Jimmy Graham contract
 

Anyone know what Graham's contract looks like and for how long? He's on pace to have a better season than most receivers which brings me to my next question...if he is under contract for next season, Graham does not remind me of one of those guys who is going to "honor" the base contract for another season. So if he does get a new contract, what kind of money we looking at?

Discussion?

He gets paid with Honey Grahams .....and Graham Funk Railroad CDs

No really...the guy is on pace to have 100 rec 1400 yrds and 10 TDs. That's one helluva season for a TE. How much are they gonna pay this man? And when?

If things continue, he won't be considered one of the best, he will be the best...by a longshot. He's going to make the PB and likely break a couple of records this season. If that happens it will establish a higher bar for TEs. They will pay it and it will be painful.

I'd like to see him do it for another season before we make him one of the, if not the highest, paid TE in the league. I do agree he doesn't look like the type that will play out his contract... he's in for a big payday. Do it for another year and then let's sit down at the table. We'll probably take the same approach to Graham as we've been doing with Nicks. You know you're going to get that fat contract... just show you are consistent and wait your turn.

I like Jimmy Graham and what he brings and does for the Saints. But the guy can't be talking better contracts already. He's ran a few wrong routes this year which in a few cases led to interceptions. No doubt we need him but play a few more years and become a Tony Gonzalez and he'll have better bargaining power.

"New Orleans Saints Executive Vice President/General Manager Mickey Loomis announced Wednesday that the club has agreed to terms with tight end Jimmy Graham, their 2010 third-round draft choice, on a four-year contract "

Saints agree to terms with Jimmy Graham, Patrick Ramsey

Rotoworld says "7/28/2010: Signed a four-year, $2.455 million contract. The deal included a $665,140 signing bonus. 2011: $405,000, 2012: $490,000, 2013: $575,000, 2014: Free Agent"

So I don't think we need to worry about him anytime soon. He is in the bag for the time being.

The front office is not stupid. They realize what we have. As long as he stays healthy he will be THE force to be reckoned with at TE

He is way outperforming that contract. Just because we CAN screw him over doesn't mean it is a good idea to do it. SD didn't do themselves any favors with the way they handled Vincent Jackson. We don't need to make that kind of statement to our current or future players, nor do we want our players thinking that they are being horribly underpaid (especially when they are being horribly underpaid compared to their output).

He'll be wanting to restructure his contract soon if he continues on this pace.

That's what I was thinking. He's not going to be "humble" like Drew. I love Graham but I'm sure he's gonna want a raise after this season and he'll prob throw a **** fit if it doesn't happen.

What is it exactly that is making people think that Graham is going to act like that? Has he done anything to indicate he will, or said anything? Does he have an attitude problem? Is he a diva or a selfish player? Is he unhappy here? Someone please give a specific example of something about him, that makes you think this about him. NOT a situation or example of a bad situation at another team. This is not San Diego's front office.

Other Saints players have played for the contracts they signed, and not thrown hissy fits or tantrums one year into their four-year deal. Do our players DO that? I'm just curious, what makes you predict that he is going to act this way?

We have psychics all over the board..you didn't know?....:rolleyes:

No no. I didn't mean it to sound like he will be a jerk about his contract. I guess I'm more AFRAID that he may because he has been so stellar. He's just not the quiet type and Drew is always saying that Jimmy needs to be humble. Hell he even put that on his Facebook.

I guess i hope Jimmy is as much a team player as Colston and Drew.

Lets get real ,if Graham wouldnt have been clutch we would still have Shockey . I mean,the guy is just good,not that Shockey isnt,but Graham is way better. He showed a few butter fingers last Sunday ,but you cant catch them all,he was just rushing turning his head while still in the process of the catch.
So yuh,pay the man.But hes not the only guy that showed ET performances and didnt get paid,look at Forte .

I think Jimmy gets paid..but lets see him the rest of the year...we will have to shell out some bucks to keep the core of this team together..were not only going to need Graham to be loyal, but a few others to..

Graham is under contract for 4 years, starting last year. My take on it is let him play it out for another year and if he does as well in 2012 as he has done so far in 2011, then rip the final year and sign him to a new deal. Until then, I wouldn't jump the gun on it. The chances of injury in the NFL is way too significant to justify redoing a contract in mid term. I don't think Graham is the type to hold out, but if he does, let him sit and think about it. The TE position is pure luxury in the Saints offensive system, not necessarily a true necessity.

I didn't say we had SD's front office. VJ was a good comparison point though.

As for what makes people think he is going to act that way? He is from "The U", that's why.

Why not hold him accountable and play for the contract that he signed? Giving in to these types of players, and I'm not saying Graham is one or is going to be one, is what breeds the Prima Donna players to begin with. Yoiu wouldn't have these types of concerns if everyone played and followed the terms of the contracts they sign.

Another thing too, No one should get signed to an extension until Brees does.

You think too black and white on contract issues. He signed a contract with 1 year of football under his belt in college. No one, probably not even himself, envisioned how successful he would be in the NFL.

He his putting out a lot of effort, and is becoming one of the top tier talents in the NFL, but is not getting paid like one. Not paying him when he deserves it, even if we don't HAVE to, doesn't make it the right thing to do. You don't treat someone that way and expect to garner loyalty and respect from them.

After his 4 years are up, he could simply be of the opinion "Well, you could have done right by me and paid me what I deserved, but you didn't. Your loyalty was to the contract and not to me as a person. Now I give you back the same. My loyalty is to my contract, and not the organization. Oh, look, I don't have a contract anymore, so now you can take your team and shove it. I don't care what you are offering, I'm going somewhere else. Bye."

What would really prevent these situations isn't everyone adhering to a contract, whether it gives a fair value or not. What would prevent these situations is if all contracts were based on performance.

Well sorry, but that is not exactly the way the world works. You don't just suddenly throw a lot of money at someone just because they recently had 8 or 9 good games. That's basically what the Eagles front office did with Vick and assembling their "dream team," and how'd that work out for them? Do you want OUR front office to be more like THEM?

Graham's contract is based on what the front office was willing to pay him, and what HE was willing to accept. If he didn't know he was going to be this good, then he must be kinda dumb, for under-estimating himself so badly and taking so little. If you think it's too low, his current contract is on HIM for taking it, as much as it is on the Saints. Coddling players and throwing money around is NOT the way this team operates.

I also disagree with you, when you said that "no one envisioned how good he would be in the NFL." WHO DO YOU THINK SIGNED HIM? The Saints, that's who! Do you think it was an accident they signed him, when he'd only played 1 year of football? No, they very clearly saw in him the potential for what we're seeing now. Drew saw it too, and kept feeding him the ball and mentoring him.

But I still don't get, WHAT exactly is making you think Graham is unhappy here, or frustrated with his contract? You're projecting all this stuff into his head, with no evidence at all. He did go to "the U," that's true -- but there are some NFL players out there who went to "the U" who aren't total head cases or money divas. That Jonathan Vilma, such a big baby, always acting up and crying about his contract!

Graham is fine, he is NOT going anywhere anytime soon. Relax and enjoy him!

"What would really prevent these situations isn't everyone adhering to a contract, whether it gives a fair value or not. What would prevent these situations is if all contracts were based on performance."

Well I've seen performance bonuses put in contracts before. That is nothing new. He could have or may have done so.

I'm the one who's always saying these guys make too damn much money - but I only say that when I see one holding out.

Still, there are times when holding out is appropriate in my opinion. We signed Jimmy as an unknown commodity. We didn't know what he was, and hell, from a professional standpoint, neither did he.

It's safe to say at this point that he is going to out perform that contract considerably relative to what an elite TE is making in the NFL, and he isn't yet, but he's damn close to becoming elite.

In this kind of situation, the player, in my opinion, has every right to renegotiate, but the rules are fluid in such situations. Hell, there aren't any rules...so whadda ya do?

All I can say is that if Jimmy were to ask to renegotiate at the end of this year or next I doubt I'd be on his case about it.

Let me guess... He wants to be the highest paid TE in the league?

EGO is ruining players, interpersonal player-team relations, franchises and eventually will ruin the league.

Alaska

To be fair I don't think he's saying that at all. We're just speculating...I think...

Yes.. this is B&G gossip ...lol

I'm sure when the time comes he will be taken care of but for now he needs to continue to improve. He has too many easy drops and doesn't always finish his routes. He needs to be on the same page as Drew especially if he is the hot read on a blitz.

I'm sure we should raise his salary prematurely in order to be unable to sign a top quality FA Linebacker or Tackle. I'd rather overspend now than improve. Plus, guaranteeing a higher salary in a position that has a high rate of injury is the secret to success.

Do I sense just a tad of sarcasm in your post?