A little revisionist of you to say that the Seahawks could've just dealt a 4th for Graham.
Jimmy Graham changes games in the positive sense. I can only imagine what we could do with a real TE instead of slugs like Q and RR.
If Ron Wolf had Chewy and then grabbed Keith Jackson...I think it's more than plausible to believe he'd add a Jimmy Graham with as bare as TT's TE cupboard is.
Ron had a balls out approach to winning
Originally Posted by: uffda udfa
Now when I tell ya a player is no good, i may be wrong, but know my basis is objective; please respond w/ objective info.
Graham is a cancer and just not that good and this is why NO was going to dump him. Graham had a receiving rating outside the top 10 of TEs in 2014 and he can’t block a marshmallow. So his overall rating and value is worse.
Ever wonder how important his catches were and what would it be like if Brees wasn’t throwing to him. Or did he catch a lot of 10 yard passes on 3rd and 30 or 40 yard passes down by 21 w/ 20 seconds left in Game? The Outsiders have a stats that adjusts for all of this: DVOA [Defense-adjusted Value Over Average, which represents value, per play, over an average TE in the same game situations]. Graham's rank was #17 and if we add in blocking he’s even worse. Quarles is ranked #21, he’s not the greatest blocker but much better than Graham. As a complete TE, Q is at least as valuable as Graham for 1/5th the $$$ and minus the prima donna BS crap; plus Q has promised to be as good as Gronk this year...LOL .
In the two years b4 Graham [2008-9] NO averaged 6516 yrds and 6.3 yrds/play
In the 5 years he was playing NO averaged 6596 Yrds and 6.08 yrds/play.
Brees played 16 games each year but 2009, when he played 15, the starters were all rested the last game of 2009, so this made stats for 2008-9 look artificially worse.
Graham only missed 1 game [V. TB in 2012] It was an important division game as both teams finished 9-7. NO racked up 458 yrds and their average w/ Graham was 411. Now TB had #29 D and were 37 yrds/gm from #15. So adjusting for that, NO offense did slightly better than their average w/o Graham than they did w/ him.
Again w/ or without Jimmy Brees does his thing, if Graham played for Cleveland you wouldn’t even know who he was! The guy is NOT a difference maker as a receiver and he’s a putz.
NO was going to cut him because they know they don’t need him; just like w/ Grubbs [PFF had Grubbs rated 11 of 82 in 2013 and 35 of 78 in 2014 and in 2012 signed for 5 year 36M] and the Chiefs got this guy for a 5th rounder. A FITH ROUNDER!!!! Graham is no more valuable than Grubbs and no team would have given up a 3rd for him; let alone a first and a top 3 center.
PS: What an insult to Wolf, he was not a rabid maniac doing deals like Mr. Hyde. He was methodical and disciplined and stayed true to his philosophy and he hired guys just like him: EG TT. His kid is just like him methodical and disciplined and works with Ted Thompson like a hand in glove. And in his book Wolf hinted as to how his style would need to adapt to the Cap. Just remember if one trashes Ted Thompson [as opposed to critiquing one of his moves/nonmoves], they're spitting in the face of Wolf. Favre was not a "balls out" gamble. Wolf doesn't go get Favre if his coach is Glanville; of course he would never hire a rabid lunatic motivational guy like that; because Wolf believed in treating his players like men. Wolf saw Favre's desire to win and talent and knew it would mesh w/ Sherm Lewis, Gruden, Mariuchi, Holmgren, etc.