This guy doesn't get it. But he clearly thinks he's above all understanding.

I won't say Graham is downright greedy, but I will say he's selfish. Is there a difference? Not much, but I guess it doesn't sound as harsh.

Here's the point this guy is missing. When the average person asks for a raise it's only a dollar or maybe a few dollars depending on what kind of job you have. So I don't blame Jimmy for wanting more money, and he obviously earned himself a hefty raise from what he WAS making. And he was going to get just that. How many people get a raise worth millions of dollars? But the problem is he doesn't stop there. He wants to almost double what the team is offering.

If I walk up to my boss and say "hey boss, I want you to double my salary, because I think I deserve it more than anyone else here"... Would you simply say that I'm trying to do what's best for me, or would you call me a douche bag? There's a difference between fairness and exorbitance. You might even say Greed.

I'm a capitalist, and I think it's a great system when properly used. But even in capitalism there are limits to what people can do. You have the right to earn and work your way up, but you can't just arbitrarily decide that you suddenly deserve way more than somebody thinks you're worth. You are free to request it, as he has... But it doesn't look good on you when you're asking price is beyond reason.

Just curious, where did you hear he was demanding twice what the team is offering?

I said he is asking nearly twice what they are offering. As I understand it the franchise tag is somewhere around 7 million, unless I'm off on that. But he wants to be designated as a WR so that he can make 12 million.

No. The NFLPA had issue with the NFL league office's designation on the tag as a TE. As a little background, when a team franchises a player that is all they do. They inform the NFL that they have placed the tag. The league determines the designation. The NFLPA saw an opportunity to flex a little muscle and jumped on it. They filed a grievance "on behalf of Jimmy Graham" challenging the designation. This in no way came from Graham.

As far as Graham is concerned personally, he wants the same thing as the Saints, to sign a long term deal. That deal will be no where as low as the TE tag, nor as high as the WR tag. But, that deal will be made.

All of this crap is NFLPA driven. Put the blame where it belongs.

The NFLPA acts on a player's request. They are lawyers. Have you ever had a lawyer defend you without being prompted by your request?

Don't tell me that Jimmy can't accept at any time. Of course he wants a long term deal. And he's asking for what the Saints don't seem willing or able to pay.

No. That is where you are terribly mistaken. The NFLPA acts on what they feel is for the good of the membership as a whole. The NFLPA jumped on this opportunity. You are naive if you feel that Graham instigated this affair. It was entirely NFLPA driven. Did they get Graham's buy in? Of course, he really had no choice. Did he want to be recognized as the player who refused to help "the cause"?

And once again, you are making claims that Graham has asked for anything. Search it out. Find anyone other than the NFLPA via the frachise tag amount that have stated anything about any demand.

Any.

I said he is asking nearly twice what they are offering. As I understand it the franchise tag is somewhere around 7 million, unless I'm off on that. But he wants to be designated as a WR so that he can make 12 million.

Just my opinion but the 12 million for the WR designation is like a counter offer against the 7 million TE designation.

Makes sense, 7 mill per year is far below market value and 12 is above. In a negotiation, if someone lowballs you, you counter with more than you want. In the end you negotiate down to what you expect.

PFF's Jahnke Value Model put Graham at $12.3 million last year.

https://www.profootballfocus.com/blo...vm-tight-ends/

I understand what you're saying. I don't disagree with you at all on what the tactic is. But I'm saying that I don't think he's worth WR money, and I doubt the Saints do either. I'm sure they would be willing to pay more than 7 million, but since obviously negotiations aren't working they did what they had to do. Slap the franchise tag and hope he accepts it. Which of course he hasn't.

So it's not so much about the franchise tag as it is about him not being willing to accept a reasonable number on contract. Asylum will say there has been no offer, but you know there have been negotiations. It's ludicrous to think otherwise.