Re: New Orleans Saints' Jimmy Graham deserves to be highest paid tight end in NFL
 

TE is the most recent position in the nfl to run a muck and looks to be a big pay day for him. were the money will come from to keep him i have no idea

Re: New Orleans Saints' Jimmy Graham deserves to be highest paid tight end in NFL
 

Drew's cap hit only goes up 1m next year. He will restructure or extend in 2015 which is the 4th year and when his salary goes up.... He is not in the top 10 salaries in the entire league until 2015.

He doesn't even make the top 6 QB salaries in 2015.

A lot has changed since his contract in 2012.

Re: New Orleans Saints' Jimmy Graham deserves to be highest paid tight end in NFL
 

Isn't Gronk's contract actually over 8 years? Either way it is big.

In reality you need to look at what Graham has actually achieved thus far. He has been brilliant on the whole. However in his first season he wasn't consistently used until the last 5 games. His second season was superb. His third season was very good but he suffered from an injury and did drop several passes (the injury can too easily be leaned on as an excuse). That's all we have to go on.

Can this guy be great? He sure can. But let's not forget that Brees helps make everyone really good as well. Tieing up a $60 million 6 year deal (or something in that region) is a huge commitment for someone that is not fully proven. Let's not also forget that in theory we may only have Drew 3 more years. Would Jimmy be so great with a lesser QB behind him?

Don't get me wrong, I think Jimmy is aweomse. 'Fave' player, wear his shirt to the games etc etc but do we wrap up a big money deal right now? No. I would see this season out on less money. If he has a big season this season then look to pay the man and expect to pay him in the region of 'The highest paid TE in NFL history'. Don't also forget that this amount would be 'cheap' for a WR of the same quality and numbers and that's where we line him up A LOT.

Re: New Orleans Saints' Jimmy Graham deserves to be highest paid tight end in NFL
 

Excellent point. That never occurred to me.

Re: New Orleans Saints' Jimmy Graham deserves to be highest paid tight end in NFL
 

A deal will get done.

Re: New Orleans Saints' Jimmy Graham deserves to be highest paid tight end in NFL
 

I also think that a players maturity is worth a lot and doesn't seem to get factored in at times. JG goes out there and does it with no bad press and no problems, just like Marques Colston.

Gronkowski has far too much press and likes the sound of his own voice. Hernandez ... well.

The deal will get done. We'll have the greatest TE of all time. He will go HoF. After helping the Saints to 3 back-to-back Superbowls ;)

Re: New Orleans Saints' Jimmy Graham deserves to be highest paid tight end in NFL
 

What if he were only the 8th highest paid?

In 1 year there will be 15 guys just like him available to draft. They will have had 3 years of college ball and more reps than Graham had until last year.

Should I dangle keys in front of you, too?

Re: New Orleans Saints' Jimmy Graham deserves to be highest paid tight end in NFL
 

So use a draftpick on an unproven college player or keep a player that is arguably one of the best at his position in the league? Not quite sure I see your logic there.

If your thinking is purely based on money then could we not have applied the same argument to the massive contract we gave Drew Brees? Should we not have gone after a QB in the draft instead?

*Yes I appreciate Brees is more proven than JG and this isn't an apples for apples argument* :)

Re: New Orleans Saints' Jimmy Graham deserves to be highest paid tight end in NFL
 

And for the moment the Saints have not offered him a contract or extension, and Jimmy has not asked for one... Which sort of make all of this drama moot.

Did any of you happen to catch the interview with JG yesterday on the NFL Network where he was asked about contract? The man really doesn't care, he wants to play for the Saints, he wants to play with Brees, he wakes up every day feeling blessed that he even is allowed to play in the NFL with and for the team that he does.

Re: New Orleans Saints' Jimmy Graham deserves to be highest paid tight end in NFL
 

Absolutely. But this is the way we are all manifesting our excitement that the season start is so. damn. close! :)