeting him via trade or free agency.

There are a number of potential tight ends that the Washington Redskins could choose to target in the 2020 free agency period, and one more name might be added to the list soon.

So far we have players like Hunter Henry, Greg Olsen, Austin Hooper, and Eric Ebron. Now it’s starting to look like Jimmy Graham might be up for grabs as well.

According to a report from Rotoworld Football, the Green Bay Packers are expected to move on from Graham this offseason, though he still has one year left on his contract. Graham has spent the last two years in Green Bay with Aaron Rodgers and the Packers, but he hasn’t quite lived up to the expectations he built as a young player.

Starting his career with the New Orleans Saints, Graham had 51 total touchdowns in the first five years of his career. After leaving to join the Seattle Seahawks, Graham’s production started to drop off, and he’s totaled just 22 touchdowns in the five years since.

Still, Graham is a big-bodied receiver that has proven before what he can do when given the opportunity, Should the Redskins miss out on some of the top names that we mentioned above, it’s highly possible that they could take a shot on Graham and hope that he returns to his younger form. Whether it be by trade or signing, a path exists for Graham to end up in Washington ahead of the 2020 season. Even if he doesn’t return to what he once was in New Orleans, the version we’ve seen in years past in both Seattle and Green Bay would be a great improvement over what the Redskins currently have at the TE position.

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13 big NFL names that could be cap casualties in 2020

Carolina quarterback Cam Newton headlines a list of 13 players that could be salary cap casualties.

The Super Bowl hasn’t been played yet, but it’s time to start looking ahead to the 2020 season. The 30 teams not in the Super Bowl already are doing that.

One of the first things teams do in the offseason is look at their salary cap. They start looking for ways to trim it before the league year and free agency begin in March. Inevitably, there are some big names that are released or traded to clear cap space. This year is no exception.

Let’s take a look at 13 big names that could be cap casualties before the 2020 season:

13. Vernon Hargreaves, CB, Houston Texans

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Picked up off waivers from Tampa Bay during last season, Hargreaves’ production didn’t match up with his salary. The Texans can clear $9.9 million against the cap by cutting him. The former first-round pick has to join a new team at a bargain rate and reinvent himself if he ever is going to get another big contract.

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NFL fans can stop debating if Jimmy Graham got a game-clinching first down for the Packers

The yellow first down line isn’t official.

There was a lot of buzz after the Green Bay Packers clinched a trip to the NFC championship game in a win over the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday thanks to Jimmy Graham’s catch that led to a game-ending first down.

Did the veteran tight end REALLY get the ball to where it needed to be for the first down? Fans debated for a while, mostly citing the fact that when he was tackled, it appeared he was short of the yellow first-down line that was projected on to the field from the FOX broadcast.

But this is a good time to remind you all that the yellow line isn’t official and it isn’t always accurate … and that appeared to be the case here.

Sorry, Seahawks fans. That’s the end of that.

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5 takeaways from Seattle’s 28-23 divisional-round defeat in Green Bay

The Seattle Seahawks fell to the Green Bay Packers by a score of 28-23 in the divisional round of the playoffs. Here are five takeaways.

The Seattle Seahawks fell to the Green Bay Packers in the divisional round of the 2019 NFL playoffs, extending their losing streak at Lambeau Field to nine games. Here are five takeaways from the loss on Sunday.

Disastrous first half

The Seahawks went into halftime trailing 21-3 as their defense could not stop a nosebleed. They could not generate much offensively, only scoring a 45-yard Jason Myers field goal and a subsequent 50-yard miss and a failed Hail Mary attempt at the end of the half. The Packers outgained the Seahawks in yards 201 to 135, as well as the time of possession with 18:05 to Seattle’s 11:55. Green Bay would match Seattle’s subsequent touchdown in the second half with one of its own, and this would ultimately prove too much to overcome.

No answer for Davante Adams

Davante Adams finished with eight receptions for 160 yards and two touchdowns and had 120 yards and one TD in the first half. He burned whoever covered him and the Seahawks defense simply had no answer for him in particular. He caught all four of his targets of 10 or more yards downfield, and one of those was a clutch third-and-8 conversion that went for 32 yards when the Packers needed a play to run the clock down. He averaged 5.7 yards per route and was Aaron Rodgers’ most reliable target, as well as Green Bay’s biggest contributor to its offensive production.

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Strong second-half surge

The Seahawks came out of halftime to score three consecutive offensive touchdowns, getting them back into the game. They could not capitalize on opportunities when the contest was on the line, but the Seahawks continued to make the statement that they are a no-quit team, as they have often been throughout the Pete Carroll era. They always find a way to stay in the game and receive a chance to win it. Unfortunately, they could not pull it off this time.

Defense horrid on third down

Ken Norton Jr.’s defense got torched on third down all game long, including several times with the game hanging in the balance. The Packers converted nine of their 14 third-down attempts and were six of eight after making the score 28-10 in their favor. In addition, all three of Green Bay’s first-half TDs were on third down. The Seahawks defense could not get stops when they needed to, and this played a huge role in the outcome.

Former Seahawk Jimmy Graham makes the game-winning catch

Tight end Jimmy Graham made perhaps the biggest catch of his career when he converted a third and 9 with 1:48 remaining in the game. The spot was controversial, as it appeared Graham was short of the first-down marker, but the Seahawks defense could have prevented him from making the crucial catch, and they did not, nor did they get to quarterback Aaron Rodgers when they needed to. Graham caught two additional passes on third down and was clutch for the Packers with the game on the line. This will obviously sting Seahawks fans quite a bit, but it must have felt good for Graham to win against his former team.

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