Re: Saints interested in reunion with Jimmy Graham
 

JG's production as a Seahawk beat out all the TEs we have on board. He can still play at a high level. If he gets signed we know the hard feelings weren't really that hard. I still expect another team to pay above what we would offer if we even do.

Re: Saints interested in reunion with Jimmy Graham
 

I don't think you understand the power that the NFLPA holds over its membership. Any tactics that were used were solely to the discretion of the PA's lawyers. Graham was indeed a pawn just as any other union member in the same predicament. None of it was illegal, but any player in his position would have felt highly obliged to consent to the PA's "wishes".

And that whole contract affair did not affect his position upon the team. The only reason why Graham was traded was that it was a stipulation by Seattle that was required for the Saints to get Max Unger and a 1st round pick. The Saints had originally offered up Kenny Stills instead, but the Seahawks demanded Graham as part of the package or no deal would be made. That's why it was such a surprise to both Graham and Brees when the deal was announced.

Re: Saints interested in reunion with Jimmy Graham
 

Only there is precedent of compromise ahead of Jimmy's drama. Terell Suggs tried to get paid as a DE and was also shot down. In 2008.

Jimmy wasn't breaking new ground. Neither was the NFLPA.

Jimmy and his agent and possibly the NFLPA wanted to get as much as they could. I don't argue that. The NFLPA wants to push salaries as do agents...as do players.

I'm sorry we agree to disagree. Jimmy was complicit.

Re: Saints interested in reunion with Jimmy Graham
 

I really wouldn't mind seeing him back. As long as we don't over pay. And as long as Brees remembers we have other players that can catch the ball...one of which is a stud named Michael Thomas. So forcing it to JG every other play is stupid.

Re: Saints interested in reunion with Jimmy Graham
 

He kinda did:

The Seahawks tight end sent new Patriots defensive lineman Akiem Hicks a message on Twitter congratulating him on his trade out of New Orleans.
“feel blessed u got out of there,” Graham wrote to Hicks.

Graham quickly deleted the message, but it was

Re: Saints interested in reunion with Jimmy Graham
 

What you just said is my opinion of every argument anyone tries to make on behalf of any player, in any sport.

I get sick of fans trying to twist everything into being the agent or union's fault. We all get that it is a business, but if you want to stay somewhere, be reasonable. If it's about the money then just admit it. That's why people get upset at players like Jimmy Graham. They want the money, but they also expect that what they want should take precedence over the team's overall needs, and they whine about being disrespected.

We should all be so fortunate as to be "disrespected" with an offer of several million dollars a year.

I will say, however, that while I don't believe in giving players a pass and blaming everything on the union or agent, I do believe that labor unions are bad ideas. I'm fine with individuals filing grievances if they have legitimate evidence that their production (in whatever field of work) is not being compensated equally with other workers or players with similar production.

But unions and their members FORCE employers to pay more to employees who don't really deserve high wages or salaries. The inflation that results from these kinds of demands causes players like Andy Dalton to get an over 100 million dollar contract and, in turn, prices a lot of tickets out of range for consumers.

In the MLB, the players union has been crying about "collusion" between owners because the free agent market has been slow this year. Maybe they ARE colluding. Or, maybe most teams just can't afford what players and agents are demanding. And, by the way... what exactly does a union do, if not COLLUDE?

So, yes, the union effects things greatly, but unions are made up of the very players it represents. Players can think for themselves, but they want that dough.

Re: Saints interested in reunion with Jimmy Graham
 

Trust me I want Graham back but all these reports and rumors are starting to make me think it's not going to happen, Payton gives the media ZERO info so where they getting all this "speculation" from?

Re: Saints interested in reunion with Jimmy Graham
 

No. While somewhat similar the Suggs case was not the same. Suggs was not franchised. His grievance was over his negotiated salary and an arbiter agreed that he was basically a DE and should be paid as one.

The Graham case was based upon franchise position designation. It was a different animal entirely. The NFLPA was arguing that he was basically a WR and should have been designated as one with the franchise tag. It was all about tag designation, not negotiated salary based. This truly was new ground.

Re: Saints interested in reunion with Jimmy Graham
 

I pointed that very tweet out earlier in my response. And I agree with Graham that Hicks should have felt blessed getting away from that mess created by Rob Ryan. Yet, if that's the worst that Graham did (and it is) then it is pretty trivial.

Re: Saints interested in reunion with Jimmy Graham
 

From Cam Jordan tweets and general speculation. The definition of "speculation" is the forming of a theory or conjecture without firm evidence.