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Less than two months ago, Saints quarterback Drew Brees put himself at the center of a media controversy when he confidently declared All-Pro teammate Jimmy Graham was “a tight end.”

When he appeared on NFL Network’s Total Access on Thursday night, Brees wasn’t going to make the same mistake. So, after being asked to once again wade into the league-wide debate about whether Graham is a tight end or a wide receiver, Brees flashed a wry smile and replied, “He’s a hybrid.”

“He’s re-writing the requirements of the person at that position,” Brees said. “Any guy like him that’s drafted in the future — the bar is Jimmy Graham.”

While Brees delivered his politically sound answer, it certainly seemed the fallout that ensued after he replied to a similar question less elegantly was fresh on his mind.

In January, during an interview with NBC Sports Radio’s Erik Kuselias, Brees remarked of Graham: “He’s a tight end. He’s a tight end.”
Brees was only reiterating his team’s well-known stance: Graham is a tight end because that’s what he was drafted as, and that’s what he’s been to two Pro Bowls as. However, pundits promptly accused him of possibly hurting the earning potential of Graham, who everyone knew was going to be given a franchise tag.

Graham, who spent most of his time in 2013 on the gridiron lining up out wide for the Saints, was handed that one-year franchise tag as a tight end on Feb. 28. A franchise tag for a receiver is about $5 million more than it is for a tight end, and many believe Graham could file a grievance through the players union to be classified as a wideout for the purposes of payment.

Graham might not even play under the one-year franchise tag if he and the Saints can work out a long-term contract to replace the now-expired rookie deal he accepted from New Orleans as a third-round draft pick in 2010. But, if Graham goes through with the grievance, then it may be up to an arbitrator to determine exactly what position he is.

And Brees on Thursday made sure to not say anything that could be misconstrued as his taking a stand against Graham, who led the NFL in the regular season with 16 touchdown catches and the Saints with 1,215 yards receiving, impressive enough to make him New Orleans’ only first-team All-Pro player last year.

“There is a place I can throw it where he can catch it and the other guy can’t,” Brees said about Graham on Total Access. “I want to be throwing to that guy a long time.”

Drew Brees clarifies position on Jimmy Graham | Saints | The Advocate — Baton Rouge, LA

rezburna

Shut up Breesy Baby.

SaintsBro

I personally don't have a problem with him playing both sides to the middle on this; he said what he said, and that's fine, it's perfectly obvious that he is the QB and leader and he has to keep everybody happy.

Now if he had come out the other way FIRST, that Graham was deserving of mega huge wide receiver money, then backtracked from that and said he was a tight end, in essence putting Graham's money ahead of the team's success....well THAT I would have a problem with.

jnormand

I don't have a problem with Brees saying what he's said. I do have a problem with this stupid TE vs WR crap. He's a damn TE not a ****in WR!

Garry42

I agree with you, but there is getting to be a grey area between the two positions that didn't exist in the past. "Hybrid" is probably the best definition. The question then is....what is that position (or player) worth?

ScottF

I wonder if this has anything to do with Brees quitting the PA committee.. maybe he wanted to be off-stage for this negotiation and potential appeal

billyt81

I totally disagree. He lines up at WR nearly 75% of the time. He can't move a DE or an OLB. Colston blocks better. He led the NFL with 16 receiving TD and caught more fade routes than anyone in the league. I say just put him at WR permanently and get a Hoby Brenner type(slow dependable receiver/blocks like a tackle) to play TE. He's as good a WR as Calvin Johnson when he's healthy.

rezburna

He's not close to the receiver Calvin Johnson is. Healthy or not. Calvin Johnson NEVER gets to line up with his hand in the dirt and go one on one with a linebacker or safety. Jimmy Graham had 16 td's because Drew Brees force fed him the ball and tried to use him as a crutch in every situation. We suffered because of it. Jimmy Graham isn't better then a healthy Grownkowski. Let's not go crazy.

And if he's not a TE, he shouldn't have accepted his Pro Bowl designation. He needs to decline all records that he may have broken or will break as a TE. He needs to stop doing any and all te activities at practice and line up strictly as a receiver 100% of the time.

"The first need of a free people is to define their own terms.” - Stokely Carmichael

Rugby Saint II

He is a TE. A hybrid TE nonetheless.

lee909

He is a TE full stop.
The position has been slowly evolving for a few years, he is just one of the first fulltime receiving TE's.

He isn't in tve same league as Calvin as a WR, nobody is. I do not remember seeibg CJ go up with alligator arms to often either.