brees84

Charles Clay, Jordan Cameron, Jared Cook, Jordan Reed... They all would look great in our system. It's not just Jimmy. Drew Brees at QB, offensive mastermind calling plays, other versatile players on offense that make your job easier...
Great player but it would't be end of the world if he leaves.

lee909

If it is 12ml you have a shot at resigning Strief and most of the money for Mack,Verner,Grimes,Davis,Talib,Shields,Thurmond.

Im not saying id like to see Jimmy gone but if the money is too high the team always comes first

AsylumGuido

Let's just say that I feel infinitely more comfortable with Loomis handling this than, God forbid, any of you (or myself). As much as any of us believe we know about personnel decisions, NONE of us knows a flea pecker's worth as compared to Loomis and Payton. None of us.

Now y'all can pontificate endlessly about Graham's worth, but nothing that you or any of us says on the subject is more than meaningless chatter.

Rugby Saint II

Sign him to league minimum and see if he improves.

papz

I definitely agree that the team comes first and no one player should compromise that philosophy with the exception of a franchise quarterback. We should be fine functioning w/o Graham if the organization feels that way. We'll manufacture that offense somewhere else like we've always been able to do. With that said, my main thing is that we don't need to. We can sign Graham and still can go after another key piece. I just can't stand the fact people are harping on this 12 million dollars THAT'S NOT HAPPENING. He may not even get 10 million dollars... though I do think that's the number.

Stop acting like the some scrub because he had a bad game against Seattle. Boo frickin' hoo... we lost to the best team in the league and Graham didn't have a good game. Get over it already. He's meant a lot to our offense these past few years and is considered an elite offensive player in this league.

Everyone is entitled to be stupid, but some abuse the privilege.

All little common sense goes a long way.

SapperSaint

I just don't want to see our team get wrapped up "with millions of dollars" in only a couple of players. I have no doubt that if a deal can get done, Loomis will get it done.

I just don't want us cutting our nose off despite our face.

To me, Jimmy isn't worth $12 Million a year.

SaintFanInATLHELL

He isn't worth $12 million a year. Everyone, including Jimmy and his agent know that. No team will pay that kind of money. So that point is moot.

The real question is what is he worth?

1) The TE tag is somewhere are $6.5 million a year right?

2) Gronk's contract is 8 years $55 million. Technically that's about $7 million a year. But only $13 million of it is guaranteed up to 2016 (with the addition of a $10 million option bonus if the Pats decide to take him on until 2020).

3) The WR tag is $11.5 million per year.

It's pretty easy to argue that JG is the best TE in the game. But he isn't a WR. So it would seem reasonable that something that's better than Gronk's contract, but less than a premier WR contract (Megatron, Fitzgerald) is in order.

JG is going to get tagged because neither side is going to cave to the other this early in the game. So honestly until the tag, the grievance, and the appeal are all done, JG's value cannot yet be determined. It's likely that if he's tagged as TE that the average salary will be closer to $8 million. If the WR tag stands after appeal, then that's an entirely different discussion.

SFIAH

Super Bowl Championships: New Orleans Saints:1, Carolina:0, Atlanta Chokers: STILL ZERO

Only Atlanta choked in an unchokable situation... Life is definitely good.

ClintSaints

I thought Gronk's contract was six years, $53 million.

SaintFanInATLHELL

Rob Gronkowski Salary Cap, Contracts, Salaries, Cap Hits, & News Profile

It's so heavily backloaded that the last two years would likely not be paid (or restructured). But as signed it is an 8 year contract if you include option years.

NFL contracts are smoke and mirrors. The only numbers that are real are the signing bonus and the annual salary numbers. Any team can cut any player pretty much at any time during the contract as long as they are willing to eat the dead money over a year (or two). In short a 5 year/$50 million contract with $30 million in salary in the last 2 years and a $15 million signing bonus really isn't a $50 million contract. It's a 3 year/$20 million contract because the player will be cut after year three when the salary escalates.

SFIAH

Super Bowl Championships: New Orleans Saints:1, Carolina:0, Atlanta Chokers: STILL ZERO

Only Atlanta choked in an unchokable situation... Life is definitely good.

TheOak

For me the question at hand is not JG's bad games, or his great games, its his utilization and how he has become the predictable crutch in regards to our receivers.

Compare our 2009 vs our 2013 seasons: (Arguably there was a lot more talent on the 2013 team)

2009
Receptions
Colston - 70
Henderson - 51
Shockey - 48
Bush - 47
Meachem - 45
P. Thomas - 39
D. Thomas - 35


2013
Receptions
Graham - 86
Thomas - 77
Colston - 75
Sproles - 71
Moore - 37
Stills -32

Its doesn't seem like a lot but it matters. I had to go down the list to 7 players in 2009 before I found one under 35 catches, in 2013 it was only 5.

In 2009 we spread the ball around a lot to our WRs, it was noted as one of our most valuable strategies. Move to 2013 and its Jimmy graham or RBs.

In 2009 we had 4 receivers over 45 receptions (3 were WR), in 2013 we have 2 receivers over 45 (1 is a WR).

So I interpret this as one of three possibilities.
1. Jimmy by default is making us too predictable and damaging our WR corps.
2. Our WR corps. is severely lacking and we are leaning on Jimmy and RBs.
3. We are Jimmy by default, with a weak corps of WRs, and Payton is using our RBs as if this were an arena league.

What ever it is it has hurt our long ball game.
20+ yard passing attempts
2009- 62 att / Comp% 58.7
2013 - 77 att / Comp% 40.3


Some would interpret the Comp% fall off as Drews accuracy but the trend doesnt support a major fall off in his arm strength or accuracy, it supports a steady decline in our receiving corps ability to catch the ball.
*Unless you are of the mind that Drew's arm was weaker and less accurate in 2007.

Drews long ball completion % 2007-2013

2007 - 33.3%
2008 - 45.3 %
2009 - 58.7%
2010 - 52.1%
2011 - 52.1%
2012 - 48.8%
2013 - 40.3%

We lost Meachem and Henderson in 2011-2012, our WR corps. has never regained the deep thread that it had mostly due to Meachem not being as good as Henderson and Joe Morgan never being on the field (he was the replacement deep threat).

I know I sort of went way off into left field with WRs in a TE thread but I will bring it back now. Leaning on Jimmy Graham has taken the focus off of our WR corps and it has hurt our offense by making us more predictable and Sean payton became lax in the development and building of our WRs... A huge part of why we won a SB.