I see absolutely no reason at all to belive that's true. Finley was producing more yards/target than Graham did last year and was nowhere near on pace for 150 targets. Before Rodgers and Cobb got hurt Jordy was on track for a 1600 yard season and wasn't on pace for even that many targets. We don't throw the ball nearly 650 times a year and the ball is going to be shared around with Jordy/Cobb and now Lacy too. That's not even accounting for the fact that Rodgers routinely targets 8-10 players a game not just 3 or 4.

We've got plenty of offensive weapons and will undoubtedly have a top offense next year, it's a waste to blow 10m+ and two 1st round picks on another receiver - diminishing returns and whatnot. If we were lacking for offense then maybe it would be worth it but we aren't so it isn't. Who we have at TE is pretty much irrelevant. Graham brings nothing to the table besides catching passes so that's what he is, a receiver and we don't need another receiver to be successful.

Originally Posted by: steveishere 

Cherry picking at it's finest....

Originally Posted by: uffda udfa 

Who is really cherry picking here? You are saying we should give up two years of 1st round picks and $10M to trade for Jimmy Graham (not to mention, cut a number of our current, important players to fit him into our cap), all because he is 6-7, 265 lbs, ran a 4.53 40, and caught 16 TDs last season.

Are you suggesting we somehow won't be able to score those TDs without him? How about the big games, the ones that really matter, like those we will play against CHI, SF (possibly in playoffs) and SEA? Will Graham somehow show up bigger, because he is bigger, and faster than any of our other receivers? Will he outperform our own receivers already under contract in the red zone, and in keeping drives alive?

I'm not really sure about that when you look at how Graham fared in 2013 against some of the top opponents we will be trying to beat ourselves:

Graham Receiving %
v. ATL 57%
v. ARI 60%
v. NE 0%
v. SF 55%
v. ATL 71%
v. SEA 33%
v. CAR 54%
v. CAR 45%
v. SEA 16%

It looks to me like he struggles with some of the better defenses in the NFL, and that is with a healthy Drew Brees throwing to him all season.

Prior to Aaron Rodgers' injury, our own top receiver, Jordy Nelson, had less than a 70% Receiving % only once, against BAL (40%). Nelson's Receiving % was between 70-89% in the 8 games he played with Rodgers throwing to him prior to his injury, with the lone exception being the BAL game. Nelson's Receiving % was 70% and 89% v. SF in the two games we played against them.

All those TDs you are talking about? Graham had:
0 v. CHI
0 v. DAL
0 v. NE
0 v. SF
1 v. SEA
1 v. CAR
0 v. STL

Graham had his multiple TDs v. hapless TB, hapless NYJ, hapless MIA, hapless BUF, ATL (actually just 1 TD each of two games played) and ARI.

So, how again is Jimmy Graham going to help us? Why should we trade for him, again, exactly?

Stick a fork in it! This little pipe dream of yours is DONE!!! [laughing] [laughing] 😆

Originally Posted by: play2win 

As a matter of fact, Jimmy Graham has never scored a single TD against CHI, SF, STL, nor DAL. Ever. Through his entire career, 11 games total.

Originally Posted by: play2win 

What are Finley's TD stats vs those teams?

Originally Posted by: Zero2Cool 

As a matter of fact, Jimmy Graham has never scored a single TD against CHI, SF, STL, nor DAL. Ever. Through his entire career, 11 games total.

Originally Posted by: play2win 

It remains uncertain whether Graham will appeal arbitrator Stephen Burbank's decision that he's a tight end rather than a wide receiver, which means the franchise tag is $7 million rather than $12 million.

One thing for certain, according to league sources, is that the decision makes Graham more attractive to other teams around the league that might consider making an offer. Any team signing Graham would have to surrender two first-round picks to the Saints if they chose not to match.

The teams likeliest to consider that would be those that believe they'll be drafting in the Nos. 27-32 range next year, making the Atlanta Falcons, New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts teams to watch.

***The Green Bay Packers also would make some sense, as general manager Ted Thompson knows that predecessor Ron Wolf's greatest regret was not providing Brett Favre enough top receiving targets, but Thompson also values his draft choices. Pursuing Graham would almost certainly prevent the Packers from being able to re-sign Jordy Nelson or Randall Cobb.*** Ed Werder ESPN.com

I've seen some terrible research in my day but this is up there. Here's a date for you to research...

1-14-2012... go take a look and please do the honorable thing and apologize that you missed this one badly. He tore up one of those teams and pretty good I might add. How many times has he faced almost every single one of those teams? My goodness. Dallas is brought up? Horrific defense. Horrific. As if Dallas has any relevance here at all as it's one of the worst defenses in the league.

The points not to do this are reaching more and more.

BTW, ESPN ran a piece mentioning the Packers potential interest. It wasn't a local guy, it was a national guy:



---Ol' Ed Werder obviously wasn't accounting for the salary cap rise. I do, however, agree that both Cobb and Nelson would not get extensions THIS season. One of them would have to wait until next off season when cap is purged and or cap goes up for new league year. Not a big deal...Randall and his people may choose to wait until after the season anyway.

EDIT: A picture is worth a thousand words...not sure how many a video clip is worth but this one might help dispell some brutal commentary about Jimmy Graham vs. top defenses. BTW, this wasn't his first one of the day...

Originally Posted by: uffda udfa 

There may be one club perfectly positioned to make a run at Graham — the Green Bay Packers.

Here’s why:

1) With Jermichael Finley headed to free agency and his medical prognosis uncertain anyway, Green Bay has a need at the position. No. 3 wideout James Jones is also probably on the way out a year after Greg Jennings defected. QB Aaron Rodgers’ once vast array of aerial weapons seems to be dwindling.

2) GM Ted Thompson has the ability to pay Graham. Though he generally loathes bringing in outside players, Thompson seems open to it this year as he sits on more than $30 million in cap space. That’s probably enough to extend WRs Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb, buy a few parts for the defensive line and still make Graham an offer in the six-year, $70 million range to make him the league’s best-paid tight end. (The six-year extension Rob Gronkowski signed in 2012 averages $9 million per season, the current benchmark at the position.)

3) Thompson has earned enough goodwill — including a title in 2010 — and proven a savvy enough talent evaluator that he can probably sell the move to his fan base. Rodgers is in the prime of his career and having a weapon like Graham would theoretically make the offense even more explosive. Thompson can easily brand Graham as Green Bay’s first-round pick in 2014, a trade most teams would gladly take, he just has to be comfortable giving away that second Round 1 pick in 2015 — which will probably be a low first rounder anyway given the Packers’ track record – for a roster that boasts a nucleus as good as any organization’s. Locking up the tight end for a half-dozen years or so would also provide more security than a four- or five-year rookie contract.

Graham would cost a lot of cheese, but he’s the rare non-quarterback who could be worth it.

From NFL.com

According to Freeman, "word is beginning to leak" throughout the NFL that at least one team will make a play at obtaining Graham, pricetag be damned.

The Green Bay Packers -- who are very realistically in the market for a tight end -- are unlikely to emerge as a potential suitor. A Packers official told Freeman the idea of giving up that much for a tight end was "dumb, beyond dumb ... won't happen."