DrewBrees15

This may be the result of a contract year and him not wanting to get further injured, but has anyone else noticed the number of alligator arm type efforts that Jimmy has had this year. Don't get me wrong I am very glad he is a Saint and still playing despite obviously being injured, but I think he is clearly protecting himself at times at the detriment of the team. He doesn't always fight for extra yardage when close to the first down marker and has many alligator arm efforts like the one on the deep ball yesterday. I am going to try to add a gif of the end of that play to show what I saw.

The Saints will probably use the franchise tag on Jimmy next year, which I think is going to cost the Saints Jimmy's full potential over the next year and a half. In my opinion a Jimmy deal needs to get done to preserve beast-like play for the rest of this year and next.

TheOak

Jimmy has had that tendency for a while.

lee909

I dont see him getting tagged.
It will be similar to Brees the other year.The may have to tag him to buy time but a deal will get done. The money isn't there for a tag , he will get tagged at WR level imo.

SaintsBro

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.

73Saint

He definitely short armed one deep ball yesterday, early in the game if memory serves...

xan

What's the difference between the highest paid tight end and the 10th highest paid wr?

Budsdrinker

Yeah, I've notice Jimmy being a little gun shy this year. Could be protecting himself for his contract or protecting an injury we don't know about.

SaintsBro

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

lee909

Last years number
WR 9.5ml
TE 5.4ml

TheOak

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.