SmashMouth

Even at age 33, after being abruptly released by the Tennessee Titans in mid-June, veteran Daniel Graham knew where he stood among NFL tight ends.

He knew job offers would come his way because of the shortage of good blocking tight ends with 10 accredited NFL seasons. But unless the right offer came along, he was prepared to call it a career after 224 catches for 2,490 yards and 25 touchdowns with New England, Denver and the Titans.

So, when the New Orleans Saints called his agent during a 7-6 exhibition loss to the New England Patriots the night of Aug. 9, Graham listened intently and, within days, signed a one-year contract.

On Thursday night, at LP Field in Nashville, Tenn., Graham will come face-to-face with his old team in the final preseason tuneup for both teams.

“I didn’t want to retire, but I was close; I really was,’’ said Graham, a first-round pick of the Patriots in 2002. “I told my agent that if a team calls, a team that had a legit shot at winning the Super Bowl or going to the Super Bowl, I would play. I wasn’t interested going to a rebuilding team.

“This late in my career, I really wanted a chance to go back to the Super Bowl and get that Lombardi Trophy. So when the Saints called, I was excited. I know this is a good team, and this team has a really good chance of going and winning it all.’’

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