Top 5 TE -- range from 4.2 million to 6.8 million

Top 5 WR -- 6.74 million to 9.1 million

There is considerably more money in it for him if Jimmy is tagged as a WR

Jimmy will not force a tag. He will ride the negotiations out to get what he can but in the end he will chose to remain an affordable Saint.

My prediction.

Puff Puff Pass don't hog it all Humphery

when was the last time a player has not tried to get every dollor he could squeeze out before coming to a deal?

Jimmy's agent isn't going to allow that to happen.
Agent is going to argue he's a wr
saints are gonna try to make him sign a franchise TE deal
saints are on a slippery slope here their gonna have to pony up big bucks cause if they piss him off and make him commit to the TE franchise. I can see him getting pissed off and eventually going else where.
like signing the franchise TE for a year with the condition that he can't be franchised again. Then signing elsewhere to the highest bidder

So you make a dope reference then agree wit me...

Saints will not push for a FT because that is a more expensive route and if there is anything we can not afford it is the more expensive route. They need Jimmy to sign a long term deal so the can pro-rate it out with a balloon at the end.

The pile of money is so huge, and there's such a difference between the WR and TE paydays, I would not be surprised at all if Graham will actually force the Saints to use the tag on him, get tagged, and then appeal whether he is to be paid a WR or a TE, to get more money.

The impatient rubber necks will all be like "Why hasn't Loomis signed Jimmy yet? What's wrong? Why don't we sign him right now? Hurry up!!!! They're going to let him get away!!!!" but I will bet you ten to one, that behind the scenes it will likely be Graham's agent who causes the delay, and not Loomis or the Saints. Why would you take a payday NOW, when you have the potential for an even higher payday if you wait, and find out how the arbitration rules whether Jimmy is a TE or a WR. It could make a huge difference in his pile of money.

It's the same thing as with Drew's appeal of HIS tag -- he was NEVER going to sign anything until that dispute had been worked out, over whether his previous tag for a different team in San Diego counted or not. Then, they decided it, and his deal was suddenly done a short couple of days later.

The two parties are close, but the tag is like insurance, guaranteeing that Jimmy WILL get some kind of top 5 money. Then the deal is finished and the details are negotiated.

There is nothing wrong with Jimmy Graham (other than nursing his injuries) and there is nothing wrong with the fact that he hasn't signed yet. Just because YOU want a Jimmy Graham deal right now, doesn't mean that HE wants it to get done right now. Just food for thought.

Your thinking he's going to give us a home town discount is what I disagree with

Jimmy is from Goldsboro, North Carolina.

He has arms like T-Rex........hmmmm.........how tall was T-Rex?